My Banana Walnut Granola has a nice nutty flavor and the ripe banana in combination with the honey adds a great sweetness to the granola, but does not make it too sweet.
The banana flavor plays out well, but isn’t too strong either. The texture is a little chewy, but crunchy at the same time. The perfect combination.
What I really love about homemade granola is that you can choose the ingredients you like and there are no additives, other than in store-bought granola. For example, I don’t see the point of using refined sugar in my granola because I want to keep it as healthy as possible, so I prefer to use natural sweeteners like honey and maple syrup.
If you are into bananas and nuts, you should definitely give this granola a try. It’s delicious.
Tools & Equipment
- Cutting board
- Large baking sheet
- Large bowl
- Parchment paper
- Sharp knife
- Silicone spatula
- Small bowls
- Wire rack
Recipe Tips
Banana: Make sure you use a really ripe banana to get the best flavor. Sometimes it’s hard to get ripe bananas, so here’s what I do: I freeze “regular” ripe bananas and keep them in the freezer for at least 2-3 days, where they automatically turn brown. When you need ripe bananas, remove them from the freezer and let them thaw overnight in the fridge. You can keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nuts: I used walnuts and pecans for this granola. You can substitute the nuts according to your own preferences, such as hazelnuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts or use a mixture of different nuts if you like.
Parchment Paper: I used honey as a sweetener, which is sticky. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper so the honey sticks to the oats and not the baking sheet.
Ingredients for Banana Walnut Granola
Directions – How to Make Banana Walnut Granola
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment. Chop walnuts and pecans on a cutting board with a sharp knife.
Melt coconut oil in the microwave. Heat honey in the microwave until it is liquid enough to easily mix with the other ingredients. Mash the banana using a fork. Combine oats, chopped walnuts and pecans, cinnamon and salt with a silicone spatula.
Add melted coconut oil, honey and mashed banana and mix well. The mixture will look a little dry at first. Keep stirring until well mixed. Spread the granola evenly in a flat layer on the baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and stir with a silicone spatula, then flatten the granola again and spread evenly over the entire baking sheet. Bake for another 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Storing Instructions
Storage: Store your Banana Walnut Granola in a sealable jar or airtight container at room temperature. This will keep the granola fresh and crunchy for several weeks.
My Summary for Banana Walnut Granola
Difficulty: Simple.
Taste & Texture: This banana walnut granola tastes nutty, the banana flavor stands out well and it’s not too sweet. The texture is a bit chewy, but crunchy at the same time.
Time: It takes about 20 minutes to prepare this granola and baking time is 20-25 minutes. The cooling time is about 30 minutes. This means that your granola will be finished and ready to serve within a little over 1 hour.
