Think of this super minimal granola recipe as a great introduction to the vast and delicious world of homemade granola. It’s a world of endless possibilities and really long ingredient lists, so this 7-ingredient recipe is here to bring everything down to earth for a second. This granola gives off some solid chocolate banana bread vibes, and can easily be customized to meet all your granola needs :)
Mashed bananas and maple syrup act as the glue that creates those irresistible granola clusters and eliminates the need for any oil in this recipe. Cacao counteracts the sweetness of the bananas and maple with its earthy bitterness and brings some decadence to the otherwise modest ingredients. The bulk of the granola is made up of two parts rolled oats to one part walnuts, and this is where you can start playing around with whatever ingredients you want to use. Maintaining the ratio of nuts to oats the best you can, add other nuts or seeds instead of or in addition to the walnuts. You can also add other superfood powders, dried fruit, or desiccated coconut. It’s a great pantry clean out option.
Just yesterday, I did a mini clean out using this recipe. I swapped out some of the oats for dried coconut, and added pumpkin and chia seeds along with the walnuts. It came out totally delicious, and I really can’t be trusted around a freshly baked tray of this stuff.
Hope you’ll give it a try! And we’d love to hear about your customizations :)
- 3 very ripe bananas (1 cup banana puree)
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup cacao powder
- pinch of sea salt
- 2 cups rolled oats (gf if needed)
- 1 cup chopped untoasted walnuts or other nuts/seeds (or a mix of a few)
- Preheat oven to 350° F (176° C). Prepare a parchment-covered baking sheet.
- Mash the bananas in a large bowl until smooth. Add the maple syrup, vanilla, cacao, and a generous pinch of sea salt, and mix until smooth. Add the rolled oats and walnuts/other nuts to the bowl and mix to coat.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet, flattening it out with the back of a spoon and spreading it out somewhat evenly over the entire sheet.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and flip the granola, breaking it up into smaller clusters (so that the pieces have a chance to dry out). Bake for another 20-25 minutes, mixing periodically, until the granola is dry and crispy. It will crisp up even more once it cools. Let cool and keep in an airtight container.
Carolyn says
I’m making this right now! I LOVE your recipes. Everything is divine :). Thank you for sharing it!
xo
Anya says
Thank you so much Carolyn! Hope you enjoy it :)
Idiana Marie says
This is definitely a way to save on money and prevent the extra “handling” on your food. As well as getting the freshest you can get and away from contributing to packaging and waste!
Will be adding ingredients to my shopping list and making this for my boyfriends lunch box and my breakfast snacks.
Anya says
Amazing, thank you! Hope you guys enjoy it.
Kelly Wingard says
Made this yesterday. My husband declared it the best homemade granola he’s had. The banana flavor is really good. I miss the crunch oils probably lend granola, but I think it is pretty great and will definitely make again.
Masha says
Hi Kelly,
So glad you and your husband enjoyed the granola! It should come out pretty crunchy, so you could try baking it a little longer next time or spreading it out into a thinner layer on the baking sheet initially. Also I bet you could add a tablespoon or two of coconut oil to the mixture, and the recipe should still work. Hope this helps :)
Kelly Wingard says
Will do. Thanks!
Catherine says
To add a little crunchiness, you can add one beaten egg white to the banana mixture.
annette mallory says
what kind of maple syrup do you use and could you use honey
Anya says
Hi Annette,
Right now I have pure maple syrup from Finding Home Farms, but I buy different ones all the time. I think you could use honey, though it might be a little sweeter than maple syrup, so maybe add a little less and taste as you go, adding more if needed.
Kelly Wingard says
Making this for the 3rd time. Delicious. We love the banana flavor.
Masha says
So glad!! Thank you for your note Kelly.