This recipe for granola is great, I was looking for a low-calorie, low-fat recipe and ran into a few with mashed banana as the binder. No oil? Perfect. I added a few ingredients to build up a bit more flavor and protein. There isn’t a ton of honey in the recipe, so the orange zest really plays a part in the sweetness factor. I am pretty certain without the orange zest that I would be feeding cardboard to my family.
Banana and Orange Granola
Makes about 6- ½ cup servings
2 cups rolled oats
1 ripe banana
3/4 cup water
1 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup almond slivers
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a blender or food processor (or by hand if nothing else), purée banana, water, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and kosher salt until smooth.
- In a large bowl, toss the banana mix with the remaining ingredients, oats, wheat germ, orange zest and nuts.
- Lay out the mixture in a single layer on a baking tray, either non-stick or lined with baking paper.
- Bake for 40 minutes until oats are starting to brown. Check and stir often. It can take longer to crisp; just give it a few more minutes. It will become toasted and crunchy!
- Remove from the oven and allow cooling.
This granola is perfect with all the typical granola roles, yogurt (Greek or Icelandic is my preference), or berries and fresh fruit. I think it is perfect to use as cobbler topping, or even in a salad when you want some crunch instead of croutons.
Bon Appetit!