Easy Banana Coconut Granola

With the colder weather upon us, its nice to have comfort food around. One thing I miss having around is granola. The stuff that is sold in stores just doesn’t cut it for me.. it’s high in processed sugar and, if you are lucky, might have some dried fruit or seeds added to it, but we all know they never add enough, or it all sinks to the bottom. So I decided to create my own version of granola that is naturally sweetened, high in healthy fats and way more filling.. and it came out delicious!! I don’t usually measure when making recipes, but I tried my best for this one because I knew it was going to be a winner. You can adjust the amount of the ingredients as necessary or omit/add in ingredients you prefer. It tastes amazing with homemade nut mylk or by itself with some chopped banana or fruit.

Banana Coconut Granola Recipe

6 cups rolled oats (gluten free if possible)
1 cup raisins (or dried cranberries, or both)
1/2 cup hemp seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1-2 chopped apples
3-4 mashed bananas
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup melted/soft coconut mana (optional)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla (optional)
1/2 teaspoons salt

Directions
In a large mixing bowl add in: Oats, raisins (and other dried fruit), hemp/sunflower/pumpkin seeds, walnuts and chopped apples.

Into another mixing bowl add in: mashed banana, salt, vanilla, cinnamon, coconut mana, coconut oil, and maple syrup and mix with your hands until all the ingredients are mixed well and all the coconut oil has melted from the heat of your hands during mixing. You can also melt the coconut oil beforehand if it makes it easier.

Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. Add the wet ingredients in small increments to get an even flavour and texture through out the granola.

Spread onto a dehydrator sheet or own safe cooking sheet. You can spread the mixture thinly or in ‘mounds’, depending on how you want your finished granola to come out.

Dehydrate for 6-10 hours (overnight) or bake in the oven at 325 for 20 minutes (or longer) until dry and crispy. Stir frequently to avoid burning if using an oven. Allow to cool and store in a sealed container to keep fresh!

Note: This granola recipe is not incredibly sweet, it is more robust in flavour and you can really taste the cinnamon, banana and coconut. If you want a sweeter granola, add more fruit (banana) or maple syrup.

How do you like to enjoy your granola? What are your favourite flavours? Let me know!