In spite of the fact that I love crunchy homemade granola, I always wish there was a way that I could make it without consuming so much sugar and oil in the process.
Last autumn, I accidentally discovered, during the course of making pumpkin spice granola, that fruit puree can also act as a binder, much the same way that oil and sugar act as binders in traditional granolas. My next step was to try this No Sugar Added Banana Nut Granola to see what I could come up with.
A combination of mashed up bananas and unsweetened apple sauce is used as a binder in this Banana Nut Granola recipe. In addition to the fruit purées that dehydrate, the oats are also bonded together to form a beautiful crunchy clump when the granola bakes.
It worked out beautifully! And in place of a big splash of oil, I just used some peanut butter instead. The oil in the peanut butter makes things crispy, as well as adding a wonderful nutty taste (banana with peanut butter = YUM) to the dish.
The texture and flavor of the brownies were also enhanced by the addition of a few handfuls of unsweetened shredded coconut, and at the end, I added a few crushed banana chips for a little more pop. Sounds delicious, right, Apronese feels the same way.
A nutty, rich, and a touch sweet to the granola comes from the process and it is not as sweet as what you would buy in a store, but rather something that is rich and nutty.
Then you can customize their bowl with a quick drizzle of honey (honey+PB=YUM) if they like sweet granola. I don’t want to lie, a few chocolate chips thrown in at the end would not be a terrible idea either. I can tell you, it wouldn’t be terrible at all.
No Sugar Added Banana Nut Granola
It is a rich and nutty Banana Nut Granola that does not contain any added sugar or fat, yet makes it crunchy and delicious at the same time.
Author: Beth
Servings: 12 (2/3 cup each)
Ingredients
- 2 bananas, mashed (about 1 cup) ($0.51)
- 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce ($0.79)
- 1/2 cup natural peanut butter ($0.93)
- 1 tsp cinnamon ($0.10)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract ($0.28)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 6 cups old fashioned rolled oats ($0.99)
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut* ($0.91)
- 1 cup banana chips* ($0.92)
Instructions
- A 300 degree oven will be required, so mash the bananas until they are mostly smooth but there may still be a few chunks left. Measure out the banana mash, then add about a cup of unsweetened apple sauce to make a total of two cups (about one cup for each).
- The bananas, apple sauce, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt should all be placed in a small saucepan with the peanut butter, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. The mixture should be stirred and heated for about 5 minutes, until it is evenly mixed and warmed through (this will ensure that it is runny, so that it can be mixed with the oats easier).
- You will need a very large bowl to combine the dry oats and shredded coconut. Pour the banana, apple sauce, and peanut butter mixture into the bowl with the oats and coconut, and stir well, making sure all of the ingredients are well mixed together. It is best not to have any clumps of dry oats remaining.
- Spread an even layer of the oat mixture on the parchment paper, covering the entire baking sheet, and then spread it over the parchment paper in an even layer no thicker than one inch. If the mixture is too much to be spread out over one baking sheet, you can divide the mixture between two.
- In the oven at 300 degrees, bake the granola for one to two hours, stirring it once every 30 minutes after the first 30 minutes, then every 15 minutes after that. Depending on whether you are using one or two baking sheets, baking time will vary. Be careful with the granola and stir it at least every 15 minutes towards the end. The granola should be crispy and golden brown when it is finished. Allow it to cool completely afterward. Add the banana chips and stir them into the granola. As soon as the granola has cooled, place it in an air-tight container and keep it there until needed.
*In most large grocery stores or health food store bulk bin sections, you can find coconut flakes and banana chips that are unsweetened and healthy for you.
**You will find it easier to bake and dry the granola if you move it in two directions. When stirring the granola from the edges in towards the center and from the center out to the edges, make sure you move it from the outer edges in towards the center.
Nutritional
Serving: 1 Serving ・ Calories: 341.84 kcal ・ Carbohydrates: 42.08 g ・ Protein: 8.78 g ・ Fat: 16.88 g ・ Sodium: 101.38 mg ・ Fiber: 7.25 g
The nutritional values shown here are only estimates. Please see our nutrition disclaimer.
How to Make Banana Nut Granola – Step by Step Photos
The first thing you will need to do is to heat the oven to 300 degrees. Mash up the bananas and then measure them out (should be over one cup of mashed bananas).
Add 20 tablespoons of unsweetened apple sauce to make two cups (about 1 cup of apple sauce).
A small saucepot can be used to mix the banana and apple sauce together with more than half a cup of natural peanut butter, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp vanilla extract, as well as 1/4 tsp salt to taste.
Over low heat, heat and stir together the cream cheese, butter, and oats until they are smooth and warmed through. This will help make the cream cheese more fluid so that it will be easier to stir in with the oatmeal.
A large bowl should be filled with six cups of old fashioned rolled oats and one cup of unsweetened shredded coconut separated by a thin layer of butter.
It should be very easy for you to mix evenly the oats and coconut into the banana/apple sauce/peanut butter mixture. Make sure all oats, coconut, and peanut butter are evenly mixed.
The mixture should be very damp and there should be no dry oats left in the bowl.
You can spread granola on a large baking sheet in an even layer by covering it with parchment paper. In the event that you don’t have enough granola for one baking sheet (it shouldn’t be layered more than one inch thick), divide it between two baking sheets.
This is a dish that I prefer to bake on parchment instead of foil, as foil reflects heat, making the granola brown more quickly. The granola is baked for about an hour or an hour and a half hours. Stir the granola once every three minutes and then once every fifteen minutes thereafter.
In this case, you will use a low and slow cooking method to help the fruit purée to dehydrate rather than cook. The amount of time your granola takes to bake is determined by the amount of granola piled on that baking sheet, so you will get the best results from using two baking sheets.
You’ll know that it’s done when it’s all dry and slightly golden brown on top.
Using one cup of banana chips, you should break it into smaller pieces so that you get more pieces in every bowl and bite you take.
Upon completing the baking of the banana nut granola, stir in the crumbled banana chips and allow to cool.
If you would like to store the banana nut granola in an airtight container, make sure you let it cool completely before storing it. This recipe makes about 8 cups, or 12 servings of 2/3 cup each.
Let’s pour some milk on that, ice-cold and oooh yeah.
Yes, we have just had a delicious cup of delicious banana granola without sugar, which is both suitable for breakfast and suitable for a snack.
According to Apronese, health is an issue that people are concerned about today, the implementation of these recipes is reasonable. Do you have any other recipes related to this dish, please share with everyone.
