Post’s Banana Nut Crunch is one of my favorite cereals of all time. I can eat it in a bowl with milk or simply by the handful any time of day, whether I’m feeling celebratory, upset or stressed. I love that it’s not too sweet, has nice crunch, is nutty, and has a perfectly balanced banana flavor. I figured, why not create a banana granola recipe to replicate this?
This homemade granola recipe does just that. I found that just using mashed banana didn’t quite give me as much banana flavor as I had hoped, so I added in crushed banana chips that can be well distributed in bite-sized clusters of granola to add a boost of banana flavor to every bite. The addition of olive oil also adds a little bit of savory character to balance out the sweetness of the banana but you can easily substitute the olive oil for coconut oil if you prefer.
In just a few short minutes, this granola comes together and will fill your home with the delightful smell of banana bread and soothe your soul with the perfect cluster-only version of banana nut crunch!
Banana Nut Crunch Granola
Difficulty: Quick Bake8
servings10
minutes25
minutesThis easy banana granola recipe has wonderful clusters, is not too sweet, and packs a nice banana flavor from the inclusion of both mashed bananas and banana chips. It’s the perfect clusters-only version of Post’s Banana Nut Crunch cereal! Feel free to stir in chocolate chunks after the granola cools to take this to the next level.
Ingredients
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup walnuts
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup banana chips
3 Tbsp light brown sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup very ripe banana (1-1.5 bananas)
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 F.
- Roughly chop the walnuts and almonds if you’re using whole almonds (no need if using sliced or slivered). Chop the banana chips into small pieces. You can place them in a ziplock bag and beat gently with a rolling bin a few times to crush up the banana chips.
- Add the chopped nuts, crushed banana chips, and oats to a medium sized mixing bowl and stir together.
- In a separate bowl, mash the banana with a fork. Stir in the brown sugar, salt, nutmeg, vanilla, maple syrup, and olive oil until well combined.
- Pour the liquid mixture over the nuts and oats. Mix together until all of the oats are lightly coated and have been moistened. It may look too dry at first, but if you keep mixing, you should notice that there is enough liquid to gently coat all of the dry ingredients.
- Place onto a baking tray lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Using the back of a spoon or spatula, press the granola tightly into the pan, pushing to help the pieces stick together and to form a relatively even layer.
- Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes. Halfway through baking, mix the granola and turn it over with a spatula to promote even browning. After mixing, gently press down again. Remove from the oven when lightly golden. The mixture will continue browning once its been removed. Keep on the baking sheet until completely cooled and then store in an airtight container.
Notes
- Feel free to swap out different nuts or add in some flax or chia seeds. You can also sub the olive oil for coconut oil. I recommend keeping the banana chips, as it’s an important contributor to the banana flavor.
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