Start the New Year off right with this crunchy, sweet and totally good for you Banana Crunch Granola recipe! Great for breakfast, for topping yogurt or just when you want a hearty good-for-you snack.

Growing up, we had NO sugar cereals–just Rice Krispies, Wheaties, Chex and Cheerios. We always LOVED going to our grandma’s house, because she had ALL the sugar cereals! Fruit Loops, Lucky Charms, Frosted Flakes, and every other sugary cereal that was strictly forbidden at our house.

It was a real treat when my mom would make granola, because it was a welcome change from the Grape Nuts and All Bran. With oats, raisins, seeds and nuts, it was hearty, yet healthy.

Most of us today view granola as a “healthy” food. However, lots of store-bought granola has way more sugar than you would ever suspect. That’s why it’s so great to make your own! You can completely control the sugar content, and make a granola that is delicious but won’t add to your waistline.

The sky’s the limit when it comes to making granola. There are infinite combinations of ingredients and flavors. Since one of my favorite treats in the world is banana bread, it just makes sense to make granola with these same wonderful flavors!

The key to the banana flavor in this granola is banana chips. These are dried slices of bananas that are crunchy. You can find them in most grocery stores in the section with the raisins and other dried fruit. You can also find them at health food stores, like Sprouts and Whole Foods.

Then it’s just a matter of mixing together some oats, nuts, butter, vanilla, sugar and honey, and you’re done!

Actually, you’re not quite done. You need to bake your granola in the oven and stir it every once in a while. Toss in your banana chips at the very end. Then of course you need to let it cool before you dig right in. Waiting will be hard. I am sorry about that.

This recipe uses half the amount of sugar of other granola recipes, so you can feel good about starting out the day with something that is delicious and nutritious, even if it is not Fruit Loops!

Banana Crunch Granola

Melissa Howell

A delicious granola that tastes just like banana bread!

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Servings cups

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats not quick oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup butter melted
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup banana chips
1 cup shredded coconut optional

Instructions

Add the oats and chopped walnuts to a large mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, honey, and vanilla and mix. Drizzle over the oats and nuts and stir.
Line a large cookie sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
Spread the granola evenly over the cookie sheet.
Bake at 250 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
If adding coconut, add it after the 35-40 minutes. Stir the granola.
Bake for another 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and stir in the banana chips.
Let cool.
Store at room temperature.