I want eggs. I want cheese. I want toast that doesn't have the aftertaste of tree bark. I want puffy cereal that I don't have to eat with chocolatey soy milk for flavour in a hurry.
So I decided to quit complaining and do something about it. I've tried to make granola before but always had a hard time getting it to cluster. Here is a simple, natural, delicious and relatively cheap version of crunchy oat cereal. This was my first time using bananas, which was an excellent decision.
Honey Nut Banana Granola Clusters with Coconut & Chia Seeds
Ingredients
1 1/2 banana
1/3 cup honey (or vegan sweetener such as cane sugar or agave nectar)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 cups quick oats (GF)
1/4 cup chopped raw peanuts
1/4 cup chopped raw walnuts
1/2 cup coconut flakes
2 tbsp chia seeds
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
With a blender or food processor, blend the banana, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger and coconut oil until smooth (I microwaved it first for 30 seconds to soften the coconut oil). In a bowl, mix together the rest of the ingredients until well-saturated.
Line one or two cookie sheets with parchment paper and crumble the mixture onto the pans (I used two sheets so there would be enough space to spread the granola out). Bake for 35-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until crunchy and lightly browned.
In terms of servings, it's difficult to say since I eat it by the handful... but I'd estimate it yields about two small grocery-store sized boxes, like Jordans or Nature's Path.
