So you have some extra bananas and you are tired of banana bread? This will help reduce your banana stash and give you a lovely option for breakfast or snack. We love love love walnuts, but you could definitely make this with whatever you have on hand.
Banana Walnut Granola
Yields: 4 - 6 servings Ingredients
2 barely-ripe to moderately ripe bananas (Note: I haven't yet tried this with super ripe bananas, but imagine it would work as well, yielding a sweeter granola?) 1/3 cup (3 oz) butter, melted (could sub coconut oil) 2 T maple syrup 2 teaspoons cinnamon pinch of sea salt 3 1/2 to 4 cups rolled oats 1 cup walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 400˚. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Place whole bananas in the oven on the baking sheets, and let roast until peel has browned (about 25 minutes; I did this in my toaster oven which is awesome for small baking projects). Remove and let cool slightly. Remove banana from peel and place in the bowl of a stand mixer. Keep the baking sheet handy.
Reduce oven temp to 350.
Add butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, and sea salt. Mix on medium-high until mixture comes together a bit. Add 3 1/2 cups of oats and let mix on medium-low until oats are covered. Toss in walnuts, mixing and adding a few more oats until granola comes together and clumps.
Scrap out onto the baking sheet and return to oven. Bake for 10 minutes then break apart granola and flip the browning pieces inwards as needed. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until banana is golden. Repeat for 10 more minutes. Turn off the oven and allow the granola to sit for another 15 minutes (or more) to continue to crisp. Note: the less you stir it at this point, the more 'clumpy' it will be.
Once the oven is cool, remove the granola and let cool completely. Store in an air-tight container.
Enjoy!