Quinoa Banana Bread Granola

Brown bananas. They’re trash in the eyes of some but they’re golden in the eyes of baking enthusiasts. If you must know, I hid our last overripe banana so no one could even think about tossing it. Ya do whatcha gotta do!

If you’re like me, you know that once a granola craving hits…it hits hard. I tried to put off my cravings for a couple of days but they only got stronger! My solution? A healthy granola using quinoa and the last golden banana. It’ll satisfy your cravings for granola and banana bread all in one.

As you know, my first baking experience with quinoa was a success. (Quinoa is a nutrient-packed grain that is high in protein). So I thought, why not use it to make some granola?

This was an experimental granola is many ways. I used banana puree as a natural sweetener as well as coconut butter in place of some oil (see notes below).

Instead of adding pecans to the granola before baking, I toasted them separately and then tossed them in at the end. That way they didn’t burn in the oven. It also gave me the chance to give the pecans a sweet glaze–my version of candied pecans.

I first made these candied pecans in my Pumpkin Coconut Pecan Granola and I swear I’ll never go back to regular pecans! It makes a big (and sweet) difference.

Quinoa Banana Bread Granola

This nutritious granola is packed with whole grains, fiber, and a serving of fruit. It is naturally sweetened with banana puree and a kiss of honey. The addition of quinoa gives it a unique crunchy texture as well as some protein. The candied pecans along with a hint of banana flavor will surely bring back memories of your grandma’s banana bread.

Ingredients

• 1 banana
• 1/4 cup honey, divided
• 2 T oil (I used 1 T coconut oil and 1 T coconut butter)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1/4 cup flaxseed
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces
• 1 tsp butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 250* F. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients (oats, quinoa, flaxseed, cinnamon and salt). Using a blender or food processor puree wet ingredients until smooth (banana, honey, oil, and vanilla). Reserve 1 T of honey for the candied pecans (see below). Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. Bake for 50 minutes on a foil-lined cookie sheet, stirring every 10 minutes. Toss with candied pecans. Makes 4 cups.

For the candied pecans

Microwave butter with pecans for 45 seconds. Stir in 1 T honey. Bake in a separate pan at 250* F for 20 minutes.

Notes

The banana flavor was subtle. To increase the banana flavor, add banana extract instead of vanilla extract. Instead of making the candied pecans you can toss raw pecan pieces in with the granola halfway through baking. The flavor of the coconut butter did not come through but it still gave the granola a little bit of the crunch.

Enjoy!

Tagged as: Bananas, Granola, Oats, Pecans, Quinoa