Banana Nut Granola

When I went sugar-free a couple years ago and discovered a blood sugar imbalance was at the root of some of my health issues, my beloved breakfast tradition of cereal and milk was in serious jeopardy.  There were a handful of sugar-free, whole grain cereals out there that would still work for me, so long as I had a small portion and paired it with a fried egg, but after cutting out gluten and dairy my cereal options essentially dwindled to zero.  Then a light bulb went off and I decided to try making homemade granola sweetened only with bananas.

I was pleasantly surprised with the results.  It definitely doesn't have anywhere near the sweetness of a traditional granola (which I admit I'd still prefer if I was able to have it!) but has just enough sweetness and flavor to keep the oats from being totally bland.  Right now I eat this as a snack, usually over plain yogurt or with unsweetened almond milk, because it doesn't have quite enough protein to suffice as breakfast for me.  But for most it would suit just fine!

If you're looking to cut down on your sugar consumption, breakfast is certainly a tricky area.  Making your own cereal is a great alternative to work around the limited low-sugar options at the store.  But even if you don't need or want something sugar-free, just add some honey or maple syrup to this recipe.  Either way, you still reap the benefits of an unprocessed cereal made with nutritious ingredients and no preservatives or artificial ingredients.

Banana Nut Granola

INGREDIENTS
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup unsalted almonds, chopped
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 large, ripe bananas
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon sea salt

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl combine oats, chopped almonds and shredded coconut.  Use certified gluten-free oats as needed.

In a separate bowl, mash bananas until a puree is formed.  To the bananas add melted coconut oil, water, sea salt, vanilla extract and mix well.  (NOTE:  Melted butter would make a fine substitute for coconut oil.)  Then pour the wet ingredients into the oat mixture and stir until everything is well-coated.

Evenly spread out the granola on a large baking sheet.  Bake for 3 hours at 200 F, stirring every 45 minutes to prevent edges from burning.  If you want a less crunchy granola, you can take it out after an hour or two.