Ok, so the banana wasn't rotten. But "overripe" didn't sound as good.
This guy had definitely seen better days
In case my recipes haven't given it away- I'm a huge banana fan. And a granola fan. It was pretty much inevitable the two would one day meet and create this week's food baby:
Homemade Banana Bread Granola (w/ dark chocolate chip option)
Ingredients: (typical granola- subbed in banana for pumpkin and added some brown sugar)
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup unsalted cashew pieces
- 1/4 cup almond slices
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans/walnuts
- 1/4 cup coconut flakes
- 1/4 cup flaxseed
- 1.5 medium ripe (or overripe) bananas
- 1 t vanilla stevia
- 1 TBSP blackstrap molasses
- 1 t apple pie spice (or punkin pie spice)
- 1/2 cup sugar free maple syrup
- 1 t cinnamon
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 2-3 TBSP dark chocolate chips
- 1 TBSP cane sugar (optional)
- 2 TBSP brown sugar (I used Splenda variety)
- OPTIONAL: 2 TBSP cocoa powder (I didn't add this- just a suggestion)
1.Preheat the oven to 325°.
2. In a large bowl, toss the oats, nuts, seeds, coconut and flax
3. In a small bowl mix the spices, vanilla, syrup, brown sugar, cane sugar and oil.
4. Stir wet into dry and mix through, then spread on a large rimmed non-stick baking sheet
5. Bake the granola in the center of the oven for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until nearly dry.
6. Let the granola cool and mix in raisins and chocolate chips.
Let's hear the collective "awww"- Food baby? No?
Tasting...
Success!