Peanut Butter Banana Granola That You Probably Don’t Need To Make

If you’re anything like me, you’re currently feeling overwhelmed by all the enticing sweet creations that are taking the blogworld by storm this holiday season. I’ve bookmarked more vegan snickerdoodles, candy cane biscotti, mini cheesecakes, coconut-butter-based truffles, and Things With Icing than I could make in a year, let alone in the next week.

Are any of you in the same boat?

If so, I’ve got the post for you.

It’s my Elvis-inspired peanut butter, jam, and banana granola, which didn’t really work the way I’d hoped and which you probably don’t need to bookmark and recreate. Unless, of course, you can think of a way to take this granola to new heights, because then it would be your duty to report back to me with advice.

That said, I do know of a few things that would make this granola taste better: not forgetting to add the honey, for one (guilty). And using actual jam instead of berry juice, so that the jam flavour, you know, exists.

I couldn’t resist posting this photo. Are not organic dried bananas one of the most unattractive foods in existence? I can’t decide whether they look more like leeches or, well, you know.

That said, this honey-forgotten granola wasn’t unpleasant by any means. The toasted heartiness of the oats mingling with the concentrated sweetness of organic dried bananas was quite a treat when sprinkled over vanilla (soy) ice cream, or porridge threaded through with chocolate. And it definitely tasted healthy.

Wait. Maybe this is precisely the recipe we need right now after all. A hearty, good-for-us, not-too-sweet breakfast item that paves the way for Christmas’ onslaught of cookies and puddings and dessert.

Oh, who am I kidding. Writing that didn’t dissuade me from my snickerdoodle craving in the slightest.

Peanut Butter Banana Granola (With A Jam Idea That Didn’t Work)

• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup mixed berry juice (jam would be better, for sure)
• 1/4 cup honey (or maple/agave syrup, for a vegan version)
• 2 cups rolled oats (I used a 5 Grain Mix)
• 1/2 cup flaxmeal
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cardamom
• 1 cup (120g) dried banana, chopped (not banana chips, although I’m sure those would work if you prefer their flavour)

1. Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F). Grease a baking tray or line it with baking paper. (I always go the baking paper route, as this tends to mean less stressful washing up. One day, I shall have a dishwasher, and a KitchenAid, and a pet fox that speaks sign language.)

2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt together the peanut butter, juice, and honey. (Don’t do what I did and leave the honey on the counter, unless you’re after a non-sweet granola.)

3. In a medium or large bowl, stir together the oats, flaxmeal, and spices, then add the peanut butter mixture to the oat mixture. Stir well to combine, then tip onto your baking tray and bake for 15 minutes.

4. Add chopped dried banana to the granola, stir to distribute, then bake for another 10 minutes.

Depending on whether or not you forget the honey, this granola is either a sweet snack on its own, or a crunchy, oat-y, banana-y counterpoint to ice cream, sweetened porridge, or yoghurt. The choice, as they say, is yours.

Tagged as: banana, Elvis, granola, peanut butter, vegan