banana nutella granola

I have to admit, it’s easy to get wrapped up in sharing my dessert recipes with you all the time.  There’s just something about a fudgy brownie and gooey caramel cookie that I know you will love!

Maybe it’s all the sugar.

But in all honesty, I find the most joy in baking wholesome goodies that I can feel good about eating every day.  Homemade breakfast bars, munchy granola, fruity smoothies, and whole wheat muffins.

In fear that healthier items may bore you, I have scaled back on posting them as much.

But I’m excited to share with you a few new recipes in the coming weeks that are not only friendly on the waist line, but taste good.  Like, really really good.

If you’re anything like me, you have a semi-serious infatuation with Nutella.

Whether it’s smeared on a piece of toast, swirled into a pumpkin pie, or stuffed into a muffin, there’s pretty much no way I can turn down that thick, creamy, luscious cocoa hazelnut spread.

One repeat granola recipe I have is my Dark Chocolate Cherry Nutella Granola.  The tart cherries, the dark chocolate chunks, and the crunchy granola clusters are baked under by a light swirl of Nutella.  The granola itself is surprisingly light tasting, making it hard to stop munching.

More often than not, you’ll find us sitting on the couch on a Friday night watching The Big Bang Theory, a beer in hand, and a bowl of this granola.

True story…

Today’s granola was an easy switch up from the old favorite.

I simply mashed a banana, melted it down with maple syrup, Nutella, vanilla & a pinch of salt.  I poured it over a bowl of oats, flax, & slivered almonds, and baked it into a crunchy oblivion.

I topped the warm granola with semi-sweet chocolate chips and banana chips for added flavor and texture.

The chocolate and Nutella do not overpower the banana taste at all, which is exactly what I was looking for.  Rather, the flavors simply complement each other.

Not much Nutella goes into the recipe because I wanted the banana to be able to stand up to its strong chocolate flavor.  I also wanted to keep the granola fairly light.

The precise combination of mashed banana, Nutella, and maple syrup do a great job binding the oats to make all those huge clusters.  I’ve told you before, the big clusters are my favorite part.

I loved how crunchy this granola was.  Even without oil or butter, this granola bakes up into a crispy texture.  It stays nice and crunchy for the first day or two, but as the flavors meld together the granola get softer.  It’s all that banana!

The recipe is highly adaptable as long as you stick to the banana/Nutella/maple syrup ratio. Feel free to mix in whichever dried fruits, nuts or seeds you prefer.

Getting creative with mix-ins is what makes granola so much fun to make!

I seriously couldn’t stop eating this. Best. problem. ever