Banana & Nutella Granola
Remember that porridge phase I went through back at the beginning of summer? It was short lived blog-wise, but I’ve actually had porridge almost everyday since the obsession began. It resulted in a whole load of crazy, sometimes gross, mix-ins & toppings. But that’s a story for another day. Today’s story is about granola. You see, my porridge obsession has gradually grown into a granola obsession.
A granola obsession? Yep, that’s definitely something I can get behind. Granola is good. It’s crunchy (hopefully), it’s easy to make, the combination varieties are endless, & it’s considered healthy (even when you put a wee bit of Nutella in). &, um, why wouldn’t you put a wee bit of Nutella in? If you’re anything like me, then you already put a heaping generous spoonful of Nutella into your daily porridge, so what’s the difference?
This granola was the beginning of something beautiful. The combination of the subtle Nutella flavour & the banana taste, as well as the crunchy oat clusters, hazelnuts & banana chips, was my idea of perfection. After one bite I was hooked. That’s when the obsession started. I lost control & my animal instincts took over. Which may or may not have resulted in me keeping the jar hidden out of sight in the very back of a cupboard so that my family wouldn’t eat any. What can I say? Animal instincts. They can’t be ignored.
My family started asking about the granola a week or two later, at which point is, clearly, long long gone. But the obsession was, & is, still there. I was more than happy to whip up another batch of granola when my little sister mentioned that she’d like some for her lunches. Basically, brace yourselves for some more granola recipes coming your way. & let me tell you, they are all as delicious as this granola.
This granola. The first granola I ever made, perfect, delicious, full of crunchy oat clusters, with subtle hints of Nutella & a general taste of banana, both of which are helped along by the whole hazelnuts & the crunchy banana chips added into the mix. (A side note on banana chips: I love them! Where have they been all my life?) This granola is perfect at every time of the day, whether it’s by the handful or with milk or yogurt. Mmm, granola. You’re welcome.
Makes 5 cups (Adapted from Damn Delicious)
Ingredients
- 3 ¾ cups of rolled oats
- ½ cup ground almonds
- ¼ hazelnuts
- ¼ flaked almonds
- 1 ½ teaspoons of cinnamon
- 1 banana, mashed
- ¼ cup of Nutella
- ¼ cup of maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- ½ cup of chocolate chips
- 1 cup of banana chips
Method
- Preheat the oven to 170°C & line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, hazelnuts, both types of almonds & the cinnamon. Leave to the side.
- Over a low heat, melt the banana, Nutella, maple syrup, vanilla extract& the salt in a medium saucepan until the contents begin to boil. Remove the banana mix from the heat & pour over the oaty mixture, using a spatula to thoroughly combine the two.
- Pour the granold mix onto the prepared tray & bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through the baking time.
- Remove from the oven & sprinkle the chocolate chips on top to create small clusters. Leave to cool completely. Once cool, add the banana chips & store in an airtight container.