Homemade Granola

This homemade banana granola is crisp and packed with generous chocolate chunks. Ripe banana adds natural sweetness and helps create beautiful crunchy clusters, making it perfect with yogurt, milk, or simply enjoyed by the handful.

Yield: approximately 650 g granola
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooling time: 30 minutes
Bake time: about 40 minutes

Equipment

• Large baking sheet

• Parchment paper

• Large mixing bowl

• Fork or potato masher

• Rubber spatula

• Kitchen scale

Ingredients

• 180 g very ripe banana (about 2 large bananas)

• 80 g coconut oil, melted (about ⅓ cup)

• 80 g maple syrup (about ¼ cup)

• 250 g old-fashioned rolled oats (about 2¾ cups)

• 4 g ground cinnamon (about 1 teaspoon)

• 1 pinch of salt

• 70 g chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (about ⅓ cup)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 320°F / 160°C.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the ripe bananas in a large bowl and mash very finely with a fork. Very ripe bananas work best here because they are sweeter, more flavorful, and much easier to mash.

Add the melted coconut oil and maple syrup to the mashed banana. Mix until the mixture is smooth and evenly combined.

Add the rolled oats, cinnamon, and salt. Mix with a spatula until all of the oats are evenly coated and there are no dry patches remaining.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet. Spread it into an even layer. Gently press the mixture down with the back of a spatula.

Bake for approximately 40 minutes at 320°F / 160°C. After about 20–25 minutes, when the edges are beginning to turn golden, gently flip a few large sections of granola with a spatula. Try not to stir everything together, as this will break up the clusters. Continue baking until the granola is evenly golden and feels almost dry to the touch. It may still feel slightly soft while hot. This is normal, the granola will become much crispier as it cools.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and leave the granola to cool completely on the pan without disturbing it, for about 30 minutes. This cooling time is important because the clusters firm up and become crisp as they cool.

Once the granola is completely cool, add the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate and gently toss to combine.

Mathilde's Tips

Use very ripe bananas. Bananas with brown spots are ideal because they are sweeter, softer, and more flavorful.

Weigh your banana. Two bananas can vary significantly in size. Using about 180 g of peeled banana keeps the texture consistent from batch to batch.

Do not stir the granola too much while baking. If you want large clusters, only flip a few large sections halfway through baking instead of stirring everything.

Do not judge the texture while it is still hot. Granola is always softer straight from the oven and becomes crisp as it cools.

Let it cool completely before storing. Any remaining warmth can create condensation inside the container and make the granola lose its crunch.

Storage

Store the completely cooled granola in an airtight container at room temperature.

For the best texture, enjoy it within 2 weeks.