Granola with oatmeal, walnuts, cinnamon, and banana chunks, ready for your yogurt bowl!
This Crunchy Banana Nut Granola has all the warm, comforting flavors of my favorite banana bread recipe (this one on Simply Recipes!), but it’s a little better suited for weeknight breakfasts.
The brown butter and brown sugar pair perfectly with the toasted oatmeal and walnuts.
The story of how I met Elise is funny. We were in Austin for a conference and Elise was sitting in the hotel lobby with some people I knew. There was no seating so I just plopped down on a sofa arm next to my friend. Elise looked over and introduced herself, and I blurted out, “Omygosh, I love your site.” I think I avoided full fangirl dom, but just barely.
Flash forward a few years and now we live just a few miles apart. We ate together, baked muffins, saw an amazing concert and even spoke on a panel together. When Elise suggested that I write for Simply Recipes, I didn’t even have to think about my answer. Yes. Yes. Yes.
Elise asked me to think of fun and interesting granola recipes to share with you, and my brain went into overdrive. I often make muesli and the combinations are practically endless.
I think it’s quite fitting that we chose Banana Nut Granola considering Elise’s Banana Bread was one of the first recipes I ever made from this site. So, in a nod to the Simply Recipes favorite and one of my favorite treats, please enjoy this Brown Butter Banana Nut Granola.
- banana bread
- Banana Nut Muffins
- Vegan French Toast with Caramelized Bananas
- Chocolate Banana Bread
Crispy Banana Nut Granola
I request raw walnuts because they are roasted in the oven with the granola and can burn already roasted nuts. If you can’t find raw walnuts, you can fold in raw almonds or pecans, or just add toasted walnuts in the last 10 minutes of cooking.
If you like your granola in large clusters, spread the granola in a single, even layer on the baking sheets and do not stir during baking. This way the granola will bake into a firm piece and you can break it into clusters after it has cooled.
You can store this muesli in airtight containers for about a week, but it rarely lasts that long with us.
ingredients
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1/4 cup unsalted butter (if using salted butter, taste your mixture before adding salt)
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1/3 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
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1 tablespoon vanilla extract
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1 tablespoon of water
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3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (certified gluten-free if needed)
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3/4 cup chopped raw walnuts (see recipe notes)
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1/4 cup chia seeds
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1 tablespoon of cinnamon
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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2 medium-ripe bananas, diced
method
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Preheat the oven to 275F with two racks in the top and bottom halves:
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Fry butter:
Cut the butter into small flatbreads. In a small saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted it will start to foam a little, then it will start to turn amber and fragrant and nutty.
Watch carefully as the butter can go from browning to blacking fairly quickly. This entire process should only take about 3 minutes.
Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the melted butter into a small heatproof bowl.
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Melt the brown sugar:
In the same saucepan you used to brown the butter, add the brown sugar, vanilla, and water.
Stir over medium-high heat until combined, then cook until brown sugar is thoroughly melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from stove.
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Mix the granola:
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, walnuts, chia seeds, cinnamon, and salt until combined and ingredients appear well distributed.
Add the melted brown butter and brown sugar mixture and stir to combine. Then add the diced bananas and stir gently.
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Bake the granola:
Divide the muesli between two baking sheets and spread into an even layer. Place in the warm oven and bake the granola for 45 minutes.
Halfway through the baking time, stir the granola, then swap the top and bottom baking sheets, rotating the pans to avoid hot spots. (If you want large clusters of granola, don’t stir the granola.)
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Refrigerate the muesli:
Remove the granola from the oven and let cool for 20 to 30 minutes before stirring and serving. Store in airtight containers for up to a week.
