This recipe was inspired by my favorite banana almond muffins. Whether in muffins or in cereal, bananas and almonds pair perfectly.
From Forks Over Knives - The Cookbook
By Del Sroufe ,
Ingredients
- 8 cups rolled oats
- 2 cups pitted and chopped dates
- 2 ripe bananas, peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup slivered almonds, toasted (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 275°F.
- Add the oats to a large bowl and set aside. Line two 13 × 18-inch baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the dates in a medium saucepan with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add more water if needed to keep the dates from sticking to the pan.
- Remove from the heat and add the mixture to a blender with the bananas, almond extract, and salt. Process until smooth and creamy.
- Add the date mixture to the oats and mix well. Divide the granola between the two prepared baking sheets and spread out evenly.
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the granola is crispy. Remove from the oven and let cool before adding the slivered almonds (if using). (The cereal will get even crispier as it cools.)
- Store the granola in an airtight container.
Nutritional Information:
Per serving (½ cup), 271 calories, 46 g carbohydrates, 7.8 g protein, 7.3 g total fat, 0.8 g saturated fat, 135 mg sodium, 6.9 g fiber, 14 g sugar
Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.
Looks like a great recipe! Is it really necessary to cook the chopped dates in a saucepan? Could I sub date paste instead? Any extra water will definitely cook out as you roast the granola.
Dear FOK
Please format the recipes you post so we can print them on one sheet of paper preferably.
first time to attemp this. looking good and sm ready to enjoy!
I had to stop myself from putting the banana mixture in a bowl and going to town! It’s SO good! Now I can make my own cereal as well as have a sweet snack. Thank you! It’s perfect 🤩
Yummy! And had everything on hand! The perfect level of sweet! Can’t wait for my yogurt tomorrow!
Are there any substitutes for bananas?
I think anything with a similar texture like applesauce or pumpkin puree should work. I make granola with a mixture of applesauce and date syrup, and this seems similar.
Looks delicious
I made this today and I am so happy! I subbed vanilla for the almond extract as I don’t care for almond. I also added some raw pepitas and raw sunflower seeds. I put all the nuts/seeds in and cooked them the whole time. It’s crunchy, not too sweet but sweet enough and the banana flavor is just a lovely mild hint. I can’t believe that this has no oil and no white/brown sugar. Thank you so much! A+
Is there no Nutritional info? fat, cal, sugar, etc.
They never leave nutritional information
You can enter the recipe into something like My Fitness Pal and they can calculate it or google the info for each ingredient and then divide the total calories by however many servings you’d get. Fortunately, there aren’t too many ingredients.
HAve made this and eaten several times. Since no one is eating FOK with me in the family, yet. Its nice to have a snack or breakfast ready and waiting. Its a great wait to keep bananas from becoming too ripe. I also use frozen intended for other other uses as well. I just allow them time to thaw. Thanks Forks Over Knives, having a ball with your recipes and getting healthier everyday.
If I substitute store bought date syrup, is the correct measurement still 2 cups?
This is so delicious. I make it all the time and often eat it for breakfast in a bowl with almond milk and plenty of frozen blueberries.
How long does this store at room temperature?
I have made this a few times and store it in my pantry in an air tight container. I would guess mine was in there about 2 months before I finished it and it tasted fine. I didn’t detect anything rancid. It might make a difference if it’s summer or winter in your area (warmer temps and humid air can affect longevity in your pantry).
This is a very good granola. I added some sunflower seeds, chopped walnuts, and chopped cashews instead of the almonds because I do not use almonds for anything. They are not sustainably sourced in the USA. AND my “hippie” hub likes lots of nuts and seeds in his granola.
Almonds are grown by the ton in Central California — 80% of the world’s supply and 100% of US supply. The orchards are water-intensive, but the volume is so large most of it is exported to China, where demand is high.