Sometimes I get content in my cooking. I prepare the same meals over and over again because it’s easy. I know them, I don’t have to think, I don’t have to run to the computer to look up my recipes, I just run on autopilot. That’s all great and everything, until I realize that I’m missing out on the good stuff that I don’t make anymore.
Take this granola for example. I haven’t made it in months, maybe 4-6 months. That’s silly. It’s cereal! I really like cereal, specifically granola, and have gone without for nearly half the year because I got content and forgot. It wasn’t until my friend, Monica, asked me on my Facebook page if I had a cereal recipe. That sort of knocked me out of my contentedness and helped me remember this tasty recipe. So I decided to give it a go again, but this time I changed it up a bit, poured on some homemade coconut milk (which is my favorite on this but Homemade Almond Milk is a close second).
Um, oat granola has nothing on this stuff. Nothing! And the best part, it doesn’t get soggy! Soggy-less granola, people! You don’t even need to eat paleo to know how awesome that is. Of course, you could certainly change up the mix-ins (noted with a * in the recipe below), but I would certainly leave in the hemp hearts if I were you. That stuff is nature’s perfect food. To quote the Livestrong site:
They are a complete protein. Hemp hearts also contain the essential fatty acids omega 6 and omega 3. In addition, hemp hearts are a good source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. They are also packed with vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, B1, B2, D and E, as well as the minerals calcium and iron. Hemp seeds contain 25 percent protein, 35 percent fatty acids and 27 percent carbohydrates (primarily fiber).
So, yeah, leave those in, not an option to replace them 😉 When I first started making this stuff, I used a combo of hemp hearts, unsweetened shredded coconut, cacao nibs, and dried goji berries. I’m not a huge fan of the goji berries, but it was still a great combo, but I love this banana bread combo better, and there’s chocolate chips, so of course it’s good.
One very important note about this recipe: do NOT use tin foil. Seriously, don’t. Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat . This stuff sticks to tinfoil and won’t come off. You’ll have to scrape it off and leave half of your precious granola burnt on that stupid stuff. Unfortunately, I know this from experience. Sad, sad experience.
Paleo Banana Bread Granola
Ingredients
- 1 cup Plain Almond Butter
- 1 Egg
- 1/4 cup Honey
- 1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 cup Hemp Hearts
- 1 cup Unsweetened Banana Chips, chopped
- 1/2 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Do not use tinfoil.
- Combine the nut butter, egg, and honey in a large bowl. Stir until well combined. I prefer a silicone spatula for this whole recipe.
- Add in the vanilla, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Stir until evenly combined in the nut butter mixture.
- Add in the remaining 4 ingredients and stir until combined. You will have a cookie dough texture.
- Dump the mixture onto the parchment-lined sheet and break up with your hands, filling the sheet pan with crumbles of the mixture. Place the pan in the oven.
- Bake for 25 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes, then again at 15 minutes. As you stir, flip the granola at the same time so it doesn't just bake on one side.
- Remove from the oven before it browns too much, you don't want to burn it. Depending on your oven temp, you may want to stop baking at 15 minutes. Keep a close eye on it the last 5 minutes.
- Let it cool completely, it will harden as it cools.
- Break up any large clumps and store in an air-tight container for up to 1 week. It will start to soften/stale closer to 2 weeks.
Notes
**NOTE: ingredients marked with an asterisk (*) can be substituted with any other mix-in you want, so long as they add up to 3 cups.
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1.25 cupAmount Per Serving Calories 958Total Fat 75gSaturated Fat 20gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 50gCholesterol 47mgSodium 335mgCarbohydrates 60gFiber 13gSugar 40gProtein 29g
Nutrition is calculated by a third party and may not be 100% accurate
Torrey
Sunday 4th of August 2013
Thank you so much for posting this recipe--I made it over the weekend and shared it with my non-paleo neighbors. They liked it so much that I had to send some home with everyone in little Pyrex bowls! Tonight, they were begging me to make a super large batch! :)
WEM
Friday 2nd of August 2013
Recipe by The Preppy Paleo (you forgot that part)
Kendra
Friday 2nd of August 2013
Thank you, you're right. I had forgotten where I originally found the recipe, because I had forgotten it was a cookie recipe (I have never made them as cookies). I found it. Here's her link: http://www.preppypaleo.com/2012/07/paleo-breakfast-cookies.html