Strawberry Banana Chia Granola

Check it out. This Strawberry Banana Chia Granola is sweetened with actual bananas and strawberries. As in, I pureed them with maple syrup and drenched the oats in the mixture prior to baking. The puree actually reminds me of my fave, undoubtedly sugary drink as a kid, strawberry banana flavored Yo-J. Do they still make that stuff?

Speaking of my childhood, this granola is calling out to my 7-year-old self. On the rare occasion that we had granola in the house, it was always loaded with nuts. All those delicious sweet clusters ruined with almonds… Of course, I love nuts now. But I decided to keep things simple in the add-ins department this time around. Besides the oats, the only other ingredients I added were chia seeds and ground flax seed for some added texture. But, if you don’t have those ingredients on hand, feel free to skip them. Nut haters and allergy sufferers, this granola is screaming your name!

I’m particularly excited to introduce this granola to my current breakfast obsession which is something I like to call speedy overnight oats, for those times when you forget to prep your oats the night before and are really craving them in the morning. Let me explain. I empty a cup of flavored Greek yogurt into a bowl, add a handful of oats, a couple teaspoons of chia seeds, a spoonful of flax or coconut flour, and a splash of almond milk. I stir it all together and chill it in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes. The texture and flavor is on point. Softened, yet chewy oats with a bit of grainy texture from the flax. And the entire bowl takes on whichever flavor of yogurt you use. I’ve tried lime yogurt and it tastes like key lime pie. Coconut yogurt…coconut cream pie. Strawberry…strawberry shortcake. The possibilities are endless. And the best part…I top it with a big spoonful of nut butter.

But now, the nut butter doesn’t have to be lonely anymore! I’m going to grace my speedy oat bowls with a new layer of deliciousness called Strawberry Banana Chia Granola. Your morning yogurt cup and bowl of oatmeal deserves this sweetened crunchy topping. It’s just meant to be.

Strawberry Banana Chia Granola

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

60 mins

Total time

1 hour 5 mins

 

Author: Krista

Serves: 16 servings

Ingredients

• 4 cups old fashioned oats
• 3 tablespoons chia seeds
• ¼ cup ground flax
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 banana
• 6 ripe strawberries
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• ⅓ cup maple syrup
• ½ cup dried strawberries

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, chia seeds, flax, cinnamon and salt.
3. In a food processor or blender, puree the banana, strawberries, coconut oil, and maple syrup.
4. Pour the wet ingredient mixture over the dry ingredients.
5. Using a large spoon or spatula, stir the mixture until the oats and seeds are evenly coated.
6. Spread the granola mixture out evenly on a large nonstick baking sheet.
7. Bake in the oven for about 45-60 minutes. Check on the granola every 15 minutes and give it a quick stir with a large spoon and place back in the oven. After stirring at the 45-minute mark, place the granola back in the oven and check it every 2-3 minutes until it’s crisp and golden brown. Toss the granola with the dried strawberries.

Notes

Serving size: ⅓ cup
Nutrition Information (per serving) from Caloriecount.about.com
Calories: 137.3 Fat: 4.7g Carb: 22.1g Fiber: 4.1g Protein: 3.6g Sugar 5.9g Sodium: 37.1mg

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