Vegan Banana Bread Granola Turns Ripe Bananas Into a Crunchy Breakfast

A banana bread flavor in breakfast form

Overripe bananas can become a crunchy breakfast staple with this vegan granola from Natlicious Food. Banana, cinnamon and walnuts bring the familiar flavor of banana bread, while maple syrup and peanut butter add sweetness and richness. The recipe uses fruit that might otherwise be past its best for eating on its own, giving it a practical role in a batch of homemade granola.

That flavor combination is familiar, but the texture changes the experience: instead of a soft loaf, the banana is mixed through oats and baked until the mixture firms. The result depends on patience after baking as much as it does on the oven. This is more significant than it looks: rushing the cooling stage can leave granola softer than expected, even when it has spent the full time in the oven.

Ingredients and serving ideas

The mixture calls for 200g ripe banana, 100g coconut oil, 120g maple syrup (or another liquid sweetener), one tablespoon peanut butter, a splash of vanilla bean paste, 300g oats, 100g walnuts, one teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of salt. The banana, oil and syrup form the wet base, while the oats and walnuts give the mixture its substance. Cinnamon ties the ingredients to the banana bread flavor, and the peanut butter adds a savory note beneath the sweetness.

Serve it with plant-based yogurt or milk and fresh fruit. That flexibility makes the granola useful beyond a single breakfast: it can be eaten with a bowl of yogurt, spooned over fruit, or kept ready for a quick snack. If you're working in this space, the appeal is straightforward: a familiar flavor profile and a make-ahead format, without a complicated method.

For a make-ahead breakfast or snack, store the cooled granola in an airtight container for up to three weeks. Use certified gluten-free oats if you need the recipe to be gluten-free. That said, the recipe's storage guidance assumes the granola has cooled fully before it goes into the container; trapped warmth can undermine the crisp texture the baking is meant to create.

Read more: This Pumpkin Granola Is A Tasty Festive Breakfast

This recipe comes from Natlicious Food. Find the original recipe.

Make the banana bread granola

Preheat the oven to 150°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Peel and mash the bananas in a large bowl. Add the coconut oil, maple syrup and peanut butter, then whisk to combine. A smooth mixture helps distribute the wet ingredients across the oats, so each spoonful gets some of the banana and sweetness.

Roughly chop the walnuts and add them to the bowl with the oats, cinnamon and salt. Stir everything together with a spatula or spoon, then spread the mixture across the prepared tray. Aim for an even layer so the granola bakes at a similar rate across the tray; crowded or uneven patches can make it harder to judge when the batch is done.

Bake for 30–35 minutes, stirring the granola after 20 minutes. The mid-bake stir redistributes the mixture as it dries, helping expose more of it to the heat. Keep to the recipe's low oven temperature and stated time, then leave the tray undisturbed while the granola cools. The payoff comes later.

Remove the tray and leave the granola to cool fully before transferring it to an airtight container. It firms as it cools, so judging its crispness while it's still warm can be misleading. Serve with plant-based yogurt or milk and fruit.

Why the cooling step matters

Granola's texture is part of the point, and this recipe makes cooling an explicit step rather than an afterthought. Similar baked oat mixtures often continue to set as they lose heat, so breaking them up or sealing them too soon can work against the intended crunch. (And this is the part most people overlook.)

Here's the thing: the method is deliberately simple, but it still asks for attention at two moments—the stir after 20 minutes and the wait after baking. If you're planning breakfast ahead, that trade-off is useful: most of the work happens before the tray goes into the oven, and the finished batch can be stored for later. A little restraint at the end.

A vegan granola with ripe banana, oats, walnuts and cinnamon. Makes six servings; serve with plant-based yogurt, milk or fruit.

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Servings6

Ingredients

• 200 g ripe banana
• 100 g coconut oil
• 120 g maple syrup or other liquid sweetener of choice
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• A splash of vanilla bean paste
• 300 g oats
• 100 g walnuts
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

• Mash the peeled ripe bananas in a large bowl with a fork.
• Whisk in the coconut oil, maple syrup and peanut butter.
• Roughly chop the walnuts. Add them with the oats, cinnamon and salt.
• Mix well with a spatula or spoon.
• Spread the mixture on a parchment-lined baking tray. Bake in an oven preheated to 150°C for 30–35 minutes.
• After 20 minutes, take out the tray and stir the granola, then return it to the oven for the remaining time.
• Cool completely before storing; the granola becomes crunchier as it cools.
• Keep in an airtight container for up to three weeks.
• Serve with plant-based yogurt or milk and fruit of your choice.

This recipe was written by Natali Eleftheriou for the PBN website.