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Homemade Tropical Banana-Orange Vegan Granola Recipe

Even though health-minded, “all-natural” people are sometimes called “crunchy” or “granola”, I’ll admit that I’ve never made my own homemade vegan granola before until recently.

I just thought that it was too much of a hassle, or I’d always miss an important ingredient in my pantry if I came across an interesting-looking recipe.

Then the other day I decided to give it a try with this tropical granola recipe – and I was pleasantly surprised with how great it came out!

Healthy banana orange granola recipe - vegan, refined sugar free, with gluten free and oil free options.

I’m calling this “tropical granola” because of its bright (but not overbearing) orange flavor that comes from fresh orange juice and orange zest.

Add in dried pineapple, apricot chunks and optional shredded coconut, and you just might feel the rays of warm tropical sunshine on your face – who wouldn’t love that on a cold December day? 😉

Slivered almonds and pumpkin seeds add a nice crunch while boosting the nutrition. I love a bowl of this granola in the morning with cashew yogurt or almond milk and some sliced bananas:

Naturally sweetened homemade vegan granola recipe

While most granola recipes I’ve seen online call for a liquid sweetener (maple or agave syrup, etc.) and quite a bit of oil, this recipe is sweetened with a whole-food mixture of dates and bananas, plus it can be made oil-free by skipping the optional tablespoon of coconut oil.

I don’t usually like to pat myself on the back, but I have to say that this tasted better (and definitely fresher) than the expensive store-bought granola. Even Rob, who’s not usually big on stuff like this, went for seconds 🙂

Healthy granola recipe

To sum this up: A healthy, easy to make, affordable, and delicious breakfast or a quick snack during the day? Sign me up!

Note: To make this batch of tropical granola, I used slivered almonds and dried apricots sent to me by GourmetNutsAndDriedfruit.com. I was impressed with the flavor and quality of their products, and will be using them in creating future recipes.

Yield: 5 cups

Homemade Vegan Granola with Bananas and Oranges

Homemade Vegan Granola with Bananas and Oranges

This healthy homemade vegan granola recipe is naturally sweetened with bananas and dates, and gets a nice tropical flavor infusion from oranges. For oil-free version, skip coconut oil. For gluten-free, use certified gluten-free oats. Dairy free, egg free, soy free, refined sugar free.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 cups old-fashioned oats - for gluten free use certified GF oats
  • 1 cup chopped dates (about 8 large Medjool dates)
  • 1 ripe banana
  • zest of 1 orange
  • 4 Tbsp fresh orange juice
  • 1 Tbsp coconut oil (omit for oil-free)

Mix-ins - to make 2 cups total:

  • Slivered almonds
  • Raw pumpkin seeds
  • Chopped dried unsulfured apricots
  • Chopped dried pineapple

Optional mix-ins - add after the granola is baked and cooled:

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325° F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Soak chopped dates in boiling hot water for 10-15 minutes, then drain (reserve the liquid) and add to a blender along with banana, orange zest, orange juice, and coconut oil (if using). Blend until the mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides. If the mixture is too dry, add 1-2 Tbsp of date soaking liquid - be careful not to add too much!
  3. In a large bowl, combine oats with the mix-ins. Stir in the blended banana-date mixture. Working with your hands, mix the raw granola until the liquid mixture evenly covers the dry ingredients.
  4. Spread the raw granola evenly onto two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the granola reaches a golden color, carefully mixing every 10-15 minutes. The granola will get crispier as it cools.
  5. If using optional mix-ins, add them once the granola is cool.
  6. Store in an airtight container for 5-7 days.

Recommended Products

This recipe contains affiliate links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through affiliate links on my blog, I receive a very small commission that helps me run this blog, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1/2 cup

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 260Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 28mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 7gSugar: 19gProtein: 6g

Please note that the provided nutritional information data is approximate.

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Question for you: What’s your favorite quick and easy breakfast?

Healthy homemade vegan banana-orange granola recipe

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author avatar
Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats
Alina first made a switch to a vegan diet in 2013 to optimize her athletic performance as a marathon runner. Eventually she embraced veganism as a way to be kinder to fellow living beings and the environment. Alina hopes that this blog helps its readers on their path to becoming vegan and making this world a better place.

Kristi

Sunday 8th of April 2018

I have made this recipe twice in the past couple weeks, and it's so good! I used no oil. I really appreciate a refined sweetener-free recipe! I eat this with almond or soy milk or unsweetened coconut yogurt. Sometimes I add some fresh fruit. It's such fast, yummy, filling breakfast! Thanks!

Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats

Monday 9th of April 2018

So glad you loved this recipe, Kristi!

Robert Nelson

Monday 12th of March 2018

Great stuff, keep up the good work. We appreciate it.

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