Refined Sugar-free Homemade Granola
Health Fun Fact
This granola is completely sweetened by bananas instead of using refined sugar like a lot of store bought granolas do. The benefit of this is that the sugar from fruit also comes along with fibre, vitamins and minerals that the banana provides, unlike refined sugar which has none of that. Refined sugar is digested much quicker, causing blood sugar and subsequently insulin levels to rise quicker. On top of also containing Potassium, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin C, the fibre from the banana helps slow the digestion of the sugar, helping keep you fuller for longer.
I love topping so many things with granola because I like having a crunch in every bite! But so many of the store bought granolas have a lot of artificial sweeteners, crappy vegetable/seed oils, or they're super expensive - so I decided to try making my own! Not only is it great to use as a topping on oats, yogurt parfaits, and chia seed puddings, but it's also refined sugar-free, seed oil free, and gluten-free!
Recipe
Ingredients:
1 ripe banana
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup raw hulled pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp almond butter
1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
In a large bowl, mash the banana. Then place all the remaining ingredients in the bowl, and mix them all together
Spread the batter onto a baking sheet, and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes
Take out of the oven, and break apart into smaller pieces, but make sure to leave some larger pieces to give the granola that nice crunch!
Enjoy this with yogurt and fruit for a nice yogurt parfait, top your oatmeal with it, or add a splash of milk to it for some healthy cereal! Happy snacking 😊