Gluten Free Banana Cranberry Peanut Butter Granola

It's been quite awhile since I've done anything with this blog but today I have a recipe worth sharing.  Banana Cranberry Peanut Butter Granola. Lately I've been making my own granola. It's so great. I always need something yummy and quick for breakfast or a snack. I must say, I did enjoy a bowl for dinner one night when I was too lazy to cook for myself. The last couple batches I've made have been free of gluten and sugar. In this batch, I'm using a flavored peanut butter which contains some sugar. To omit the sugar, use plain pb and add a little cinnamon. 

I just discovered this local peanut butter last week at the farmers market. They are based out of Ventura, CA and have some interesting flavors.

Gluten Free Banana Cranberry Peanut Butter Granola

Ingredients:

3 cups gluten free oats

2 tablespoons ground flax seed

1/4 cup peanut butter (I used Handsome Carver's cinnamon & honey. This stuff is yummy!)

2 medium bananas mashed

1/4 cup sugar free maple syrup

1 packet of stevia or more to make sweeter

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. 

Grease a large baking sheet or use a silpat mat.

In a large bowl combine oats and flax seed.

In a medium bowl mash the two bananas and add in the maple syrup, peanut butter, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, and stevia. 

Mix well to remove any lumps. Add mixture to oats and gently stir to combine.

Evenly spread mixture on baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Gently stir and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.

After granola has been removed from oven, wait about 5 minutes or so to add cranberries. 

It tastes like banana bread. Enjoy :)

Gluten Free Granola

 

Yesterday was a sad day, but being in the kitchen cooking helps me take my mind off things for a bit and always makes me much happier. Before I started on dinner, I made a batch of granola. I've been craving it so much lately. The gluten free varieties are quite pricey so I thought I would make my own. I haven't had the best experience making granola in the past but I had faith that this time I would make it work. I researched for a recipe online and came across this one from David Lebovitz. I like this recipe because it calls for applesauce in place of most of the oil. Like any recipe I attempt to make, I always tweak it a bit. I also cut the quantities in half.

 

Gluten Free Granola

2.5 cups gluten free oats

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup hemp seeds

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1/2 cup +1/8 cup unsweetened apple sauce

 1/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

1 tablespoon yacon syrup

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300F

- In a bowl, mix together all dry ingredients.

- Warm the applesauce in a saucepan and add the remaining wet ingredients.

- Mix the applesauce mixture in with the dry ingredients until evenly distributed.

- Spread the granola out evenly on a baking sheet.

- Bake for about 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the granola is a deep golden brown.

This batch came out great. I kept sneaking nibbles after dinner last night. I did have some for breakfast this morning with almond milk, chopped strawberries and some sprouted pumpkin seeds.