Reviewed: Sep. 19, 2009

This is a great granola recipe. I made my first batch a couple weeks ago and have eaten it everyday since then. I was looking for a recipe with no oil and this fit that bill. I did not use the dates because I didn't have any so I ended up using 3 bananas. Other than that, i stayed true to the recipe. I think the granola got better with time. It's not super sweet. I really don't taste the banana either. I made more today and have added extra vanilla and cinnamon to fit my tastes. This granola is just pure and wonderful. So glad it's the first recipe I tried.

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JBHERRON

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Reviewed: Jul. 7, 2009

This granola is totally addictive. I added about a cup of chopped almonds, and about 1 cup of each dried cherries, dried apricots and raisins. I cooked it 2hrs, stirring every 15-20 minutes. I also used equal parts of banana and prunes, not dates, and added some coconut. YUM! You can add exactly the type of add-ins that you like!

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2ys4you

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Living In: Lachine, Quebec, Canada

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Reviewed: Mar. 30, 2009

Great texture, really tasty. Used regular (not quick) oats and more cinnamon. Finished granola was equal parts oat mixture and mixture of raisins, dried cranberries, and toasted halved almonds. Keeps well.

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kareno

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Marlette, Michigan, USA

Living In: South Bend, Indiana, USA

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Reviewed: Jan. 15, 2009

My first attempt making homemade granola was guided by this recipe. I liked the idea of using mashed fruit in place of oil. (I had figs on hand, so I used those in place of dates and added more brown sugar.) Since I had enough for two batches, I baked the first batch as written. The granola browned on the edges but seemed to be getting hard not crispy. There's a difference. For the second batch, I simply mixed in 1/4 cup of canola oil and baked it at 275, checking on it every 10 min. It turned a rich brown color and was crispy and perfect!

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Cat S.

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Reviewed: Jan. 5, 2009

Great recipe. Been making this for over a year. My family eats a batch in a week. Love the sweetner of bananas and dates, I replace the the brown sugar with date sugar. If I slack off and don't make it for a week, my loved ones quickly remind me. Depending on availability and economy, I sometimes boil date pieces in the water to soften them up first. They work equally well.

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Kari

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Reviewed: Aug. 5, 2008

Have made this recipe for years and once made it and gave it in nice packages as gifts for Christmas. It was a hit.

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ENSOLETTE

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Tallmadge, Ohio, USA

Living In: Stow, Ohio, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 5, 2007

This granola is absolutely wonderful! Plus, it's super healthy! I do make some changes to suit our taste ... I use three bananas and leave out the dates and dried mixed fruit (just use raisins.) I increase the cinnamon to 2 tsp. and add 1 tsp. salt. The rest of the recipe I follow as listed. It takes 1 hr. 45 min. at 250 degrees. Make it once and you won't be able to live without always having some on hand!!!!

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Jen W.

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Bloomington, Minnesota, USA

Living In: Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

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Reviewed: Jun. 20, 2007

After reading the reviews, I thought that I would give this a try. I twicked the recipe alittle bit, by adding alot of honey,probably about 1 cup. I perfer a sweeter granola. One of the reviews said to cook at 275, I would NOT recommended that, it cooks faster than its suppose to, my first batch came out really browned, while the second batch came out perfect at 250 degrees. Also, I stirred it in intervals of 15 minutes for the first two times, than switched down to every 10 minutes. Took only 1 hour for me. Granola has a banana flavor, but its not strong. I also added cranraisins and almonds. All in all, its pretty good, husband said it was chewy, maybe I didn't cook it long enough, but was pretty tasty.

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Maggie

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Pismo Beach, California, USA

Living In: Patuxent River, Maryland, USA

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Reviewed: Mar. 8, 2007

Thank you Susan, this is a wonderful recipe, will never buy boxed again! I would recommend taking at least 5 minutes to mix the dry and wet ingredients together for the best texture and distribution of flavors. I also prepare it on parchment lined tins in a 250 degree convection bake oven, and stir it with a spaghetti fork, works for me. Keeps fresh and crunchy in rubbermaid containers in the freezer too. Just love it!

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lilpacsmom

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Living In: Mooresville, North Carolina, USA

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Reviewed: Feb. 10, 2007

I was looking for an alternative to the gourmet granolas that you find at grocery stores. This is a great recipe and it is very flexible to ammendments. I didn't use 8 full cups of the oats, as I wanted a clumpier granola. I did add a bit of maple syrup thinking that it may need a binding agent, but I am not sure that it is neccesary. The first time I made it I cooked it for 2 hours simply because everybody suggested so. The second time I only cooked it for 1 1/2 hours and it is perfect as it does dry out and harden up a bit as it cools.

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catiebrooke

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Edina, Minnesota, USA

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Reviewed: Jan. 30, 2007

This granola is GREAT! I toasted the almonds, added flaked coconut, dried blueberries, cranberries and apricots. My husband loves it too! The smell is even to die for. It took about 2 hours with stirring every 15 min to get crunchy. Very Yummy!

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Christine

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Reviewed: Dec. 27, 2006

I add extra bananas and more spices and double the dried fruit. Then I serve them in martini glasses and top with plain vanilla yogurt, blueberries, and slivered almonds. A great brunch dessert!!

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MRYCLGN

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Circleville, Ohio, USA

Living In: Blacklick, Ohio, USA

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Reviewed: Sep. 28, 2006

Excellent recipe! I accidentally used sweetened coconut instead of plain, but it was still good, just a little sweeter. I also didn't have wheat germ so I replaced it with oat bran. I mixed this granola (about 1 Cup) with 8 oz of plain yougurt and about 1/2 cup of thawed stawberries cut up. SO GOOD! Thanks for sharing.

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jesus_saves

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Reviewed: Jun. 17, 2006

awesome. i cut back the nuts and added more fruit. i do think that the 250 cooking time is ok. if the temp goes higher, the granola will brown more...

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GREGSGIRL63

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Merrimack, New Hampshire, USA

Living In: Wilton, New Hampshire, USA

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Reviewed: May 3, 2006

We eat granola almost every day. This recipe is great, and low in refined sugar. We do not care for dates, so I substitute "Craisins" dried cranberries. This has become the standard for granola in our house. My teenage daughter takes a baggie of this everyday to high school. Her friends squeal with delight when she brings "That oatmeal stuff" to share! Thanks for a great, healthy recipe!

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STEPHANY BROWN

Cooking Level: Professional

Home Town: Dallas, Texas, USA

Living In: Mesquite, Texas, USA

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Reviewed: Apr. 27, 2006

I love this recipe. We're never without a batch on hand! I like to substitute honey for the brown sugar but both are good. This recipe is so flexible! I also add allspice and cloves for extra flavour. If you're using the packaged dates, which are harder than fresh dates but more available, I cook them in a saucepan with about a 1/2 cup of water (or more if needed) for a few minutes until they soften. I add coconut & lots of chopped almonds as a standard. So good!

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CDNBOOTYFOOD

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Reviewed: Apr. 3, 2006

I added a little xtra honey and just a table spoon of corn syrup to make up for the extra wheat germ and oat bran I tossed in. I doubled the suggested nut and fruit amounts. Wouldnt be able to tell it was healthy.

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HagakureFL

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Reviewed: Feb. 26, 2006

This is not a recipe for someone looking for sweet granola. At first, I thought adding the banana would make it taste too bananaish, but it doesn't. I stirred the granola every 7 min. for about 70 min. At the end I added slivered almonds, rasins and pecans. Also, before I baked it I added 1/4 cup of weat germ and 1/4 cup of wheat bran.

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LEMONLIME212

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Reviewed: Feb. 22, 2006

I make a lot of granola and was searching for a new recipe when I stumbled on this one. It sounds so good, yet I knew after reading some of the reviews, it needs some changes. So this is what I did and it came out crunchy: Oven temp should be set at 275. The nuts should be "chopped" using food processor then combine in large mixing bowl with Old Fashioned Oats, they are more nutritious than Quick Cooking oats. Puree bananas along with chopped dates, and 1/4 cup honey together in food processor. Combine brown sugar and water and cook in microwave for about 3 minutes or until sugar is completely dissolved. To it add vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix this brown sugar syrup into oats & nuts. Then stir in the pureed banana, date & honey mixture. At this point, I added about 1/2 cup coconut, completely optional. Stir until thoroughly mixed then spread granola onto 2 large cookie sheets (I lay waxed paper on the sheets & spray with Pam for no-stick & no mess). Press granola slightly onto the sheet to clump. Place each sheet on it's own rack in the oven & rotate half way through baking time. Bake for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until golden and crunchy, stirring occasionally. When mixture comes out of the oven, I added dried cranberries, cherries, & apple slices. When granola is completely cooled, store in airtight container.

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I'm Not Stupid, I Know Tings

Home Town: Orange, California, USA

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Reviewed: Jan. 3, 2006

Excellent! I love that there is no added fat. I also am not a big fan of nuts, so I just added dried cranberries, so that keeps the fat content even lower. Very good with soy milk for breakfast! Thanks.

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