Coconut Banana Granola

Granola = the most addictive thing in the world. Besides maybe chocolate, nut butter, bliss balls, healthy cookie dough, and the coconut chips I am currently eating (why you so deelicious?????!?!?!) I literally eat it by the handful. And then it's gone. And I'm sad. Until the next time when the process starts aaaaallllll over again. I used to by store-bought granola, but it tends to be a bit pricey, especially when you don't want to eat refined sugars and oils, like moi. So one amazingly boring day, an idea popped into my noggin.

Coconut Banana Granola

Why not make my own granola???

Coconut Banana Granola

I'M A GENIUS! So I experimented, eye-balled, hmmed, sniffed, and did some extensive taste testing. Extensive meaning that most of it wasn't necessary but I did it anyways. Finally, my baby was ready to meet the world.

Coconut Banana Granola

I put it on everything, from pancakes to nice cream to yogurt to smoothies. It even made it's humble way into my What-To-Eat-When-I-Get-Home-From-School-And-Am-Going-To-Start-Killing-People-If-Someone-Doesn't-Give-Me-Food-Soon List.

Coconut Banana Granola

It was that good.

And addictive as I mentioned before. Unfortunately it was so addictive that it was gone very soon. Too soon.

Much too soon.

Coconut Banana Granola (again).

I was left stranded without granola and found myself suffering from lack of being able to reach for an easy topping that didn't involve doing anything.

So I made more, and this time my family got to it. And it disappeared even quicker. *tear*

And this is how you came to be reading this post, because I knew that  could not keep this wonderfulness all to myself.

Enjoy!


Coconut Banana Granola
-2 c rolled oats
-1/4 c uncooked quinoa
-3/4 c shredded/desiccated coconut
-1/2 c dried chopped banana slices
-3 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
-3 tbsp chia seeds
-1/3 c honey

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Heat up a medium/large sauce pan on the stove. While you wait, combine your oats, coconut shreds, and chia seeds. Once the saucepan is hot, pour enough quinoa onto the bottom so that the surface is covered. You know that it is hot enough if the quinoa begins to pop within a few seconds. Shake the quinoa up every coupls of seconds, so that it doesn't burn. Once the quinoa has begun to brown, dump it into a bowl and repeat the process in several batches with the rest of it.

After all the quinoa has been popped, add it to the oat mixture and then pour in the honey and coconut oil. Mix very well, until everything is coated. Pour the uncooked granola on the parchment lined baking sheet, and spread out into one even layer Bake for 20 minutes. Once the granola has finished baking, take it out of the oven and stir in the banana slices. Let the granola cool completely before storing/eating.