Chocolate Banana Raisin Granola

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~ raw, vegan, gluten-free ~

How can eating so darn healthy taste so darn good?  Chocolate Banana Raisin Granola is a guiltless yet devilishly good treat. One thing that we must remember is even though the ingredients are healthier than most, it is still a treat and should be treated as one.

This granola is for you dark chocolate lovers for sure.  Nestled in the deep richness of the chocolate are pockets of chewy bananas and raisins, that are well paired with crunchy nuts. This makes a great afternoon snack, or you could even serve it as a tasty cereal with some nut milk in the morning!   No matter how you choose to enjoy it, you won’t be sorry.

Here’s the scoopy droop…

Make sure that you use ripe bananas in this recipe. Well, in all my recipes really.  Ripe bananas have yellow skins that are adorned with lots of brown freckles!  Not to be mistaken with bruises.  Not only are ripe bananas more digestible, but they will also have a sweeter flavor to lend to the recipe.  Always get into the habit of taste testing as you make any recipe.  Your end result will only be as good as the ingredients you use.

This granola recipe dries to the touch but remains soft and chewy.  I even tested it in the dehydrator for 24 hours and the texture remained the same.  I just didn’t find it necessary to take it any further. Enjoy and please comment below if you make it. I would love to hear from you! amie sue

Ingredients:

Yields roughly 10-13 cups

• 4 cups raw, gluten-free, rolled oats, soaked
• 2 cups raw almond pieces, soaked
• 2 cups fresh, sliced bananas
• 2 cups raisins

Wet Ingredients:

• 6 large ripe mashed bananas
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup raw cacao powder
• 1 Tbsp ground Ceylon cinnamon
• 1 tsp liquid NuNaturals stevia
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt

Preparation:

1. Soak the oats according to the link provided above.
2. Once done soaking, drain, and rinse the oats for 2 minutes under cool water.  Use your fingers to agitate them throughout the rinsing.  Place in a medium-sized bowl.
3. Add the almonds, sliced bananas, and raisins. Set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, place the 6 bananas, sweetener, cacao, cinnamon, stevia (sweetener), vanilla, and salt.  Mash it all together with a potato masher or fork. Leave the bananas lumpy. Pour the wet ingredients into the other bowl and mix them together.
5. Drop the batter in clusters on the non–stick teflex sheets that come with your dehydrator.
6. Dry at 145 degrees (F) for 1 hour, then reduce to 115 degrees (F) for approximately 16-24 hours or until dry.
   • Partway through the drying process, transfer the batter to the mesh sheet to speed up the drying process.
   • This granola dries but remains chewy.
7. Store in an airtight sealed container.  To extend the shelf life, you can store it in the fridge or freezer.

• To learn more about maple syrup by clicking (here).
• Click (here) to learn why I use stevia.
• What is raw cacao powder?
• Why do I specify Ceylon cinnamon?  Click (here) to learn why.
• What is Himalayan pink salt and does it really matter?  Click (here) to read more about it.
• Are oats gluten-free?  Yes, read more about that (here).
• Are oats raw?  Yes, they can be found.  Click (here) to learn more.
• Do I need to soak and dehydrate oats?  Not required but recommended.  Click (here) to see why.

Tags: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, Vegan