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I have to admit, it’s easy to get wrapped up in sharing my dessert recipes with you all the time. There’s just something about a fudgy brownie and gooey caramel cookie that I know you will love!
Maybe it’s all the sugar. 
But in all honesty, I find the most joy in baking wholesome goodies that I can feel good about eating every day. Homemade breakfast bars, munchy granola, fruity smoothies, and whole wheat muffins.
In fear that healthier items may bore you, I have scaled back on posting them as much.
But I’m excited to share with you a few new recipes in the coming weeks that are not only friendly on the waist line, but taste good. Like, really really good.
If you’re anything like me, you have a semi-serious infatuation with Nutella.
Whether it’s smeared on a piece of toast, swirled into a pumpkin pie, or stuffed into a muffin, there’s pretty much no way I can turn down that thick, creamy, luscious cocoa hazelnut spread.
One repeat granola recipe I have is my Dark Chocolate Cherry Nutella Granola. The tart cherries, the dark chocolate chunks, and the crunchy granola clusters are baked under by a light swirl of Nutella. The granola itself is surprisingly light tasting, making it hard to stop munching.
More often than not, you’ll find us sitting on the couch on a Friday night watching The Big Bang Theory, a beer in hand, and a bowl of this granola.
True story…
Today’s granola was an easy switch up from the old favorite.
I simply mashed a banana, melted it down with maple syrup, Nutella, vanilla & a pinch of salt. I poured it over a bowl of oats, flax, & slivered almonds, and baked it into a crunchy oblivion.
I topped the warm granola with semi-sweet chocolate chips and banana chips for added flavor and texture.
The chocolate and Nutella do not overpower the banana taste at all, which is exactly what I was looking for. Rather, the flavors simply complement each other.
Not much Nutella goes into the recipe because I wanted the banana to be able to stand up to its strong chocolate flavor. I also wanted to keep the granola fairly light.
The precise combination of mashed banana, Nutella, and maple syrup do a great job binding the oats to make all those huge clusters. I’ve told you before, the big clusters are my favorite part. 
I loved how crunchy this granola was. Even without oil or butter, this granola bakes up into a crispy texture. It stays nice and crunchy for the first day or two, but as the flavors meld together the granola get softer. It’s all that banana!
The recipe is highly adaptable as long as you stick to the banana/Nutella/maple syrup ratio. Feel free to mix in whichever dried fruits, nuts or seeds you prefer.
Getting creative with mix-ins is what makes granola so much fun to make!
I seriously couldn’t stop eating this. Best. problem. ever.
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Makes about 5 cups. Granola is Gluten Free if using certified gluten free oats.
Ingredients
- 3 and 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup ground flax
- 1 cup sliced almonds (or any nut)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup mashed banana (1 very large banana)
- 1/4 cup Nutella
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (or honey; if you prefer sugar-free maple syrup, that would work as well)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup banana chips
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together oats, flax, almonds, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the mashed banana, Nutella, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt together. Allow to bubble for about 1 minute. Remove from heat and pour over the dry ingredients. Stir it all together until all of the oats are moistened.
- Spread the oats on the baking sheet in a thin even layer. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and stir. Bake for another 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. Top the granola with chocolate chips and banana chips. Gently stir. The chocolate will melt, creating larger chunks of granola.
- Allow granola to cool completely; it will harden and crunch up as it is exposed to air. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
Notes
Recipe source: sallysbakingaddiction.com
© Sally’s Baking Addiction. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe.
Sometimes my healthier recipes turn out to be my favorites… 
Chocolate Covered Cherry Smoothie
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars
Skinny Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough Dip
Do you have any favorite recipes using Nutella?
{ 53 comments… read them below or add one }
Healthier items do not bore me in the least! Bring ‘em on!! This banana nutella combo sounds amazing
Colleen @ What’s Baking in the Barbershop?! recently posted..Banana Cinnamon Pancakes
i’m glad to hear that my healthier recipes aren’t a snoozefest, thanks Colleen!
One word: yes.
I’m a gigantic banana-nutella fan… so I’m totally sold on this Sally! And since I still have 5 bags of granola, I’m going to make a double batch!
Laurie {Simply Scratch} recently posted..Crispy Skinned Pan-Roasted Chicken Breasts + Rosemary Thyme Pan Sauce
ooooh yeah. a banana smeared with nutella is one of my faves. glad you like this combo too laurie
!
There isn’t anything boring about healthy, especially when they taste as good as your recipes do. I say keep the healthy recipes coming!
Elaine recently posted..Pumpkin Fluff and FPP Reveal
healthy doens’t have to be boring, right?! thanks elaine
Mushy granola is the worst! Yours looks perfectly crunchy and clustered–who can pass up those fatty hunks of goodness? And I LOVE that you threw in some bananas; I love banana chips and the pairing of smooth, velvety Nutella and sweet nanas sounds absolutely incredible. I want this on my yogurt right this second!
Hayley recently posted..Spider Bites–Halloween Week
I love the banana nutella combo, so I’m sold! It looks delicious & perfectly crunchy!
Meghan recently posted..Pumpkin Ale Brown Butter Blondies
thanks meghan! the banana, chocolate nutella, the crunch… it’s my favorite granola for sure!
I need to have this around to snack on!
Jessica@AKitchenAddiction recently posted..Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits
I love Nutella and tend to only buy it when I know I’m going to use it all up in a recipe or I am pretty tempted to just dig a spoon into it at any time
Thankfully the jars are small. Ha!
This looks great and love that you used banana two ways in it! And that it got crunchy. That’s KEY!
Averie @ Averie Cooks recently posted..Chocolate Pairings Party
i’m not a *huge* fan of soft granola. soft cookies yes. soft chewy granola? heck no. yes beer & nutella granola… this is one nutella combination i know you wouldn’t like lol
you’re a girl after my own heart — you so totally knew i’d be all over this recipe.
Katie @ Oh Shine On recently posted..Hearty Chicken Harvest Soup
posted it with you in mind, OBVIOUSLY.
You had me at Nutella.
Ari @ Ari’s Menu recently posted..NYC Marathon Training Week 15
I’m a total sucker for Nutella, also! Always have a steady supply in my pantry
i can’t seem to keep my pantry full of it because i use it in so many recipes! i ran out yesterday… must buy MORE!
I love that this doesn’t have any oil or butter. I have never had or made granola but I’m going to have to give it a try! Can’t wait to see more of your healthy and tasty recipes
Laura Dembowski recently posted..Pumpkin Cookies with Penuche Frosting
laura, you have GOT to try granola!! completely addicting, just like jelly bellies
I think I have tried most of my breakfast items with Nutella, now I have one more to try, this looks delicious!
I think it’s time for me to try even MORE breakfast items with Nutella…!
Seriously, keep posting the healthy recipes!! Since I started food blogging, I’ve had a serious problem with an ever-increasing waistline.
I’m loving this granola, Sally…I even have some ground flax that I purchased and haven’t used yet. I think your granola is trying to tell me something, LOL!
Ashley @ Kitchen Meets Girl recently posted..Two-Bite White Chocolate Cheesecakes from Tiny Food Party
Ashley I’m obviously sending you secret messages- MAKE granola!!
Sally! What happpens if you don´t put the flax … or how can I substitute it?
And…. do you think you have readers from other countries?
You may sub wheat germ for the flax OR use an extra 1/2 cup of oats. And about 25% of my readership is outside of the US.
banana and nutella is a great combination for granola!! love that it’s not sparse in this
Julie @ Table for Two recently posted..CornQuest 2012
Thanks Julie! But it is sparse,- not overloaded with Nutella- I noted that in the post!
Nutella smeared on a banana is my most favorite snack ever. And now that you made it in granola form, it’s so much healthier. At least, i would like to think so.
Nicole @ Lapetitebaker recently posted..Sky High Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie
WOW. You know you’re just goading me into making more granola, right? It’s like little Sally is on my shoulder screaming in my ear…
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust recently posted..Ghost topped Pumpkin Cheesecakes with Biscoff Crust
I’m not sure I would have thought to put banana in the granola… but I love the idea! Fantastic!
Jen @ Jen’s Favorite Cookies recently posted..Fall Link Party Event
I am serious need of yummy good for me desserts since I seem to keep cranking out the calorie laden stuff in my kitchen! Nutella and banana is such a great combo…I can never get enough of it! Love that your granola is crunchy:-)
Jocelyn @BruCrew Life recently posted..Trick or Treat Tuesday
Yum! I’m a huge fan of granola, especially homemade. This sounds awesome, perfect for a nice breakfast treat. Love starting the day off sweet
Casey recently posted..Veggie Lasagna
“start the day off sweet” – i like your thinking!
Granola – check! Nutella – check! Banana chips (my ultimate weakness) – check check!
In other words, I’ll be making this VERY soon. And then dump it in my Fage yogurt.
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious recently posted..Texican Burger
i LOVE banana chips too Chung Uh.. they were a liast minute add-in to this granola, I’m glad I threw them in!
Banana, nutella, cinnamon and maple?! Oh Sally! This is just my kinda treat! I could totally picture beginning every day with a bowl of your delicious granola.
baker street recently posted..Pumpkin and Chocolate Marble Bundt Cake #BundtaMonth
The cinnamon was a spice I grabbed immediately – i love bananas and cinnamon together!
Okay, this granola looks killer. Now I totally need some of this for when I watch The Big Bang Theory.
Jennie @themessybakerblog recently posted..Orange Pumpkin Pancakes
best show EVER!!
Is there any way to provide us with the nutritional information for this recipe?
Hi Cher! Unfortunately, my website does not offer nutritional stats for recipes. Feel free to plug the ingredients into a recipe calculator and divide by however many servings you intend to eat. The recipe makes 5 cups, so if 1/2 cup is the amount you would eat in a serving, divide by 10. Thank you!
I just threw everything into my spark people counter and it totaled to 3,583 calories, 509 carbs, 180 grams of fat, and 88 grams of protein. Definitely don’t go overboard eating this but portioned out correctly this looks like a delicious snack. Thanks for the recipe!
I don’t really know anyone who would eat the entire 5 cups of granola at once. It certainly is a delicious snack in portions. Thanks!
Can you use quick cooking oats…all I have
You may use quick oats, however the granola will be much finer in texture and the chunks won’t be as large. It will be more “crumby.” Thanks Caitlin!
I have a problem. I’m obsessed with this granola.
I’ve made my own sort of variation of it (and actually I use a mix of the regular and the quick oats – I like the texture/size mix of the two) – and I don’t use as much Nutella, but I add in some cookie butter (like you do in your other oatmeal bar thing). I add in more mushed up banana and I use salt substitute (high in potassium, which I need – as is the banana, thus adding more of that). Actually, chocolate, is too, so my doctor was encouraging chocolate, so I didn’t feel guilty about the chocolate chips either. Ha ha. I did a mix of some big and some small chips.
Then I decided instead of buying banana chips that I could just make them myself. So I save several bananas and dry them in the oven just on low heat for a couple of hours and I find that I like those even more than banana chips that can be bought – they’re softer and there’s obviously no preservatives or anything on them (other than I cut them up and put them in a bowl and drizzle lemon juice over them before putting them on the parchment paper on the tray in the oven.). It’s let me have banana chips that are manageable sizes and not so “in your face” in the granola (plus I’m just cheap! Ha!) No..really, it started because I totally was a lame-brain and FORGOT to buy the banana chips the first time so I had to get creative and find a way to “punt” and make it work to make the granola the first time and now I’ve just found it worked well. So for others who might not have access to banana chips – those in other countries or just not where they have a diversity of resources, it’s something else to consider.
Anyway, props to a great recipe. Now if only I could eating it!!!
Hey Hope! What a wonderful comment to read this morning. Thank you SO much for taking the time to write to me and share all of your details and experiences with this granola. It’s definitely one of my very favorites as well. I MUST try making DIY dried bananas at home one time. I never really thought about doing that before and you know what? I’m sure they taste MUCH better than the kind you buy from the store. And I love your suggestion for big chips and small chips. I need to try that next time as well. And cookie butter! OH my goodness, you just said the magic words. I love cookie butter! I must… must must must try to make granola with cookie butter. Not sure why I haven’t done that yet!
Not sure if you saw this granola yet, but it’s my Triple Chocolate Crunch granola – it’s crunchy and has all sorts of chocolate in it. (no nutella): http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/12/04/triple-chocolate-crunch-granola/
Thanks again Hope!
Hey Sally, I made this a few days ago & it is great!
I made this without chocolate chips, banana chips, or Nutella (had no Nutella on hand so I had to improvise there – 1/4 cup peanut butter, 1 Tbl dark cocoa, & 2 Tbl agave nectar – tastes like Nutella)
I am having the exact same “problem” you had – cannot stop eating this! lol
This is the first recipe I have tried from your website & I LOVE it ;-D
Mandie recently posted..Adonai, I’m still Waiting…
Ahh! I have to try your version Mandie! It sounds incredible. I’m digging the peanut butter you added! I honestly feel like ALL granola is addicting.
I can never get enough of it! Thanks for letting me know about your version and how much you like it.. =)
Yes, granola IS addicting! Well, if you try doing my “Nutella Substitution”, please tell me your thoughts on how you like it – I’d love to know!
Mandie recently posted..Adonai, I’m still Waiting…
I’m thinking about sending this to my boyfriend who is deployed over seas. Would this stay fresh for up to three weeks though?
Yes, it should be fine. That’s so sweet of you Hayley!
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