Got ripe bananas? You could make caramelized banana ice cream or you could bake some banana coconut cookie granola – or both; they pair very nicely. Inspired by an Anzac biscuit recipe I tested and enjoyed years ago, this cranola features all the ingredients of this Australian/New Zealander treat. And because it uses mashed ripe banana rather than egg in the cookie dough, it’s vegan friendly.
Banana Coconut Cookie Granola
Makes about 4 cups
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, room temperature
- ½ cup light or dark brown sugar
- ½ ripe large banana, mashed
- 2 tablespoons golden cane syrup or light-colored corn syrup
- 1 cup white whole-wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2½ cups rolled oats
- ½ cup shredded sweetened coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat the coconut oil and sugar on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the mashed banana and golden cane syrup or corn syrup and beat until well combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix until just combined. Then add the oats and coconut and stir with a wooden spoon. When the ingredients start to come together, use your hands to continue mixing until all the oats are covered with dough.
- Squeeze off chunks of dough and loosely break them apart over the baking sheet, creating large clumps.
- Bake the cranola for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and stir gently. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, remove from the oven and stir gently. Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until clumps are dry.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cranola cool completely. It will harden as it cools.
- Store cranola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, if it lasts that long.
