This peanut butter banana high protein granola is chunky, crispy & utterly delicious ! Happens to be naturally vegan, oil-free & gluten-free. Great as a quick breakfast or snack.
If you are looking for a granola recipe that is high in protein and healthy, you will love this chunky protein granola ! It is also incredibly quick and easy to make, and is ready in an hour.
This recipe uses protein powder to make this granola higher in protein. However, if you are not comfortable with using protein powder, I recommend checking out my matcha granola!
💚Why you will love this recipe
- Crunchy, clumpy and sweet - Chunky granola are definitely superior to regular ones in my opinion! This banana protein granola literally taste like dessert, yet is secretly good for you too.
- Quick and easy to make - Everything can be made in a bowl, which means less dishes to clean! Plus, this recipe only calls for simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand.
- Customizable and versatile - This protein granola makes a great breakfast, snack or even topping for your desserts! You can also add in whatever you like - dried fruit, nuts or even chocolate chips.
- Great for meal prep - It will keep for a month or so, and will last even longer if stored in the fridge.
🍌What you will need
📓Notes / Substitutions
- Protein powder - I recommend sticking with plain or vanilla flavored plant based protein powder. I am using this unsweetened pea protein from Naked Pea.
- Peanut butter - Other nut butters will work too, and some of my go-to includes cashew and almond butter. To make this protein granola nut-free, you can use seed butter like tahini and sunflower seed butter.
- Maple syrup - can be substituted with other liquid sweetener like agave or even honey, if not vegan. To make this sugar-free, use a few drops of stevia in place.
- Gluten-free - Make sure to use certified gluten-free rolled oats.
🔪How to make
Preheat oven to 160c / 325 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, mash your bananas until smooth. It is ok to have a few small chunks left. Stir in the peanut butter and maple syrup. Mix well.
Then, add in oats and protein powder into the bowl. Mix until everything is well incorporated.
Transfer the mixture to a lined or greased baking pan. Using the back of a spoon or spatula, gently press down the granola mixture so that a thin, even layer is formed. Do make sure that the mixture is evenly spread out, or else the thin part will be burnt, while the thicker part undercooked !
Bake it for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake them for another 10-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Let the protein granola cool down to room temperature, for about 1 hour. Then, using a spoon or your hands, break them up into chunks.
It is now ready to be enjoyed !
✔Helpful tips
- Make sure to use bananas that are overripe and spotty. It will be one of our main sweetener in this recipe, and you will want it to be as sweet as possible!
- To make extra clumpy banana protein granola, gently press down the mixture before baking using the back of a spoon or spatula.
- Spread granola mixture evenly on the baking tray. This help ensure that it cook properly.
- As granola will continue to crisp up as it cools, do not worry if it is still chewy when you first take it out from the oven! However, if you find that they are still soft after cooling down completely, simply put them back in the oven and bake for 5-10 minutes.
- To keep your protein granola fresh and crispy for longer, store them either in your fridge or freezer.
✨Variations/add-ins
If you are craving chocolate, use chocolate protein powder instead of plain ones. Or, you can add about ¼ cup of cocoa powder to the granola mixture before baking.
This protein granola is customizable, so feel free to add in whatever sounds good! Nuts, coconut flakes and seeds are some great addition.
If you are adding dried fruit or chocolate chips, do so after granola has cooled down completely. This prevents them from melting or burning.
Lastly, if you like spice, you can add in a teaspoon or so of cinnamon powder and a pinch of nutmeg.
🥛Serving suggestions
- Serve it with some plant based yogurt and freshly chopped fruits to make a quick filling breakfast.
- Use it as a topping for smoothies, smoothie bowls or even oatmeal ! ( Overnight oats will work too. )
- Have you tried stuffing them into pb & j sandwiches ? It gives a really great crunch to them !
- Mix it together with some roasted nuts or seeds and dried fruit to make trail mix.
- Top your favorite ice-cream with this protein granola to add more flavor and texture.
- Love pairing them with some creamy almond butter 😜
- Or, just simply eat it the classic way by pairing it with your favorite plant milk !
❔Commonly asked questions
The granola will turn golden brown and be fairly dry. Do not worry if it has not totally firmed up yet the moment you first pull it out of the oven, as it will continue to crisp up during cooling.
It is recommended to check on your granola every 3-5 minutes after the 30 minutes mark. Do make sure to rotate the pan halfway to ensure even cooking.
If you find that the granola is still chewy after cooling, simply place it back into the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or more, if needed. Do keep a close eye to avoid them from getting burnt !
Let this peanut butter protein granola cool down completely, before storing it in a airtight container in a cool and dry place for up to a month, depending on the climate. You can also choose to refrigerate it.
Any longer than that, you can freeze it instead in sealed containers or zip-top bags for up to 3 months. It can be enjoyed straight out of the freezer without thawing or reheating. Bonus point : It will stay super crispy when stored in the freezer !
This protein granola is naturally gluten-free. Do be sure to use gluten-free oats if you have a gluten sensitivity. This is because cross-contamination may occur during packaging as most facilities that process oats will also be processing wheat.
This protein granola contains 10g of protein per serving.
🍽More high protein breakfast recipes
If you did make this recipe, do leave a rating and comment down below, we love hearing from you! Subscribe to My Plantiful Cooking to get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get the latest updates. 😉
📖 Recipe
Chunky Peanut Butter Banana Protein Granola
Ingredients
- 1 large ripe banana (about 150g/5 oz)
- ⅓ cup peanut butter (or other nut/seed butter)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 cups rolled oats (use gluten-free if needed)
- ¼ cup protein powder (use plain or unsweetened)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160c / 325 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash your bananas until smooth. It is ok to have a few small chunks left. Stir in the peanut butter and maple syrup. Mix well.1 large ripe banana, ⅓ cup peanut butter, 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- Then, add in oats and protein powder into the bowl. Mix until everything is well incorporated.2 cups rolled oats, ¼ cup protein powder
- Transfer the mixture to a lined or greased baking pan. Using the back of a spoon or spatula, gently press down the granola mixture so that a thin, even layer is formed.
- Bake it for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake them for another 10-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Let the protein granola cool down to room temperature, for about 1 hour. Then, using a spoon or your hands, break them up into chunks.
- It is now ready to be enjoyed !
Notes
- Make sure to use bananas that are overripe and spotty. It will be one of our main sweetener in this recipe, and you will want it to be as sweet as possible!
- Spread granola mixture evenly on the baking tray. This help ensure that it cook properly.
- As granola will continue to crisp up as it cools, do not worry if it is still chewy when you first take it out from the oven! However, if you find that they are still soft after cooling down completely, simply put them back in the oven and bake for 5-10 minutes.
- To keep your protein granola fresh and crispy for longer, store them either in your fridge or freezer.
Any longer than that, you can freeze it instead in sealed containers or zip-top bags for up to 3 months. It can be enjoyed straight out of the freezer without thawing or reheating. Bonus point : It will stay super crispy when stored in the freezer !
Adri
what is the single serving size for the nutrition facts listed?
Meesha
This granola contains 6 servings, and one serving size is about 60g. But for higher accuracy, I do recommend weighing out the whole batch and dividing the number by 6.😊