We are, without a doubt, creatures of habit. We thrive on routines, and we have A LOT of them.
Evening: workout, shower, dinner, tea + reading, J preps coffee for the A.M. / K lights the lavender incense, meditate, sleep.
Morning: green juice, coffee, reading, journaling, oats, email, get ready for work.
Weekend: same date night, same exercise class, same long run, same grocery routine, same meal prep choreography.
On Sunday, we shared a bit about why we’re such hardcore routine followers (a la Steve Jobs). This Chunky Banana Granola has quickly woven itself into our weekend rhythms. It’s simple to make in big batches (key for weekday grab-and-go snacking), it fills the house with a sweet, fresh-baked smell, and it’s incredibly addictive. We enjoy it heaped on top of smoothies, sprinkled in to our favorite Kite Hill ‘yogurt’, and by the handful straight outta the mason jar.
- 3 cups old-fashioned oats
- 2 cups dried banana chips (unsweetened if you can find them)
- 1 cup nuts (I like a mix of pecans and walnuts)
- ½ cup ground flaxseeds
- ¼ cup chia seeds (optional)
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 300F and line a baking sheet with parchment or silpat.
- Crush banana chip and nuts a little bit if they are large pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, crushed banana chips, nuts, ground flax, chia seeds, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
- In a small bowl, combine maple syrup and peanut butter with 2 tbsp of water. Microwave for 20 seconds. Stir to incorporate.
- Pour syrup/peanut butter mixture over dry ingredients and stir to evenly coat (this will take a bit of elbow grease and patience).
- Once evenly coated, spread granola on prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle on chocolate chips. Very gently fold chocolate chips into granola. Let sit on baking sheet until completely cool and chocolate firms up.
- Store in an airtight container.