Ingredients

Scale

For the oat mixture:

3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups mixed nuts / seeds
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes (optional)

To stick it together:

1 very ripe banana, mashed
1/4 cup PB2 powdered peanut butter
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons real vanilla
1/4 cup good quality chocolate chips
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix in: 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 275 F. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, quinoa, nuts and coconut flakes.
In a small bowl, mash the banana, then stir in the rest of the “stick it together” ingredients except for the chocolate chips. Microwave on high 1 minute, then stir in the chocolate chips. Microwave again for 30 seconds, stir. Microwave again for a bit if needed until it’s all nice and melty and hot, then dump the sticky sweet mixture into the oat mixture and stir to coat.
Spread this mixture out onto a large jelly roll pan (or other large baking sheet with a good lip on it) and put it into the oven. Bake for 1 hour, 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
It should be browned to a lovely chocolate brown color and smelling fantastic. You can taste a little sample to see if it’s crunchy enough. If it’s not, bake it a little longer.
This is the hard part. Let the granola cool COMPLETELY before stirring in the mini chocolate chips. Store in an airtight container. It will keep for about a month or so.

Notes

To make this granola gluten free, use gluten free quinoa and gluten free oats.

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

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