• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Snacking in Sneakers
  • Home
  • About + Contact
    • About
    • Contact
    • Disclosure and Privacy Policy
  • Recipes
  • Running + Triathlon
    • Free Training Plans
    • Running
    • Triathlon
    • Race Reviews
    • Fitness Tips & Workouts
  • Wellness + Travel
    • Nutrition
    • Health + Wellness Tips
    • Travel
  • Shop
    • Journey to Healthy Eating: 28 Day Nutrition Challenge
    • Printable Fitness Planner
    • Triathlon Art – Set of 3 Digital Prints
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About Chrissy
  • Recipe Box
  • Wellness + Travel
  • Fitness, Run & Tri
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Breakfast

    Peanut Butter Banana Granola (No Added Sugar and No Oil!)

    October 15, 2020 by Chrissy Carroll 1 Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This delicious peanut butter banana granola is the perfect way to start your morning.  Made with just 7 ingredients, this granola has no added sugar.  Instead, it’s naturally sweetened with banana and applesauce.  Your whole family will love this easy recipe, and it’s a great option to fuel your fitness.

    How to Make No Added Sugar Granola

    Making granola without sugar or oil might sound bland, but I promise you – this recipe is anything but that. 

    Using peanut butter as the fat instead of oil offers some additional protein, nutrients, and flavor!  And using banana and applesauce as the sweetener means that you still get a sugary flavor to your granola, but it’s all coming naturally from the fruit.

    Yes, sugar is sugar – but when it comes packaged in fruit form, you also get the benefit of adding vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals to the dish.  That’s a big win in my book (and important for active women!).

    To make this, here’s the ingredients you’ll need:

    • Banana
    • Peanut butter
    • Applesauce
    • Cinnamon
    • Salt
    • Rolled oats
    • Raw pecans

    You’ll mash up your banana along with your peanut butter and applesauce, then mix everything else together.  Then all you need to do is spread it out on a baking sheet and cook it in the oven!  Easy peasy.

    Here’s a quick video showing you how to make it:

    Nutrition Benefits

    This peanut butter banana granola packs in nutrients that help support an active lifestyle.  Here are some highlights:

    • Healthy carbohydrates – Carbohydrates are used for energy during workouts, so it’s key to make active women are getting healthy carbs to support exercise. The carbs in this granola come from the oats, banana, and applesauce – all nutritious options.
    • Healthy fats – The peanut butter and pecans in this recipe both provide nutritious fats that support satiety and heart health.
    • Antioxidants – In addition to healthy fats, nuts also provide antioxidants that benefit health. For example, a 2017 review article concluded that nuts can potentially help with oxidative stress and inflammation (source).
    • Fiber – One serving of this granola provides 4 grams of fiber, important for gut health.
    • Magnesium – Since magnesium is involved in energy production and may also be involved in exercise recovery and muscle health (read more about magnesium for athletes here), you definitely want to make sure you get enough each day. This recipe is a good source of magnesium, providing about 14% of your daily needs per serving.

    a baking sheet with just baked granola

    Ways to Use It

    My go-to option for this granola is serving it up over a bowl of vanilla yogurt.  It’s such a great sweet treat, either for breakfast or as a snack.

    There are lots of other ways to enjoy granola too, though!  Think outside the box with these ideas:

    • Top your smoothie bowl with granola (along with chia seeds and fruit), or add it into a smoothie when you’re blending it up (like in this granola smoothie).
    • Roll blueberries or sliced bananas in yogurt, then dip them in the granola and freeze. I love this frozen treat!
    • Make one of my favorite fall treats: baked apples or pears!  You can top them with cinnamon, maple syrup, and some of this granola.
    • Use this granola as a topping on pancakes or waffles.
    • Make nice cream, then add this granola as a topping. It’ll truly be a plant-powered dessert!
    • Try my sweet potato breakfast bowl, and add this granola as an extra topping.
    • Make apple nachos – slice apples and drizzle with nut butter, then add unsweetened shredded coconut, dark chocolate chips, and some of this granola. It’s one of my favorite healthy desserts.
    • Roll pretzel rods in dark chocolate, then coat them with this granola.
    • Try making homemade chocolate bark with dried fruit and granola.

    a bowl of yogurt with peanut butter banana granola on top, and the baking sheet of granola next to it

    I hope you enjoy this recipe!  It’s definitely one of my favorites to make ahead of time and enjoy throughout the week.  If you get a chance to try it, feel free to leave a recipe rating or comment below.  (PS – looking for more granola recipes?  Try my salted caramel granola!)

    a baking sheet full of peanut butter banana granola

    Peanut Butter Banana Granola

    Snacking in Sneakers
    This delicious peanut butter banana granola is the perfect way to start your morning - and bonus, there's no added sugar!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 40 minutes mins
    Total Time 50 minutes mins
    Course Breakfast, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 10 servings
    Calories 182 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 ripe banana mashed
    • 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
    • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 3 cups rolled oats (certified gluten free if needed)
    • 1/2 cup raw pecans

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • Combine the banana, peanut butter, applesauce, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl. When well combined, stir in the oats and pecans.
    • Pour the mixture onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Enjoy!

    Notes

    • Watch closely towards the end – you want the mixture to be golden and baked through, but it can quickly go from there to burnt.
    • This recipe makes about 5 loosely-filled cups of granola. A serving is approximately half a cup.
    • Leftovers can be stored in a food storage container or zip top bag at room temperature, provided the granola was cooked correctly and is dry. (If for some reason your granola is damp after cooling, it needs to be cooked a bit longer.)
     
    Nutrition analysis (approximate per serving): 182 calories, 9 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 85 mg sodium, 22 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 5 g protein, Calcium: 2%, Iron: 7%, Vitamin D: 0%, Potassium: 6%, Magnesium: 14%

    Nutrition

    Calories: 182kcal
    Keyword no added sugar granola, peanut butter banana granola
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Share:  Do you ever make homemade granola?  What’s your favorite flavor combinations?

    • Author
    • Recent Posts
    Chrissy Carroll
    Chrissy Carroll
    Chrissy Carroll is a Registered Dietitian and USAT Level I Triathlon Coach. She specializes in sharing nutrition and fitness tips, as well as recipes, for runners, triathletes, and active women.Chrissy holds a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition, a Masters Degree in Public Health, and is also an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer.
    Chrissy Carroll
    Latest posts by Chrissy Carroll (see all)
    • Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Ice Pops - June 22, 2025
    • Savory Sweetpotato Ricotta Breakfast Bowls - June 16, 2025
    • Peanut Butter Honey Cheerios Bars - June 13, 2025

    More Breakfast

    • A spoon drizzling honey on ricotta in a sweetpotato breakfast bowl.
      Savory Sweetpotato Ricotta Breakfast Bowls
    • 10 Breakfasts with 30 Grams of Protein (Recipes Included!)
    • A jar filled with peanut butter chocolate protein granola, next to some chocolate chips and peanut butter.
      Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Granola
    • A ricotta breakfast bowl next to a spoon and napkin.
      Ricotta Breakfast Bowl with Pears and Cranberries
    955 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet

    Let’s connect!

    Instagram
    Facebook
    Pinterest
    Twitter

    Looking for something?

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Taylor Jean

      July 23, 2024 at 9:14 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely delicious! Love this on vanilla yogurt.

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Snacking in Sneakers! That's me, Chrissy, and I'm here to share all my favorite fitness, food, & wellness stories & tips. I'm a dietitian, personal trainer, runner, triathlon coach, foodie, not-so-extreme couponer, and all around fun lovin' gal.

    More about me →

    Latest

    • A woman's hand holding a chocolate peanut butter protein popsicle.
      Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Ice Pops
    • A woman's hand holding a peanut butter honey cheerio bar.
      Peanut Butter Honey Cheerios Bars
    • A cast iron skillet with peach blueberry crisp and a few scoops of ice cream.
      Healthy Peach Blueberry Crisp
    • A bowl of sweetpotato blueberry crisp topped with oat milk ice cream.
      Sweetpotato Blueberry Crisp

    Let’s Connect!

    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • Disclosure and Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work With Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Snacking in Sneakers

    955 shares

    Want smoothie recipes to fuel your fitness?

    Sign up for our email list and access a free e-book with 10 healthy smoothie recipes + tips on creating your own!

    Invalid email address
    Thanks for subscribing! Check your email for your smoothie e-book.