Recently I came across a wonderful recipe for something I had been craving for a long time – homemade cereal. It was Paleo and didn’t have any nuts so I thought it would work for me. I made it and ate it, and ate it, and ate it. It was SO good. Then, I didn’t feel good at all. The problem for me was that, even though it was grain-free AND nut-free, it had seeds.
Seeds and I have a love-hate relationship. I want to eat them, I try to eat them and then I regret it because they, along with nuts, grains and dairy, give me brain fog, achiness, fatigue and irritability.
After trying that recipe that got rave reviews at our house and knowing I couldn’t eat it, I decided to come up with my own cereal recipe that did not have any grains, nuts, seeds, dairy, eggs, or gluten in it.
That’s when my AIP Banana Bread Cereal was born! It was a success. It tastes comforting just like banana bread. It has a great crunch and does not get soggy in coconut milk. Yay! Also, it does not get soft over time. Rather, it stays crunchy. It is a fun snack to have around too.
Generally, if I eat this in the morning, I also eat it with some sort of protein like a couple of pieces of bacon or some Vital Proteins in water. I do this because I don’t want any blood sugar crash. Many people eating AIP (Autoimmune Paleo) really need to watch their sugar intake because too much can cause unwanted symptoms. For me, that is what happens, unfortunately. So, when I eat this delicious cereal, I don’t gorge on it and I think of it as more of a treat.
One other thing I love about this recipe is that it is very simple and quick to make. I actually, made a batch yesterday in the 15 minutes I had on break while homeschooling. Once it came out of the oven I just excused myself while my kids were doing their independent work and put it on the counter to cool and crisp up.
I hope you’ll enjoy it!
- 10 oz. Banana chips (use unsweetened ones that are fried in coconut oil)
- 1 c. Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
- 2 Medjool Dates, pitted
- ¼ tsp. Sea Salt
- ⅛ tsp. Ground Cloves
- 2 tsp. Coconut Sugar
- 1 tsp. Cinnamon
- ¼ c. Pure Maple Syrup (not corn syrup)
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Place banana chips in a 9 cup food processor. Pulse them until they are ground finely with no pieces bigger than a half a pea.
- Add all the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and blend until it comes together forming a "loose" dough.
- Pour the "loose" dough onto a baking sheet lined with a sil pat.
- Press mixture down firmly until it is about ¼" thick all around.
- Using a blunt object, I used a pastry cutter, (so as not to cut your silpat) cut into small squares - about 1" across. Think bite size!
- Place in the oven for 25-35 minutes until golden along the edges and the middle also has some color.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely in its pan on the sil pat.
- Once it is cooled, place in ball jars for storage or enjoy a bowl with coconut milk!
- QUICK TIP - If you don't grind the banana chips up small enough the dough will not stick together because the chunkiness will prevent it from doing so. If that happens IT'S OK. Not to worry. If you've cooked it already then you have AIP Crunchy Banana Bread Granola instead and it's just as yummy. I promise! If you haven't cooked it yet then throw it back in the food processor to grind it some more.
I just cant tolerate it because of the seeds but it is wonderful too.
P.S. In case you were wondering what cereal I tried which had seeds that is so yummy here is the link from Kelly Bejelly – My recipe was inspired by trying hers! Thanks Kelly!
Can you store these in the fridge/freezer to keep it for longer? If so, can you please breakdown how you can store them and thaw them and for how long these can be frozen? I am thinking for batch cooking purposes.
Hi Anta,
I have never tried to freeze them. Usually, they last about a week in our home and are fine in the pantry for that time. Let me know if you try to freeze them and how that goes. Blessings!
Which banana chips brand do you use that is AIP? Thanks!
Hi Luisa, I use either Trader Joe’s banana chips that have the other ingredienta as coconut oil and organic cane sugar but my first choice are the banana chips at Natural Grocer that also use coconut oil but no cane sugar sweetener. Hope that helps!