This tropical granola sweetened with fruit is full of wholesome ingredients. It has coconut, macadamia nuts, and dried fruit, which gives it a tropical twist.
Growing up, cereal was one of my favorite snacks, and the junkier it was, the better! My favorites were cocoa puffs and lucky charms, although I really just ate the marshmallows out of the latter. 😉 I never understood why my parents liked boring “old people” cereal, like granola—yuck!
Boy am I glad my tastebuds changed. I guess I’m old now too, because I love granola! However, the granola sold in stores is not only expensive, it’s usually processed and full of added sugar. It’s super easy to make yourself too! The great thing is that you can customize it by adding your favorite fruit, nuts, & seeds. You can also add as much or as little sweetener to suit your taste.
Since it feels like a refrigerator outside, I thought I’d bring a bit of the tropics into our dreary, winter day by making this batch of granola with my favorite Hawaiian flavors.
I don’t like overly sweet cereal, so I sweetened this naturally with ripe bananas and dates! It’s only mildly sweet, so I also threw in chunks of my favorite dried tropical fruit—bananas, pineapple, and papaya. I used oats as the base, but you can easily make this grain-free by replacing the oats with extra nuts. Feel free to sub in your favorite fruit as well…Customize it to suit your taste!
I hope this delicious granola helps you beat the winter blues! The recipe makes a lot, so you can easily half it if you don’t need a large container full…but it’s rather addictive, so you may regret it if you don’t make a whole batch! Enjoy!
Tropical Granola Sweetened With Fruit
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 10-12 servings 1x
Description
This granola is is naturally sweetened and full of wholesome ingredients. It has coconut, macadamia nuts, and dried fruit, which gives it a tropical twist! Replace oats with more nuts to make it entirely grain-free!
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled oats (certified gluten-free if necessary)
- 1 1/2 cups large unsweetened coconut flakes/chips
+ 1/3–1/2 cup extra to stir in at the end
- 1 cup roughly chopped raw macadamia nuts
, cashews, or other raw nut of choice
- 1 cup almonds
, pecans, or other raw nut of choice
- 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
(white sesame can also be used)
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
, flaxseed meal
, or combo of both
- 3 large overripe bananas (about 1 heaping cup)
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped pitted dates
, or more to taste
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup dried fruit—pineapple, mango, papaya, banana chips, etc., roughly chopped/bite sized (or more to taste. Preferably unsweetened.)
+ 
, cashews, or other raw nut of choice
, pecans, or other raw nut of choice
(white sesame can also be used)
, 
, or combo of both
, or more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300F. Combine oats, coconut, nuts, sesame seeds, & chia seeds in a large bowl. Mix together thoroughly and set aside.
- In a food processor or high powered blender, blend together bananas, dates, melted coconut oil, vanilla, and salt until creamy and smooth.
- Add banana puree to oat & nut mixture and toss well to evenly coat. Spread granola into a single layer on a baking sheet (may require two baking sheets).
- Place baking sheet onto the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and gently flip granola to brown the other side. Continue to bake for another 15 minutes, and then toss in dried fruit and extra coconut. Bake another 5-10 minutes until granola is golden brown. Let cool thoroughly on the pan before before storing in a large jar or airtight container.
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Category: Gluten-Free, Breakfast
I love homemade granola like this. I love that you added in lots of coconut chips, I love those!
Going to have make me some tropical granola and adding the fruit is perfect. Will be taking this to work with me.
Hi Candy. This is a great on the go, healthy snack. Thank you for the encouragement!
What a fun mix! I love granola for breakfast, its my go to! Great post xo
Hi Jae, thank you! I agree. It’s fun and so tasty. Have a lovely weekend! xo
Yum this look really tasty. So much better then a chocolate bar. xx
Hi Anna! Yeah, it’s still delicious but made with wholesome ingredients (my favorite kind of recipes). Have a wonderful weekend!
What a smart idea for granola! I love that this is tropical granola because it’s so different. The macadamia nuts and coconut are my favorite part!
Yes I love macadamia nuts and coconut. The two make such a great combo. Thank you, Sharon. Have a wonderful day!
I could use a little dose of tropical on this frigid week myself! This looks delicious and I’m pinning right now!
Thank you for pinning, Angie! Have a great day!
Yum! I love homemade granola. I’ll have to give this tropical version a try. Thanks for the inspiration. 🙂
Christie’s Take on Life. xx
Thanks Christie! I hope you’re having lovely day. I appreciate your encouragement!
I love granola! I always make it at home, it’s such and easy, delicious and healthy recipe!
Yes it is, Cristina. It doesn’t take long to make and it’s just so tasty! Have a great weekend!
Well this looks amazing! I have never made granola before as much as I love it…mainly because the directions never seem clear. Yours does!
Thank you Carrie. I like simple and healthy recipes. I appreciate your kind words and hope you’re having a great week!
I love love this granola recipe! It is just soooo good with all the natural sweetners as well 🙂 I love pineapple and papaya dried and its great addition to this granola. Thanks for the recipe Joscelyn 🙂
Thank you so much, Amisha. I hope you’re having a wonderful first week of 2017! Thank you for always being so thoughtful and encouraging. Your friendship has meant so much to me over the years. Sending lots of love to you sweet friend! 🙂
I’ve never made anything like this before, but it looks really good. I’m also annoyed at the amount of sugar in our daily foods. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Michelle! It’s really tasty and quick to make. Please let me know how you like it if you try it out. Have a lovely weekend!