Granola is quickly becoming one of my favorite foods. I’ve been eating it morning, noon, and night. It’s just a matter of time before I buy some oversized glasses and Toms and join a coop.

It’s so much more appealing to make your own because it gives you an endless possibility of flavors. You can have chocolate, banana, peanut granola one morning and maple almond granola the next. And since oats are cheap(well, unless you’re stuck buying name-brand certified gluten-free oats—but let’s not go there), it’s not a meal that’s going to bleed your pockets dry.

The hint of cinnamon in this recipe adds a familiar warmth that doesn’t overpower the other flavors. Make sure to use a tasteless oil like canola or safflower unless you’re looking to add the flavors of coconut or extra virgin olive oil into the mix.

Maple Almond Granola

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 3 cups):

• 2 1/2 cup oats*
• 6 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 Tablespoons neutral flavored oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons shaved almonds

*Make sure these are certified gluten-free if you’re dealing with a gluten allergy.

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, maple syrup, oil, salt, and cinnamon.
3. Lay the oats out in a 1/2-inch thick layer on a baking tray. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the oats are crispy and toasted, occasionally breaking the granola with a fork or other utensil while it bakes.
4. Remove the granola from the oven and let it cool completely.
5. In a separate bowl, combine the granola, raisins, and almonds and toss together until completely mixed.
6. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

You can toast the almonds for an extra level of nuttiness before adding them to the granola. I’d also suggest adding almond extract to the raw oats before baking for a kick of flavor but it’s not necessary.

The last time I was looking through my recipe pages, one thing really struck me: I had no recipe for gluten-free banana bread. I thought that couldn’t be. If that was the case, it meant I hadn’t made banana bread in over 2 years, which seemed ridiculous because I can still clearly remember how soft and sweet and spicy and moist good banana bread should taste.

Somehow that was true and I realized I really needed to get with the program. As soon as some bananas turned brown, I mashed them up and made them into banana bread. Even without the gluten, this bread holds its shape with each thick, dense, moist and chewy slice and the flavor has just the right amount of spice and sweetness.

While I think coconut flour could make a texture slightly similar to regular banana bread, I used only almond flour in this loaf because I know what a hassle it is to go out and have to buy 15 different kinds of flour. I used vegetable oil but melted coconut oil would add a great boost of flavor and be slightly more healthy.

Almond Flour Banana Bread

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 55 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 loaf):

• 1 1/2 cups almond meal or almond flour
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup oil
• 3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar
• 3 medium bananas, mashed(about 3/4 cup banana puree)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup walnuts(optional)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips(optional) 

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the almond flour, eggs, oil, sugar, mashed bananas, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt until there are no clumps.
3. Fold the walnuts, chocolate chips, or any other mix-ins you might want into the batter.
4. Lightly grease a 5 x 10 or similar sized loaf pan and pour in the batter.
5. Bake for 55 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before slicing.  

This is really great with butter, peanut butter, chocolate hazelnut spread, or even all on its own. You should keep it wrapped up in the refrigerator in between meals so it lasts longer.

I’ve really come around to loving coconut flour over the past few months. At first I made vanilla cupcakes, then chocolate ones; then at some point I realized I needed to learn to make something else with coconut flour besides cupcakes or else I’m going to be having a lot of dessert. Since coconut flour is so healthy, I thought why not make a breakfast with it?

2 Tablespoons of coconut flour have 6g of fiber and 3g of protein. That’s already more than most breakfast cereals. Combined with some eggs for extra protein, banana for sweetness(because the thought of starting my day with something savory makes me shudder), and nut butter for healthy fats it’s a really filling way to start the day. Besides, coconut and banana just belong together. And rum. But I’m not quite sure for breakfast.

I don’t actually bake these because I have a microwave that I love and use but if you were to bake these set the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 15 minutes or until the center has set.

Coconut Flour Breakfast Bake

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 3 minutes

Ingredients(For one serving):

• 2 Tablespoons coconut flour
• 2 or 3 eggs
• 1 ripe banana, mashed
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract(optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest(optional)

Method:

1. In a small bowl, mix together all of the ingredients you’re using into a smooth and even batter. If the batter is too thick, slowly add water until it’s mixable.
2. Pour the batter into a 6oz or 8oz ramekin depending on the number of eggs you used.
3. Microwave at high for 3 minutes.
4. Remove from the microwave. Top with dried fruits, nuts, or nut butter. Enjoy hot or at room temperature.

With 3 eggs and 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter, this has about 30g of protein, 11g of fiber, and plenty of healthy fats to fill up and let you focus on other things throughout your morning.

Pretty much as soon as I made Banana Breakfast Quinoa I knew I wanted to try a hot, cooked version of it. I really like eggs in the morning so adding them and cooking it in the microwave seemed to be the easiest way to make something tasty. What resulted is a warm, hearty breakfast reminiscent of banana bread that’s both delicious and filling.

This has quickly become my new favorite breakfast, one that I eat most days of the week. It doesn’t take more than 10 minutes to make start to finish so even on my busy mornings I have time to throw it together. And it’s filling and healthy, too. A bowl with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter clocks in at around 25 grams of protein and no added sugar.

Hot Banana Breakfast Quinoa

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 3 minutes

Ingredients(For 1 serving):

• 1 banana, mashed
• 1/3 cup cooked quinoa
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Nuts, nut butter, dried fruit, or sweetener for toppings

Method:

1. Combine the mashed banana, quinoa, eggs, salt, and cinnamon together in a small bowl and mix thoroughly.
2. Transfer the batter to a ramekin or other microwave-safe bowl, leaving a little room at the top to prevent overflow.
3. Microwave on high for 3 minutes or until the center is cooked through and set.
4. Top with nuts, dried fruit, and/or sweetener and eat hot.

The texture, as you can see, is soft and spongy almost like a baked bread pudding. You could also try baking it in the oven for 12-15 minutes which would result in a similar texture and flavor.