I recently catered a back-to-school breakfast for 50-ish people, and one of the items that I made was granola and yogurt parfaits For the event I made the two other types of granola I have made thus far, pumpkin spice and peanut butter banana. I was so glad that I did because it reminded me of how quick and easy granola is to make, and what a fantastic snack it can be. So, not long afterward, I opened my pantry and saw a bunch of ingredients begging to be used up – dried pineapple, dried banana chips, coconut and oats. Granola seemed like the perfect solution.
For the mixture of wet ingredients that helps bind granola together and give it flavor, I added pineapple puree and mashed banana as well as coconut extract. I also tossed in some chopped macadamia nuts and toasted coconut for mix-ins. WOW! This stuff is gooood. I wasn’t sure what to expect since it was a complete experiment, but I thought the tropical flavors came through well and though it is primarily sweet, the macadamia nuts provided a nice counterbalance with some saltiness. I took a big bag of it into work and it was perfect for snacking on throughout the week. I have a feeling I’ll be making this frequently.