Baked Banana

Name: Baked Banana
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: International
Ingredients: 2 Bananas; 5 tbsp Oats (or 3 + 2 tbsp wheatgerm); 1- 2 tbsp Pumpkin seeds; 2 tbsp Flaked coconut; Handful Pecan halves; Handful Flaked almonds; 1 tbsp Brown sugar; 1 tbsp Extra Virgin olive oil (or sunflower oil); 2 tbsp Clear runny honey; 5 Dried apricots; 2 tbsp Raisins; 1 tbsp Dried cranberries; 1 tbsp Dried pineapple chunks; To serve Natural Greek yogurt (any kind)

Love Baking Over a year ago 1,415 views

Cook: 15 mins

Serves: 2

Breakfast

Ingredients

2 Bananas
5 tbsp Oats (or 3 + 2 tbsp wheatgerm)
1- 2 tbsp Pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp Flaked coconut
Handful Pecan halves
Handful Flaked almonds
1 tbsp Brown sugar
1 tbsp Extra Virgin olive oil (or sunflower oil)
2 tbsp Clear runny honey
5 Dried apricots
2 tbsp Raisins
1 tbsp Dried cranberries
1 tbsp Dried pineapple chunks
To serve Natural Greek yogurt (any kind)

Accompaniment

Description

This is great for a weekend breakfast. I like it with plain Greek yogurt and home-made crunchy granola, but there are many different options. Also a good dessert.

Method

1
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Put the bananas (unpeeled) on a baking tray and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the skin is black, and the banana is soft to touch.
Slit the banana open lengthways with a sharp knife and serve with your choice of topping / filling.

For the crunchy granola (can be made in advance and kept in an airtight tin or jar):
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Put the oats, wheatgerm (if using) coconut, pecans (snipped in half or quarters with scissors), flaked almonds and sugar in a bowl, drizzle over the oil and the honey, mix well together and tip onto a baking tray. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring half way through, until it is starting to turn golden. Snip the apricots into 3 or 4 pieces, and mix with the raisins, cranberries and pineapple, and add to the baking tray after the initial 15 minutes. Bake for another 15 minutes, again stirring half way through.
Leave to cool, stirring after about 5 minutes to break it up a bit. Serve when cooled, or keep in an airtight tin or jar until needed.

Chef's Tips

*This is one of my personal favourite combinations, but tastes vary so use any combination of nuts, fruits and seeds that you like. Also good with a pinch of ground cinnamon added. You can easily increase amounts and keep to eat over a week. Great to nibble on as a snack.

Other serving ideas:

Breakfast
Yogurt and other cereal. If you like a little more sweetness, drizzle over a little honey.
Yogurt and berries.

Dessert (individually or a combination)
Ice cream or whipped cream.
Creme fraiche drizzled with maple syrup or honey.
Chocolate sauce.
Toffee sauce.
Chopped toasted nuts.
Chopped up fudge pieces.
Heat up the juice of 1 orange with 1 tsp honey to make an orange sauce.
Slit open the banana first and slot a few chocolate buttons into the gap, then wrap in foil and bake (I have not yet tested this out in the oven but have done it many times on a barbecue).