So I have messed around in my kitchen and this is what came of it! A banana rolled up in some toasted nuts, cinnamon, almond butter and then frozen for a tasty treat! Here is the scoop…
The Nutty Banana
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup pecans
3 tsp canola oil (divided)
Sprinkle of cinnamon
1/4 cup almond meal
4 Tablespoons of almond butter
2 tsp of Agave
1 tsp vanilla
Sea Salt-a couple turns on the grinder
Take your sliced almonds and pecans and put them on a cookie sheet. Mix around with about 1 tsp of canola oil and a sprinkling of cinnamon. Roast at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. They come out like this-YUM!
Put these toasted nuts into a food processor and give them a good chop. Should look something like this…
Pour these into a mixing bowl and add the almond meal…I have to tell you, I have never bought almond meal so when I went to Trader Joe’s I automatically went looking for it in their baking aisle. Still no luck I asked the nice man working there. He didn’t think they carried it, but went to ask some fellow TJ’s employees…I told him once he knew to come and find me…I would be in the wine section. Gotta stock up while I am there…their wine prices are amazing! A few minutes later he appers with this…and it was in the NUT section…with all of the other NUTS! That makes sense.
In a separate small bowl combine the almond butter, agave, vanilla, salt and the remainder 2 tsp’s of oil. Microwave for about 15 seconds…just to get the almond butter softened up so you are able to mix it all together.
Add this creamy mixture to the nuts and almond meal, and stir until a crumbly mixture forms…something like this…
This is where I used my hands…take some of the mixture and firmly press it around the banana. I did mine on foil…
I gently covered the banana with the foil and popped it into the freezer for about 30 minutes. Slice and serve!
*I saved some of this nut mix and put it in a container in my refrigerator. I love to spread it on a sliced apple or crumble it over fresh or frozen berries. I guess it kind of gives me that yummy granola feel, without the grains!
Enjoy! Shelley
Sleep Love Eat 
Great post & presentation! Love the idea for “granola” like topping!
I just wanted our readers to know that I made this last night as dessert for Jake & I, and we LOVED it! I bought my pecans already chopped, so they toasted up a bit faster than the 20 minutes – I caught them just before they burnt! I actually doubled the recipe and it made 4 bananas with a little “crunch” leftover. They’re so filling – we shared one last night, and shared another one with our breakfast this morning. It was quite frozen, but we could slice it after about 10 minutes sitting out. I loved the frozen banana texture! I think the other 2 Nutty Bananas are going to disappear pretty quickly… I imagine this would be a fun thing to make with kids too. Messy, but fun!
Save yourself some $$$. Buy whole almonds at Costco (like $9 for a 3lb bag) and use your food processor to make your own almond meal. I do a whole bunch at a time and store in a glass container to use throughout the week. It turns out just like the TJ brand. You can even blanch your own almonds in the microwave to make blanched almond flour. Takes a bit more time, but saves money!
What a great tip! Thank you so much for sharing!
LOVE this tip on the almond meal! Thank you!
PS-Love all your stuff so far. Always looking for inspiration to keep me on track!!
Greetings from CrossFit Long Beach! I just had to let you know that one of our athletes, Melissa, made these yesterday and brought them to the gym this morning to share. We almost had a riot over these, people went crazy over them. They are delicious! Thanks so much. We love your blog!
Gina
Thanks Gina! Shelley did come up with something awesome with these! We definitely suggest these as a once-in-awhile treat ONLY due to the starchy fruit (banana) and use of agave. They could be quite addictive :)
Thanks, Joey. Definitely agree on limiting the banana intake. Most thought it would be a good post-workout snack and/or a great kids snack as well.
I tried this over the weekend and it was incredible! I subbed raw honey for the agave. A little goes a long way. Still have a third of the banana in the freezer… very satisfying. The best part was using the leftover “granola” like topping over strawberries and blueberries. Thanks for the great recipe :)
Audrey…isn’t it delicious?! Thanks for your comment and glad you like it. I have yet to try raw honey…will have to look into that one! Shelley
Omg these sound amazing!! Definitely going to have to try these out. I’m not a fan of pecans, do you think almonds could work?
Do NOT get addicted. These are probably as bad for you as candy bars and bread. Definitely a post-workout food only, and rarely :)