Savory Granola with Banana, Almond Butter, and Miso

A Recipe from Deborah Kwan of San Francisco

Happy Friday! All the great late-spring produce in the market these days has me hunting for ways to eat as much fruit as possible, so I’m returning to this recipe that Deborah Kwan shared with us last year and turning it into its own post, separate from the original interview. I’ll be making a big batch this weekend so I can eat it with lots of fresh strawberries—and maybe even some apricots and cherries—all week long. In the meantime, make sure to check out Deborah’s story about growing up in her family’s Chinese American restaurant, training to be a baker, and ultimately becoming one of the best food PR people in the business (imho)!

Savory Granola with Banana, Almond Butter, and Miso

This recipe is a fantastic antidote to too-sweet granolas—and it’s a perfect way to use up overripe bananas! It’s also extremely flexible, so you can use whatever nuts and seeds you like. The real key to this recipe is to stir somewhat frequently, so things don’t burn, and to add the coconut chips partway through baking (as they’ll burn quickly). The recipe makes a big batch, so follow Deborah’s lead and share it with friends!

Makes 8 cups

4 cups rolled oats
1 cup puffed millet (or more oats )
2 cups nuts (cashews, walnuts, sliced almonds, and/or pecans), roughly chopped
⅓ cup seeds (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and/or sesame seeds)
1 tablespoon kosher salt (reduce the amount if using miso; see below)
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoons ground ginger
3 ripe bananas, mashed
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons almond butter (or another nut butter or tahini)
1 tablespoon white miso paste (optional)
1 cup coconut chips

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two rimmed sheet trays with parchment or silicone mats.

2. Put the oats, millet (if using), nuts, seeds, salt, cardamom, and ginger into a large bowl and mix.

3. Put the the olive oil, mashed banana, almond butter, and miso (if using) into a small saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring, until combined.

4. Add the liquid to the dry mixture and fold everything together, making sure to coat the dry ingredients well.

5. Divide the granola between the two prepared baking sheets and spread it out evenly. Bake it for about 30 minutes, stirring a few times along the way and turning the trays so they bake evenly.

6. Reduce the oven temperature to 275°F, sprinkle the coconut chips over the granola and bake everything for another 15- to 20 minutes, until the coconut chips are lightly golden at the edges.

7. Turn off the oven and prop the door open with a wooden spoon so the granola dries completely. (Go run errands, read, or see friends!)

8. Remove the granola from oven and allow it to cool to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight storage container.