Miso Banana Bread with Cinnamon Gomashio

These simple grain-free banana bread muffins are perfectly sweet, umami, and nutty. Be sure to use very ripe bananas and freeze them at least a couple hours before starting this baking project. Freezing the bananas and then caramelizing them helps to draw out the moisture which is important in order for muffins to bake evenly. Plus I love the depth of flavor that comes from marrying caramelized banana with the white miso!

Miso Banana Bread with Cinnamon Gomashio

(Gluten-Free, Refined Sugar-Free)
Yield: 16 muffins

Gomashio Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp toasted partially ground sesame (18g)

  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt (2g) 

  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon (less than 1g) 

  • 1 Tbsp coconut sugar (10g)

Bread Ingredients

  • 4 bananas, ripened then frozen (~375g peeled) 

  • 2 1/4 cup almond flour (180g)

  • 3/4 cup coconut sugar (120g) 

  • 1/4 cup ground flax seed (30g)

  • 1/2 tsp baking soda (2g)

  • 5 eggs (~250g)

  • 1/3 cup ghee or butter, softened (75g)

  • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (12g)

  • ~1 Tbsp white miso (24g)

Instructions

PREHEAT OVEN
Gather mise en place & preheat oven to 350 F. Note: This temperature is for a still oven, so adjust down to 325 F if you’re using a convection.


MAKE GOMASHIO
Toast sesame seeds & partially grind them in a suribachi (or small food processor) with coconut sugar, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. *For tips on how to toast and grind sesame seeds, check out our Gomashio recipe.


CARAMELIZE BANANAS
Put frozen bananas in a saute pan over medium high heat and cover with a lid. It will take about 5 minutes to thaw the bananas and draw out all the moisture. Once bananas have thawed, remove the lid and use a spatula to break them into chunks. The bananas will start to caramelize, and reduce down to about half of their original weight. Once all the excess liquid evaporates and caramelization occurs, turn off the heat and set aside to cool. 


MAKE BATTER
In a food processor, combine dry ingredients. Then add the wet ingredients, scraping down the sides as needed. Pulse in the caramelized banana.


BAKE
Place liners in a muffin tin. Scoop about 55g of batter into each liner and garnish the top of each with 1/2 tsp cinnamon sesame gomashio. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool before eating or else they will stick to the liners.

Note: If you’re using a convection oven at 325 F, the muffins may require less time to bake so check after 15-20 minutes.

Leanne ValentiComment