Miso Caramel Banana Bread (v) Recipe

Prep

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with the butter or spray and line with parchment, leaving a 1-inch overhang for easy removal.

Combine dry ingredients

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, and ground cinnamon until evenly distributed.

Prepare banana-miso mixture

In a large bowl mash the ripe bananas until mostly smooth (small lumps fine). Whisk in the miso paste until evenly incorporated. Add white and brown sugars, oil, yogurt, vanilla extract and apple cider vinegar; whisk until smooth and slightly glossy.

Combine wet and dry

Pour the dry ingredients into the banana mixture and fold gently with a spatula just until no large streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix. Fold in the chopped toasted nuts (reserve a tablespoon for topping if desired). Batter will be thick but pourable.

Bake

Spoon batter into the prepared loaf pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle reserved nuts on top. Bake in the center of the oven for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). If the top browns too quickly after 30–35 minutes, tent loosely with foil.

Cool

Remove loaf from oven and let rest in pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, use the parchment overhang to lift loaf onto a wire rack, and cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting (allows crumb to set).

Make caramel

While the bread bakes or during the last 15 minutes of baking, prepare the miso caramel. In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar together, stirring until the sugar dissolves and mixture bubbles gently (about 2–3 minutes).

Finish caramel

Carefully stir in the cream (or coconut milk) — mixture will bubble up — and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in the miso paste, vanilla extract, and 1/8 teaspoon sea salt until fully incorporated and glossy. Taste and adjust: add up to 1/2 teaspoon extra miso if you want stronger savory note. Let sit for 5 minutes to thicken slightly; it will thicken more as it cools.

Apply to bread

When loaf is warm (not piping hot), spoon 3–4 tablespoons of the miso caramel over any slices you plan to serve or over the whole loaf for a sticky top. Sprinkle a few flakes of coarse sea salt and the remaining chopped nuts over the caramel for texture.

Slice the cooled loaf. Serve each slice warm or at room temperature with a generous drizzle of miso caramel and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. For extra indulgence, warm 1–2 extra tablespoons of caramel and pour hot over the ice cream just before serving.