Three Ideas For Granola

Don't let your granola go stale: We've scored one killer recipe for the baked treat–and come up with two other ways to move granola beyond breakfast.

Molto Benne: At the new breakfast-and-lunch spot Kitchen 208 in Charleston, South Carolina, chef Matthew Pleasants incorporates the humble benne seed–also known as the sesame seed–into his simple granola (see the recipe), made with steel-cut and old-fashioned oats. In the spirit of good health, the lightly sweet granola is served with yogurt and fresh fruit; the dish, listed on the menu as "Bridge Runner," is named for the city's annual Cooper River Bridge Run.

Cocoa Crunch: Wild Ophelia, a line of chocolate that incorporates ingredients from American artisans, uses granola from Chicago's Milk & Honey Café in its Mount Sequoia Granola dark chocolate bars ($5). Vanilla-scented organic oats, almonds, honey and brown sugar lend sweetness and crunch to the 70 percent cacao confections.

Go Bananas: Tasting Table's senior food editor, Raquel Pelzel, shared one of her favorite baking tricks: For extra flavor and texture, she throws a few handfuls of granola into banana bread in lieu of nuts. Another easy idea? Drop some granola into pancake batter for a two-in-one breakfast treat.