Today I’m sharing 10 genius healthy banana recipes for overripe bananas to help you cook through the bunch. I’ve always heard of those instances where one places an order on Costco online for delivery and ends up getting way more of a particular item. Ten pounds of bananas to be exact. The kicker: they all seemingly ripened to reveal their lovely brown spots and wrinkly skin almost simultaneously within 5 days after receiving them.
Check out the 10 recipe ideas we made to make good use of those fast ripening bananas. The next time you find yourself going bananas for bananas, I hope these ideas offer inspiration beyond the usual freezing them for smoothies.
Banana Recipe Idea 1: Banana Walnut Loaf
A good one-bowl banana bread is always one of my favorite banana recipes and for good reason. This is by far one of the best banana bread recipe variations we’ve made to date. It has moist crumbs and you’ll love the crunchy texture of the toasted walnuts. I love the minimal prep as this is an easy recipe to follow where we combine both the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients in one bowl. It’s sure to become your new favorite banana bread recipe with chopped walnuts. I love a slice slathered with a bit of unsalted butter, flaky salt, and local raw honey. Alternatively, a swirl of peanut butter with sprinkled chia seeds is a great addition. If you don’t want to use brown sugar, check out this one-bowl banana bread which uses a maple syrup or date syrup to substitute.
Banana Recipe Idea 2: Small Batch Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Whether as a healthy dessert or in the rotation for easy snacks, these small batch Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins are going to become a favorite for you. With a bit of brown butter and brown sugar, we create caramel undertones for this quick breakfast muffin using our mushy bananas. Click on the recipe below to get the list of simple ingredients and make this muffin today.
Banana Recipe Idea 3: Banana Oat Pancakes
This is one of my favorite healthy recipes to make using yellow bananas. A mix of quick oats and whole grain flour blended together with very ripe bananas help to craft a very healthy breakfast stack of pancakes. My kids gobbled these banana pancakes up as fast as I was putting them on the plate. Top with fresh fruit and a drizzle of your favorite maple syrup and you’ve got a great start to your day. Recipe is in Around Our Table by Sara Forte.
Banana Recipe Idea 4: Bananas Foster
Bananas Foster is a very simple yet phenomenally delicious way to enjoy bananas. We cook up sliced bananas in a bit of brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon. It’s then hit with a bit of liquor then set to flame, flambé style. It’s ready in minutes and topped with your favorite vanilla bean ice cream you’ve got a deliciously decadent dessert that impresses any guest.
Banana Recipe Idea 5: Salted Banana Cookies
It wouldn’t be a Banana Recipe Roundup without something to help satisfy those sweet cravings. Enter: Justine Snacks’ Salted Banana Cookies. When I posed the question on Instagram to readers what I should make with the 10 pounds of bananas, this recipe came up several times. This is a great recipe for those extra bananas that you want to use but don’t want to make another loaf of bread. With a slight nutty flavor from the browned butter and a mix of chocolate chips, this cookie is perfection when it comes to a classic sweet treat that can satisfy the never ending sweet tooth.
Banana Recipe Idea 6: Banana Chips
Banana Chips are a great way to use up bananas that are beginning to ripen quick. Using this recipe from the Kitchn you can make a delicious healthy snack with just a little bit of time in the oven. If you have a dehydrator, I would say that would lead to the best results for the thin slices of bananas that transform into crunchy chips.
Banana Recipe Idea 7: Chocolate Dipped Bananas
This is one of a few fun ways to use banana slices. Simply slice bananas and place on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer. Freeze until solid then melt your favorite chocolate to dip banana slices in. You can dip them whole or halfway depending on how much chocolate you want to cover the slices of the brown bananas. I liked using a mix of milk and dark chocolate chips here.
Banana Recipe Idea 8: Banana Pastry Cream Filling
I loved how this banana custard paves the way for a banana pudding or banana cream pie. It’s creamy and filled with all that key banana sweetness. I loved it on it’s own topped fruit for a luscious take on a fruit bowl. I could even see this as a beginning base for banana ice cream. It’s also a great base for the quintessential banana cream pie.
Banana Recipe Idea 9: Banana Baked Oats
These Banana Bread Baked Oats were stellar for an easy way to get ahead in meal prep. The natural sweetness from the bananas with a hint of decadence from dark chocolate chips craft a delicious breakfast option with these baked banana bars. I baked them in a small baking dish instead of a ramekin and was able to cut individual slices to make banana breakfast bars that I could even freeze ahead for an easy breakfast when time is tight. I topped mine with a dollop of Greek yogurt, a dash of cinnamon, and a drizzle of maple syrup that made for a delicious way to start the day.
Banana Recipe Idea 10: Freeze Banana Slices for Smoothies
This isn’t a recipe per se but this is a classic move in using up near overripe bananas. Oftentimes, I will freeze bananas by slicing them in half and putting them straight into a freezer bag. This time, I opted to slice the bananas. I placed them in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. This helps keep a firmer texture of the bananas in tact. As a result, it will be easier to freeze and not turn in a big banana blob mess. Once frozen, add the slices to freezer bags. Then, you can add the desired amount of frozen banana to your favorite smoothies.
Final Thoughts on Using Up Overripe Bananas
There are so many different ways to enjoy bananas as they approach their compost date. From a healthy banana bread recipe to smoothies, cookies, and more, you’re sure to enjoy bananas any time of day. Tell us in the comments your favorite way to enjoy overripe bananas and let’s keep the inspiration going!
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