Anyone who buys bananas has had some overripe ones at one time or another. So, what can we do with them? Plenty! Don’t throw them away! Here are some suggestions…
In a hurry? FREEZE them!
If you’re in a hurry and don’t have time to mess with the ripe bananas at the moment, simply freeze them for later. Peel the banana and place it in a freezer bag or container. If you have a number of bananas to freeze, first peel them, then lay them on a tray that will fit in your freezer. Place them in the freezer for an hour or two and allow them to freeze. Then transfer the frozen bananas to a freezer bag or container. Date the container so you know how long they’ve been waiting for you. They will keep well for up to eight months.
Ways to use frozen ripe bananas…
* To use a frozen banana when making banana bread or another baked good calling for fresh, ripe banana, simply puree the frozen banana in a food processor first. To do this, slice the frozen banana then place it in your food processor. Pulse or run it slowly until it is smooth. At first when processing, it will be “crumbly” but keep going and it will become very smooth. This doesn’t take more than a minute to accomplish. It will be cold, but usable. If preferred, you can let the pureed banana rest for a short while for it to thaw. Use it immediately to prevent it from turning dark.
* Make banana ice cream! One frozen banana makes a moderate size portion for one person. Simply slice the frozen banana and puree it in a blender until smooth. Enjoy it immediately. Frozen bananas are delicious without any adornment. However, if you want to dress it up, you can…
* Blend it with some sweetener of choice and some cocoa powder to make chocolate banana ice cream.
* Drizzle pureed frozen banana with chocolate sauce or syrup, caramel topping, or any other ice cream topping that you have available. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and you’ll have a delicious banana sundae!
* Sprinkle the blended frozen banana with chopped goodies of choice, such as chopped nuts, chocolate chips (or other baking chips that you enjoy), chopped dried coconut, chopped dried fruit of choice, hulled hemp seeds, M&M candies, cocoa nibs, or anything else your heart desires!
* Add a little of your favorite nut butter to the banana as you puree it for a flavor twist to your banana ice cream. If desired, add a little milk of choice to thin it out.
* Add frozen banana slices to pancakes as they cook. Or puree the banana and add it to the pancake batter. It will add a sweet, fruity, richness to your batter.
Other ways to use fresh or frozen ripe bananas…
* Frozen or fresh ripe bananas can be added straight to a blender when making a smoothie or milkshake. If you want to cut frozen bananas up first, they are easy to slice with a knife. Either way, bananas add a delicious flavor and a richness that can’t be supplied by any other fruit.
* Add mashed ripe or pureed frozen banana to cookie dough. This addition will make the cookie soft and tender with a delicious richness. If the recipe was not designed for added banana, some ingredient adjustments may be needed, so do a test batch first.
* Adding mashed or pureed fresh or frozen banana to a bowl of hot oatmeal will add a rich fruitiness to your porridge.
* Make frozen banana bites. Slice a ripe banana into large bite-size pieces. This can be done with a frozen banana or a fresh ripe banana. Dip your banana slices in chocolate syrup or whatever ice cream topping you prefer, and allow the excess to drain off. Then roll the coated pieces into whatever topping you want…finely chopped nuts, chopped coconut, chopped baking chips of choice, ground flax meal, hulled hemp seeds, sesame seeds, chopped cocoa nibs, or finely chopped candy of choice. Place the coated slices on a parchment paper-lined tray and freeze them for an hour or two until completely frozen. They are ready to serve or be transferred to a freezer container for a grab-and-go treat when you need one.
Recipes Using Ripe Banana…
Banana Bread (A Recipe from My Bakery) https://www.judiklee.com/2019/09/18/banana-bread-a-recipe-from-my-bakery/
Banana Oat Cookies (video…Judi in the Kitchen) https://youtu.be/09gs0llSwyw
Banana Oat Cookies https://www.judiklee.com/2019/09/17/quick-and-easy-banana-oat-cookies/
Tropical Banana Bread with Macadamia Nuts, Pineapple and Coconut https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-tropical-banana-bread-182467
Banana-Date Smoothie https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-banana-date-smoothie-207636
5-Minute Vegan Breakfast Smoothie https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-5-minute-vegan-breakfast-smoothie-drink-recipes-from-the-kitchn-203016
Frozen Banana, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Milkshake https://www.thekitchn.com/lighter-treat-recipe-frozen-banana-peanut-butter-chocolate-milkshake-111540
Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Banana Chunks https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-peanut-butter-ice-cream-with-banana-chunks-dessert-recipes-from-the-kitchn-125441
Banana Oatmeal Pancakes https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/banana-oatmeal-pancakes/
Frozen Banana Cereal Pops https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/frozen-banana-cereal-pops/
35 Ripe Banana Recipes to Use Up Your Bunch https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/recipes-for-ripe-bananas/
16 Healthy and Easy Ways to Use Overripe Bananas https://www.self.com/gallery/overripe-banana-recipes
Simple Green Smoothie https://www.self.com/recipe/simple-green-smoothie
Blueberry Banana Baked Oatmeal https://www.livewellbakeoften.com/blueberry-banana-baked-oatmeal/#wprm-recipe-container-16441
Brilliant Ways to Use Overripe Bananas https://www.foodnetwork.ca/baking/photos/15-ingenious-ways-to-use-overripe-bananas/#!banana-cream-pudding
Banana Breakfast Cookies https://www.fivehearthome.com/banana-breakfast-cookies/#wprm-recipe-container-29152
Resources
https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-freeze-bananas-1388436
https://www.thespruceeats.com/storing-food-in-the-freezer-1327662
https://www.thekitchn.com/6-delicious-ways-to-use-up-overripe-bananas-223860
About Judi
Julia W. Klee (Judi) began her journey enjoying “all things food” in elementary school when she started preparing meals for her family. That love of food blossomed into a quest to learn more and more about health and wellness as related to nutrition. She went on to earn a BS Degree in Food and Nutrition, then an MS Degree in Nutrition. She has taught nutrition and related courses at the college level to pre-nursing and exercise science students. Her hunger to learn didn’t stop upon graduation from college. She continues to research on a regular basis about nutrition as it relates to health. Her hope is to help as many people as possible to enjoy foods that promote health and wellness.