What to do with those over-ripe bananas on your counter? It seems a shame to throw them out…
Here are some ideas for those stray bananas.
Freeze Bananas – for future use.
Slice the bananas into rounds and freeze on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Slicing into rounds on a cookie sheet prevents them from freezing into a giant banana block.
Freeze for at least 3 hours. When frozen, place it in a freezer-safe container or bag.
Defrost and use in Smoothies, Banana Bread, Pudding, Pancakes, snacking, “Nice Cream,” or anything else you would use a ripe banana in.
Simple Banana Bread Recipe – Incredibly easy banana bread that is moist, soft, and perfectly sweet.
Ingredients
- ⅓ Cup melted butter
- ¾ Cup Sugar granulated
- 2-4 Bananas* very ripe (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 Egg large
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Cinnamon ground
- ¼ tsp Nutmeg
- 1 ½ cups Flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare a loaf pan with butter, oil, or even Pam spray.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the melted butter and Sugar.
- Add mashed bananas, mixing into the butter and sugar mixture.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract. Stir.
- Mix in the baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and Flour.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for about 40 -50 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. OVEN TIMES VARY. Check for doneness with a toothpick. Insert a wooden toothpick in the middle of the bread. If it comes out clean, the bread is done. If it comes out with batter on the toothpick, bake another 5 minutes and check again. In a newer convection oven, it takes around 40 minutes for the bread to be done.
- Remove from oven and let cool. For clean slices, please allow the bread to cool completely.
*Note – 3 medium bananas, is about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups of mashed bananas.
Banana Berry Smoothie – a delicious on-the-go breakfast that is also good for you.
In a blender, combine one banana, ½ cup blueberries, ½ cup milk (any kind including plant or nut-based milk), ¼ Cup plain yogurt, and ½ cup ice. Blend in blender on liquify or smoothie setting. Add water or milk to get the desired consistency.
There are many fruit combinations you can use. Blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, mango, apple, peaches, cranberries, pear or pineapple with Orange, Lime or lemon.
Add-ins: cocoa powder, nut butter, vanilla, almond extract, coconut flakes, chai powder, Protein powder, flax or chia seeds for fiber and other nutrients
Surprising things you could add are:
- Avocado – ¼ will thicken a large serving to pudding consistency, giving rich creaminess with no taste shift
- Greens like spinach and kale add a healthy boost to your smoothie
- Oatmeal thickens and adds heart-healthy fiber
- Beets are slightly sweet and add antioxidants and fiber along with a rich red color
Nice Cream – Nice ice cream has only a few ingredients, and depending on how you want to make it can be 100% vegan
- Slice your bananas into small pieces and place them onto a baking sheet in a single layer. If you still need to add more, place a piece of parchment paper on top and add more slices in a single layer. Let these freeze for about 3 hours. Then, remove them from the baking sheet and add them to a freezer bag.
- 2cups frozen banana slices
- ¼ cup milk of any kind
- 1 tsp vanilla
- dash of salt
- Add milk to get a better consistency. Adding coconut milk gives a creamier consistency that is more like traditional ice cream. You can use any milk you want for this step (dairy or non-dairy).
- Use a food processor. Unless you have a high-speed blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec, a food processor will be your best appliance to get the desired consistency. When adding two cups of frozen banana slices and 1/4 cup of coconut milk, it can take 2-3 minutes for everything to combine and turn creamy. Occasionally, you may have to stop the machine and scrape down the sides with a spatula.
- Eat as a soft serve. You can eat the ice cream as soon as it’s done mixing – scoop it into a bowl and eat it the same way you would soft-serve ice cream.
Add cocoa powder, vanilla extract, chocolate chips, berries… experiment and see what you like!
Banana Pancakes – sliced into thin rounds and mashed into the batter
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup mashed ripe banana, about 2 small bananas
- 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter (plus more for greasing the griddle)
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup buttermilk**
- ¼ Cup packed brown Sugar (I prefer dark brown Sugar)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- To serve, add butter, maple syrup, sliced banana, walnuts, and/or chocolate chips.
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine Flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk mashed banana, butter, egg, buttermilk, brown Sugar, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir with a rubber spatula until combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium-low heat and grease with butter. Drop the batter in approximately ⅓ cup portions onto the griddle, spreading the batter to form even circles. Cook until bubbles begin to form (it might be hard to see the bubbles because the batter will be thick). Flip and continue cooking until cooked through (another couple of minutes). Be careful not to turn up the heat too high, as you want the pancakes to cook slowly so that the outside doesn’t cook faster than the inside. Serve hot with butter and syrup.
*Note: you can substitute the Flour, baking powder, and salt for an equal amount of a pancake mix
Healthy Fruit bars – feature banana, apple, apricot, and peanut butter.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp or 50g butter, plus a little extra for greasing
- 2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 3 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 apple, peeled and grated
- 2 ½ Cups or 250g rolled oats
- ⅜ Cup or 85g dried apricot, chopped
- ⅔ Cup or 100g raisins
- ⅔ Cup or 85g mixed seed (try pumpkin and sunflower)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 325F/285F convection
- Grease and line a 20cm square tin with baking parchment.
- Heat the butter, peanut butter, and honey or maple syrup in a small pan until melted. Add the mashed banana, apple, and 100ml hot water, and combine.
- Tip the oats, the dried fruit, and the seeds into a large bowl. Pour the combined banana and apple and stir until the wet mixture coats everything. Tip into the cake tin and level the surface. Bake for 55 mins until golden. Leave to cool in the container.
- Cut into 12 pieces to serve or store in an airtight container in the fridge. They will keep for up to 3 days.
