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  7. Transform Overripe Bananas Into Delicious Treats with Our Best Recipes

Transform Overripe Bananas Into Delicious Treats with Our Best Recipes

Rebecca Morris, Freelance Writer
By Rebecca Morris Updated March 26, 2021
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streusel banana bread
Credit: Yuki Sugiura

From easy snack ideas to special-occasion desserts, there are so many recipes that will turn those speckled bananas languishing in the fruit bowl into something spectacular.

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streusel banana bread
Credit: Yuki Sugiura

Bananas are one of the most perfect snacks out there. Easy to eat and naturally portable, this tropical fruit is high in fiber, low in fat, and packed with nutrients that help to moderate blood sugar levels and lower blood pressure. In other words, if you're feeling a little hangry, grab a banana to recover quickly. But as great as they are in general, there comes a point in the lifecycle of every banana where it seems like it's not worth eating. Too mushy and bruised to top your cereal or toast, it's a far cry from the firm yellow bunch of fruit you purchased last week.

Whatever you do, don't toss them: It's at this stage of ripeness that a banana unlocks its greatest superpower. With the right sidekicks in tow like butter, nuts, and flour, your overripe banana can transform into something even better than it was before. Whether it is by blending into a no-churn ice cream base, standing in for the egg in an ultra-tender vegan muffin, or becoming the surprise flavor in a batch of whoopie pies, bananas that seem past their prime are actually catalysts for creativity in the kitchen.

Recipes abound on this site and beyond for banana bread, which is the original—if a little tired—use for overripe bananas. If you're in the to prepare one of these delicious loafs, we've include our test kitchen's favorite version as well a second ingenious recipe that combines the best part of a streusel coffee cake with the comforting and complex flavor of banana bread. Beyond that, shake up your baking repertoire with our more inventive ideas, including milkshakes, waffles, cookies, donuts, and more.

If this collection of recipes leaves you feeling plenty inspired but you have no speckled bananas in site, here's a tip: Next time a banana languishes on the counter just a little too long to be appetizing, peel and freeze it in a resealable plastic bag. Keep adding to your stash as the weeks go by, and soon enough you'll be eating banana cake and thanking yourself for such inspired planning.

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Banana Lumpia (Turon)

banana lumpia served on a blue dish topped with powdered sugar
Credit: Bryan Gardner
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Mashed bananas are seasoned with a bit of cinnamon and brown sugar before being placed in an egg-roll wrapper, rolled into cylinders, and fried for this riff on the popular Filipino delicacy. This is a great recipe to make with any young chefs in the house; while they assist with the rolling process, you can work the fryer station.  

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Bananas-Foster Milkshake

crop-bananas-foster-milkashake-029-d113025.jpg
Credit: Bryan Gardner
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Perhaps the best part about any banana recipe that calls for using a blender is that you can use up your stash of frozen bananas. Here, they're whirled into a decadent shake reminiscent of the classic rum-based dessert.

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Gluten-Free Banana-Almond Butter Muffins

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Credit: Lennart Weibull
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These completely flourless muffins are ultra-moist, and the easy batter calls for ingredients you probably already have in the house like almond butter and eggs.

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Banana Whoopie Pies

Banana Whoopie Pies
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Just because those bananas are too brown and mushy to garnish the top of a fancy tart or pie doesn't mean you can't bake something beautiful. These whoopie pies are a fun project to take on and even more fun to eat and share with friends. 

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Banana-Nut Buttermilk Waffles

Banana-Nut Buttermilk Waffles
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This recipe will perfume the whole house with the smell of delicious toasted waffles, a guaranteed way to wake the sleepyheads up for family brunch.

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Test Kitchen's Favorite Banana-Chocolate Chip Bread

banana chocolate chip bread
Credit: Marcus Nilsson
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Banana bread is usually the first destination for overripe bananas, and in the case of this proven winner of a recipe, it's also the best choice. What sets this one apart? It uses the natural banana syrup that collects from thawed frozen bananas. This elixir is also known as "liquid gold" and imparts a pure, concentrated banana flavor to baked goods.

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Banana-Blueberry Smoothie

Banana-Blueberry Smoothie
Credit: Chris Court
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Bananas bring thickening power and a natural sweetness to all kinds of smoothies. If you already keep a bag of peeled bananas in your freezer, then you're well on your way to this easy three-ingredient smoothie snack.

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Banana-Walnut Chocolate-Chunk Cookies

ld102246_0906_banana_choc.jpg
Credit: Victor Schrager
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If you're a little bored with banana bread, these cookies are the rut-buster you need in your life. Moist—almost cake-like—and studded with toasted nuts and dark chocolate, they're a wonderful way to use up overripe bananas.

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Chocolate, Banana, and Graham Cracker Icebox Cake

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Credit: David Prince
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Make-ahead, no-bake desserts like icebox cakes have been around so long they inspire a sense of nostalgia in every slice. This playful version has you layer slices of ripe bananas into a loaf pan with graham crackers and chocolate pudding.

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Streusel Banana Bread

streusel banana bread
Credit: Yuki Sugiura
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Part coffee cake, part banana bread, this is the kind of baked good that—if set on the counter unprotected—will be gone by the end of the day due to walk-by grazing.

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Vegan Baked Banana Donuts

rows of doughnuts on green countertop with vegan and pumpkin flavors
Credit: Will Anderson
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You often see plant-based baking recipes call for ripe bananas because they make a great substitute for eggs. In this donut recipe, they join forces with coconut oil and nut milk to keep the cake donuts moist and rich. 

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Banana-Apple Puddings with Toasted Almonds

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If you're looking for dessert that satisfies your sweet tooth but keeps the calories on the lighter side, look no further than this pudding; it's filled to brim with the wholesome fruit of bananas and apples. Tapioca and yogurt provide body and creaminess to the pudding, while toasted almonds on top add a pleasant crunch.

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Banana Rum Raisin Ice Cream

Banana-Rum-Raisin Ice Cream
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Making no-churn ice cream is an easy and worthwhile activity to try, especially in the summer when hotter temperatures bring forth cravings for an ice-cold scoop. Fresh bananas added to a traditional rum raisin flavor bring a tropical feel.

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Banana Sheet Cake with Passion-Fruit Frosting

banana sheet cake with passion-fruit frosting recipe
Credit: Con Poulos
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The passion fruit juice that is added to the frosting is a tart and refreshing counterpoint to this dense and rich banana cake. It's a stunning bake to make for all sorts of occasions, and no one has to know that you were just trying to use up some old bananas!

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Banana-Buttermilk Pancakes

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No list like this is complete without a recipe for banana pancakes. This recipe uses sliced bananas, buttermilk, and a blend of whole-wheat and all-purpose flour to make a wholesome and delicious batter that is well worth heating up your griddle for.

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    1 of 16
    2 of 16 Banana Lumpia (Turon)
    3 of 16 Bananas-Foster Milkshake
    4 of 16 Gluten-Free Banana-Almond Butter Muffins
    5 of 16 Banana Whoopie Pies
    6 of 16 Banana-Nut Buttermilk Waffles
    7 of 16 Test Kitchen's Favorite Banana-Chocolate Chip Bread
    8 of 16 Banana-Blueberry Smoothie
    9 of 16 Banana-Walnut Chocolate-Chunk Cookies
    10 of 16 Chocolate, Banana, and Graham Cracker Icebox Cake
    11 of 16 Streusel Banana Bread
    12 of 16 Vegan Baked Banana Donuts
    13 of 16 Banana-Apple Puddings with Toasted Almonds
    14 of 16 Banana Rum Raisin Ice Cream
    15 of 16 Banana Sheet Cake with Passion-Fruit Frosting
    16 of 16 Banana-Buttermilk Pancakes

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