13 Creative Ways to Use Overripe Bananas

We’ve all been there. One moment, your newly purchased bunch of bananas is looking as fresh and vibrant as can be, and the next, they’re sporting that tell-tale brown, spotted look. If you’ve left your bananas sitting in the fruit bowl for too long, they’ve likely ripened a little more than intended. And let’s face it, nobody wants to bite into a brown, mushy mess. But, there’s no need to throw away your overripe fruits, because thankfully, there are countless ways to use them in your cooking and baking. And, in many of these cases, overripe bananas will actually yield far better results than their fresher counterparts.

From the classic banana bread to smoothies, brownies, and deep-fried treats, overripe bananas will shine in a variety of different recipes. Whether you’re mashing them up and stirring them through a batter or baking them whole in the oven, they’re sure to yield the sweetest, most flavorful results. This is thanks to their high sugar content, which increases significantly during the ripening process, with the texture of the fruit also softening. So, before you relegate that sad-looking banana to the trash, remember just how valuable it can be, and consider incorporating it into one of these delicious homemade treats.

It’s a method you may well have already explored, and it’s guaranteed to result in deliciousness. Overripe bananas have long been the go-to for a home-baked banana bread. Ensure that the bananas you’re using are sufficiently soft, brown, and spotty, and your loaf will come out perfectly tender, moist, and packed with sweet banana flavor.

To prepare the bananas, all you’ll need to do is peel away the skins and mash them thoroughly in a bowl. Then, they’re ready to be combined with the other ingredients. To take banana bread to the next level, we love to brown the butter first. Beat the prepared butter with some sugar, then add eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract, and the mashed bananas. Now you can add the dry ingredients — that’s flour, baking soda, and salt. Feel free to also throw in some warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg if desired. Transfer the batter to a greased loaf pan and bake it until risen and golden on top (for about an hour), and you’ll soon be delighting in that sweet banana-packed taste.

Eating a too-far-gone banana at room temperature might not be the most pleasant experience, but that overly soft texture becomes far more appealing when the banana has been baked in the oven. When cooked, bananas will soften and sweeten even further, creating a warm, comforting treat that pairs exceptionally well with some rich, gooey chocolate.

The best way to oven-bake a banana is by leaving the skin on, but making a slit all the way along the length of the fruit. Then, you can take some squares of milk or dark chocolate, and gently push them into the slit. Wrap the bananas snugly in foil, place them onto a baking sheet, and bake them for around 25 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. When they’re ready, the skins will have turned completely black. Serve the bananas with their skin still on, and you can scoop that sweet, melty chocolate-banana middle out with a spoon. These are amazing served with a generous scoop of ice cream or dollop of whipped cream. Feel free to scatter over some chopped toasted nuts, or add a sprinkling of cinnamon, too.

Did you know that you can make a batch of wonderfully smooth and creamy ice cream with nothing but bananas? And, when you’re aiming for a sweet result, the riper they are, the better!

First, you’ll need to peel the bananas and chop them into evenly-sized rounds. Transfer them into a food bag or lidded plastic container, and pop this in the freezer for at least two hours until the bananas have frozen solid. To prepare the ice cream, add the frozen banana pieces to a food processor and blitz them up until smooth. The blending process will take a good few minutes, with the bananas first going through a crumbly-looking stage, then becoming a little chunky, before eventually transforming into an ultra-smooth, light ice cream. You can absolutely dig into the ice cream right away, though it will have more of a soft serve texture. If you prefer a firmer ice cream, just transfer it to an airtight container and place it back into the freezer until frozen to your liking. 

There’s also the option to introduce some other flavors into this healthy frozen treat. We love whipping up a chocolate-banana ice cream by blending the frozen banana with cacao powder, cacao nibs, and a splash of maple syrup. Whichever version you go for, the ice cream will be an ideal canvas for adding your favorite toppings, such as chocolate or caramel sauce, crumbled cookies, or even extra caramelized bananas.

There’s nothing like tucking into a stack of warm, fluffy pancakes on a Sunday morning. And, overripe bananas are the ultimate ingredient for packing that batter with natural sweetness. There’s no need to reach for a boxed mix here, because with this flavorful, fuss-free approach, you can have a batch of perfectly golden, banana-infused pancakes ready in just 15 minutes.

To make banana pancakes, start by mashing the bananas in a mixing bowl (it’s okay if there are a few chunks remaining), then stir in some egg yolks, buttermilk, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Once well combined, you can add the dry ingredients. You’ll need flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. A pinch of cinnamon works great here, too. Stir everything together, then add egg whites, stir again, and leave the batter to rest. After five minutes, you can get frying. Heat up a skillet and add scoops of the batter, cooking each pancake for around three minutes per side. Then, you can go all out with your favorite toppings. Think maple syrup, fresh berries, yogurt, whipped cream, or chocolate chips.

If you’re in the mood for something a little crispier, overripe bananas are equally ideal for incorporating into waffle batter. For a wonderfully sweet and nutty brunchtime treat, these banana and maple walnut waffles are a must-try.

Banana and toffee make for the most incredible flavor pairing, and one rather epic way to enjoy this duo is in a banoffee cheesecake. Trust us, those brown bananas sitting in your fruit bowl are just longing to be transformed into this decadent, creamy treat!

Step one is preparing the cheesecake base, which can be made with a simple combination of graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter. With this pressed into the base of a springform pan and briefly baked, you can get to work on the filling. Mix the mashed bananas with some lemon juice, then add eggs, cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and sugar. Beat everything thoroughly, then pour this creamy concoction over the cheesecake base. Bake the cheesecake for an hour at 300 degrees Fahrenheit, then without opening the oven door, turn the heat off and leave the cheesecake inside to cool completely. This will prevent it from cracking.

Whilst the cheesecake cools, you can whip up that all-important toffee sauce. First, melt butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup together in a pan over low heat, then continue cooking the mixture for another five minutes. Pour in some heavy cream and add a dash of vanilla extract, and keep cooking (stirring frequently) until the mixture has thickened up. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. Serve the fully cooled cheesecake with the sauce poured generously over the top. You can also decorate it with some sliced bananas and chopped nuts if desired.

Offering an easily blendable texture and heaps of natural sweetness, overripe bananas are an ideal smoothie add-in. Whether you prefer something fresh and vibrant or creamy and wholesome, there is a huge array of other ingredients to try blitzing up the bananas with, so feel free to get creative here.

For a fresh, tropical-inspired sip, try creating a fruity mango banana smoothie. Just toss the chopped bananas into a blender with some chopped mango, lime juice, honey, and milk of your choice, and blitz everything up until smooth. Freezing the banana beforehand is also a great way to amp up the thickness and creaminess of your smoothie, as is recommended in this cinnamon banana walnut smoothie. Here, you’ll blend the frozen bananas up with Greek yogurt, soaked walnuts, chia seeds, honey, cinnamon, and milk to create a comforting spiced drink.

Overripe bananas also produce an exceptional milkshake, offering all the sweetness required to make things feel wonderfully indulgent. Try blending them with vanilla ice cream, milk, caramel sauce, and cinnamon for the ultimate creamy treat. And, if you’re a coffee lover, you could even try whipping up a frozen banana mocha by blitzing brewed espresso with frozen banana, honey, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, milk, and ice.

What could be better than French toast? Well, stuffed French toast, of course! And what better way to fill those custardy-crisp slices than with sweet and tender banana? 

First up, grab a loaf of brioche and cut off some nice, thick slices. Then, carefully cut a pocket into each slice, and stuff it with some slices of overripe banana. You can then dunk the bread into a mixture of eggs, milk, and vanilla extract, ensuring they’re well soaked on both sides. Next, heat butter in a skillet until melted and starting to froth, and fry the stuffed and coated bread slices for a few minutes on each side, until the exterior is crisp and golden.

You can absolutely combine the sliced bananas with other add-ins here if desired. Try spreading some Nutella or adding some chopped chocolate to the pocket. When it comes to serving the warm, gooey toasts, try drizzling over some caramel sauce or finishing things off with a dusting of powdered sugar.

When you’re looking for a hassle-free bake that’s sure to deliver comforting vibes, muffins are the perfect option. And, we can highly recommend opting for a banana-loaded variety. Much like with banana bread, using the ripest bananas possible will yield the most tender and flavorful results, so this is an excellent way to put those brown bananas to good use.

It only takes 10 minutes to prepare a simple banana muffin batter. First, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt). Next, mash the bananas in the bowl of your stand mixer before beating in some sour cream, coconut oil, sugar, and egg. Pour in the dry ingredient mixture, and beat again to combine. Transfer the mixture to a lined muffin pan, and bake the muffins for around 15 minutes, until risen and golden.

There are plenty of delicious add-in options to consider here, too. Try stirring some chocolate chunks, peanut butter chips, or chopped walnuts into the batter right before adding it to the muffin liners. Alternatively, you can drizzle the muffins with a sweet icing glaze or melted dark chocolate post-baking.

Stir overripe bananas into oatmeal, and they’ll impart their irresistible sweetness whilst keeping things ultra-creamy. This satisfying breakfast couldn’t be easier to whip up, with everything simply added to a saucepan and stirred over the heat. You’ll need some rolled oats, milk of your choice, the mashed, overripe banana, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt. You can also substitute a portion of the milk for water, if you’d prefer to keep things lighter. And, adding a few drops of vanilla extract or a sprinkling of cinnamon is a great way to enhance the flavor.

Once you’ve stirred everything together on the stovetop for around seven minutes, the mixture should be beautifully thick and creamy. Transfer your oatmeal into bowls, and jazz it up with toppings of your choice. Extra sliced banana is always a great idea, but fresh berries or diced apple will work brilliantly, too. A scattering of granola or toasted nuts is also a great way to make your warming bowlful even heartier.

Overripe bananas aren’t just a great addition to muffins and quick breads. They can also be used to create a batch of deliciously sweet and chewy banana cookies. And of course, pairing them with chocolate chips is a no-brainer.

Like most cookies, the first step in preparing the dough is beating butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Since bananas have similar binding properties to eggs, you can omit the egg white here and add the yolk only into the dough, along with the mashed banana and some vanilla extract. Beat everything until thoroughly combined, then add the separately mixed dry ingredients — flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Once everything has been brought together into a thick, sticky dough, stir through the chocolate chips, and chill the dough in the fridge for at least an hour. Then, it’s ready for shaping into balls, which can be arranged on a parchment-lined baking sheet and baked until golden and just starting to crisp up around the edges.

Bananas and peanut butter are also a rather irresistible pairing in cookies. To make some naturally sweetened PB and banana oatmeal cookies, combine blitzed up rolled oats with peanut butter, maple syrup, mashed bananas, cinnamon, and salt. Then, stir in some extra whole oats, plus chocolate chips, walnuts, and raisins. The resulting cookies will be gloriously thick and chunky, with a moreish chewy texture. 

They’re a crowd-pleasing classic, and you may well have your go-to recipe down, but if you haven’t tried enhancing your homemade chocolate brownies with bananas, that needs to change. This method is such a fantastic way to pack both nutrients and flavor into your bake, with the banana really shining through and complementing the chocolate base beautifully.

To prep the chocolate banana brownie batter, mix the wet ingredients together first. There’s melted butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and the star ingredient — super ripe, mashed bananas. Next, separately whisk together cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt, before sifting this mixture into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Fold everything together, stir in some chocolate chips, and spoon the mixture into a greased and lined baking pan. The brownies should be ready after around 30 minutes of baking, but make sure to let them cool completely before slicing them up.

These decadent treats are fantastic served with a scoop of caramel ice cream, or some fresh fruits such as sliced strawberries, cherries, or extra banana. You could even drizzle some melted peanut butter over the top of each slice before tucking in. Yum!

For the ultimate textural contrast, try deep-frying your overripe bananas. This makes for a fun and easily customizable dessert, with a beautifully crisp, golden exterior and tender middle. And with the bananas being at their peak sweetness, they’ll be all the more flavorful.

Start by peeling the bananas and dicing them into rounds. Then, create the batter by combining flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt before stirring in milk and egg. Coat the banana pieces thoroughly in the batter, then drop them into a pot of hot vegetable oil. They’ll take about four minutes to develop that wonderful crispy coating.

While the bananas are still warm, dust them with powdered sugar for extra sweetness, and feel free to go all out with a selection of other toppings. Covering them with lashings of caramel sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream would be an excellent option. You could also drizzle over some melted chocolate, honey, or maple syrup. You could also dust them with cinnamon or cocoa powder if preferred.

So, you’ve used up that soft banana flesh, but what about the peels? Well, thankfully there’s a deliciously creative way put these to use as well. You can in fact create a completely vegan-friendly alternative to bacon, using the humble banana peel. And here, ripeness is essential for producing the optimum flavor and texture.

The peels should first be washed, dried, and sliced up, so you have around four strips per banana. Next, gently scrape them with a spoon to remove any of the excess banana flesh. To achieve that savory, smoky bacon-like taste, you’ll marinate the peels in a mixture of soy sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika, and garlic powder. Let them sit for at least ten minutes to soak up all of those delicious flavors, then fry them in hot oil until golden and crisp. This should take just a couple of minutes per side. 

This plant-based “bacon” is best served immediately, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 48 hours. Enjoy it as a satisfying savory snack, or perhaps as part of a breakfast medley of scrambled tofu, sauteed mushrooms, and tomatoes.