What to make with ripe bananas
With ripe bananas you can make banana bread, banana muffins, banana pancakes, oatmeal banana cookies, smoothies, baked oatmeal or one-ingredient banana “ice cream.” The browner the peel, the sweeter and more flavorful the banana, which is ideal for baking.
ripe bananas
9 easy ideas with ripe bananas
Family-tested favorites. Tap one to get the full recipe, scaled for your table.
One-Bowl Banana Bread
1 hr 10 minMoist, tender and mixed by hand in a single bowl. Add chocolate chips or walnuts.
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Banana Oat Pancakes
20 minFluffy pancakes sweetened mostly by banana. Freeze extras for school mornings.
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Banana Muffins
35 minLunchbox-sized muffins with a crackly sugar top.
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Banana Baked Oatmeal
45 minOats, milk and mashed banana baked into sliceable squares for the week.
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Three-Ingredient Oat Cookies
20 minBanana, oats and chocolate chips. A toddler-friendly snack you can make in 20 minutes.
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Banana “Nice” Cream
5 minFrozen bananas blended until creamy, like soft-serve with no added sugar.
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Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
5 minFrozen banana, milk, peanut butter and oats for breakfast on the go.
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Banana French Toast
20 minMashed banana whisked into the custard makes French toast extra rich.
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Chocolate Banana Snack Cake
45 minA fudgy, frosting-optional sheet cake that uses three or four bananas.
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Kitchen notes on ripe bananas
Riper is better for baking
Bananas with heavy brown spots or fully black peels are sweeter and mash easily. They are fine to use as long as there is no mold or a fermented smell.
Freeze them peeled
Peel bananas, break them into chunks and freeze in a bag for up to 3 months. They go straight into smoothies, or thaw for baking (pour off the liquid that collects).
Ripen in a hurry
Bake unpeeled bananas at 300°F for 15 to 20 minutes until the peels turn black. They soften and sweeten, though not quite as much as naturally ripened ones.
Questions about ripe bananas
How many bananas are in a cup of mashed banana?
About 2 to 3 medium bananas make 1 cup mashed. Most banana bread recipes call for 3 ripe bananas.
Can I use frozen bananas for banana bread?
Yes. Thaw them, then pour off the clear liquid before mashing, or the bread can turn out gummy.
Are black bananas safe to eat?
A black peel just means the banana is very ripe. If the inside is not moldy, oozing or smelling of alcohol, it is safe and perfect for baking.
