25 Delicious Recipes for Brown Bananas (2024)

ByStacie VaughanOn Updated

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I buy bananas with good intentions. They sit on the counter waiting to be grabbed for a quick snack. Sometimes they are eaten up quickly. Most often, however, they sit there till they start to turn brown and gross.

I hate to waste food so I’ll throw them in the freezer to use in recipes. When they turn brown like this, I can’t bring myself to eat one as is, but I don’t mind using them up in a recipe. In fact, some recipes require the bananas to be overripe! They have many, many uses.
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My mom always made banana bread with them. I remember having an after school snack of banana bread warm out of the oven and topping it with butter. The butter would melt and flavour the bread even more. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Classic banana bread is one use for your brown bananas, but I’ve discovered a bunch of other yummy ways you can use them. Don’t let those bananas go to waste!

As you can see, there are plenty of ways to use brown bananas in addition to banana bread! This is a great list to inspire you to enjoy those bananas at the bottom of your freezer.

Whatever you do, DO NOT throw them away. Put them in the freezer until you are ready to use them.

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Looking for more banana recipes, but in a cookbook? Check out The Banana Cookbook.

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What is your favourite way to use brown bananas?

Don't throw them away! Brown bananas are sweet and delicious. Try one of these easy recipes with your overripe bananas.

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Banana Bread Breakfast Casserole

Use up your brown bananas and leftover bread in this crowd-pleasing breakfast recipe! It comes together in 10 minutes, bakes for 1 hour and is a recipe you’ll find yourself making again and again.

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Banana Chocolate Cake

Packed full of sweet flavor! Banana and chocolate are perfect together in this easy cake recipe.

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Banana Cake

An amazingly moist cake covered in cream cheese frosting. A perfect use for brown bananas!

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Banana Nut Muffins Recipe

A classic banana muffin that you can make with or without nuts. These muffins are moist and full of banana flavour, making them a go-to snack and lunch box favourite.

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Banana Cupcakes

These cupcakes will drive you bananas! They are super versatile, and can be made extra special with cream cheese icing, and the addition of peanut butter chips.

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Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

The perfect way to use up your brown bananas! This easy muffin recipe is incredibly moist and perfectly sweet.

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Super Easy Bread Machine Banana Bread

Photo Credit:noshingwiththenolands.com

I love an easy dump and go recipe and this Super Easy Bread Machine Banana Bread is just that. Just toss your ingredients in, press the button, and walk away.

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Pumpkin Banana Bread

Photo Credit:spaceshipsandlaserbeams.com

This easy Pumpkin Banana Bread is a simple recipe that produces a delicious homemade result. How about combining two fall favorite flavors into one sweet bread? I love a good quick bread and dreams come true with this amazing, moist banana pumpkin bread.

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Best Frosted Banana Walnut Cake

Photo Credit:mooreorlesscooking.com

The Best Banana Walnut Cake is topped with a thick and creamy cream cheese frosting. It’s baked up perfectly in a 13 x 9 baking dish with the best banana flavor, that is so soft & moist, and just crazy delicious. Optional garnish with sliced fresh bananas or banana chips and chopped walnuts for an amazing dessert!

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Easy Blender Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

Photo Credit:www.currytrail.in

Contemplating on what to do which the ripe banana?! Let’s turn it into an easiest breakfast that’s not just delicious but super healthy too. It’s gluten-free banana oatmeal pancakes.

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Bananas Foster Upside Down Cupcakes

Photo Credit:flavormosaic.com

Bananas Foster Upside Down Cupcakes are easy to make upside down cupcakes made with bananas instead of pineapple, and are a perfect mini dessert for a party.

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Best Chocolate Banana Muffins

Photo Credit:sweetandsavorymeals.com

Chocolate Banana Muffins are the best way to use overripe bananas. The muffins are very easy to make, soft, chocolaty and full of flavor.

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Healthy Donuts with Banana and Chocolate Chips

Photo Credit:deliciousonadime.com

These Healthy Donuts with Banana and Chocolate Chips are an easy, homemade snack for kids or treat for brunch. Whether you’re clean eating or just looking for a treat that’s baked instead of fried, these healthy donuts are the perfect DIY. Packed with honey, plain yogurt and oats, you can ditch all those muffin recipes for something more fun. Only have a muffin tin? This recipe will work for you too!

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Freezer-Friendly Blueberry Banana Oatmeal

Photo Credit:www.saltycanary.com

This Blueberry Banana Oatmeal has only three simple ingredients, but you can add additional optional toppings such as nut butters, sliced fruit, nuts, seeds, or even chocolate chips! And, it’s great for large batch meal prepping because it’s freezer-friendly!

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Chocolate Banana Sourdough Bread Pudding

Photo Credit:ofbatteranddough.com

Chunks of thick sourdough bread soaked in a sauce of cream, Nutella, and mashed banana, dotted with chocolate chips and then baked until it turns into a rich and creamy chocolatey scoop of heaven with a consistency that’s a cross between chocolate cake and chocolate pudding.

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Banana Crumb Coffee Cake Recipe

Photo Credit:www.urbanblisslife.com

This Banana Crumb Coffee Cake is a popular, tried & true, 5-star recipe for a reason! It's moist and fluffy, with a delicious cinnamon sugar filling and topping - perfect to enjoy with a cup of coffee.

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Banana Coconut Bundt Cake with Coconut Icing

Photo Credit:www.christinascucina.com

Why make banana bread when you can make this unique banana coconut bundt cake? It's simple, yet delicious and will earn rave reviews!

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Banana Strawberry Smoothie

Photo Credit:nourishplate.com

A great healthy and delicious banana strawberry smoothie to start your day. You can also enjoy it as a snack, or have it as a post-workout quick smoothie. It’s nutritious and packed with plant-based protein.

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Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread Bread Pudding

Photo Credit:bakeitwithlove.com

If you thought your banana bread couldn’t get any better, try your hand at my Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread Bread Pudding for a sensational dessert! Made from our tasty chocolate chip banana nut bread loaf, the already flavorful banana bread is baked in a creamy custard!

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Three Ingredient Slow Cooker Banana Bread

Photo Credit:www.supergoldenbakes.com

Three ingredient banana bread – just bananas, condensed milk and self raising flour! Best baked in a slow cooker, it is easy to make and delicious.

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Banana chocolate chip pancakes

Photo Credit:www.everyday-delicious.com

Amazing banana chocolate chip pancakes! It’s a great idea to use up ripe bananas. These pancakes come out thick, fluffy, they have an almost plush texture.

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Brown Sugar Banana Bread Recipe

Photo Credit:www.wenthere8this.com

This Brown Sugar Banana Bread takes 5 minutes to mix up and a little less than an hour of hands-off baking time, resulting in the most perfectly moist banana bread you have ever eaten!

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No bake peanut butter banana energy bites

Photo Credit:www.salads4lunch.com

No bake peanut butter banana energy bites are soft, sweet, and the perfect little healthy snack to tide you over until your next meal! No baking required and made with just 6 healthy ingredients.

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Best Chunky Monkey Bars

Photo Credit:mooreorlesscooking.com

These bars are a full-flavored chewy dense bar. They have a brownie texture but are just as delicious as my homemade banana bread.

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Easy Banana Doughnuts

Photo Credit:www.thebossykitchen.com

This recipe of easy banana doughnuts is an awesome way to use ripe bananas that are sitting around. It is also a great recipe to put together for a brunch. Are you a grandma and kids are coming over for a visit? Make these!

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25 Delicious Recipes for Brown Bananas (2024)

FAQs

Why are brown bananas better for baking? ›

Why It's Best To Bake With Brown Bananas. Ripe bananas are not only softer and easier to mash and blend into a batter, but they are also sweeter, which is why baking recipes specifically call for ripe bananas in ingredient lists.

What can you do with green bananas? ›

Green bananas are indigestible and the only way to eat them is by cooking them. They can be boiled, roasted or even fried, and can be enjoyed in recipes like our green banana and coconut milk soup. More tender than plantains, green bananas can replace the former in certain dishes if you don't have any available.

How ripe should bananas be for banana bread? ›

Let the bananas ripen (and overripen) at room temperature. Depending on the weather, this could take a few days, or up to a week. The best bananas for banana bread aren't yellow; they're black. Or they're at least streaked with black/brown, with just the barest hint of green at the stem.

How do you eat red bananas? ›

Red bananas are best eaten when ripe, the same way you have a regular banana, after peeling them. They can also be incorporated into breakfast cereals, oatmeal, desserts like fruit salads, smoothies, pancakes, ice creams and pudding. Baked delights like banana bread, cakes, and muffins also taste well.

Is it OK to bake with brown bananas? ›

Ripe and overripe bananas are superheroes in a healthy kitchen—especially when it comes to vegan baking, where they can bind and moisten ingredients while adding flavor and natural sweetness.

Can dogs eat bananas? ›

Yes, dogs can eat bananas. In moderation, bananas are a great low-calorie treat for dogs. They're high in potassium, vitamins, biotin, fiber, and copper. They are low in cholesterol and sodium, but because of their high sugar content, bananas should be given as a treat, not part of your dog's main diet.

Why do you boil green bananas? ›

Potential Health Benefits of Boiled Bananas

Here are just a few of the ways boiled bananas can help your health: They can help your digestion. Green bananas, in particular, have been shown to help with diarrhea. Bananas are also packed with fiber, prebiotics, and probiotics, all of which help with digestion..

What does green banana do to your body? ›

Green bananas are laden with a wealth of dietary fibre, which is valuable for treating digestive and bowel issues. Packed with potassium, which acts as a vasodilator controlling blood pressure levels and augments heart health. It should be cooked well for better assimilation of nutrients.

Does raw banana increase blood sugar? ›

Raw bananas have a low glycaemic index of 42. A low glycaemic index of less than 55 means the food will not raise blood sugar levels significantly. Resistant starches found in bananas produce a low glucose spike in the bloodstream as they are broken down slowly, contributing to the lower glycaemic index.

Can bananas go too bad for baking? ›

While browned bananas are great for baking, there comes a point when they're past their prime. With mold and decay, it's best to throw them away for safety reasons. If you see fruit flies, it's time to throw the bananas away!

When should you throw away bananas? ›

Mold on bananas is fuzzy white, gray, or greenish—it looks a lot like mold on bread. If a banana smells rotten or fermented or is leaking fluid, it's time to say goodbye. If the fruit inside, not just the peel, is black, that's a sign that your banana is too far gone to safely eat.

Can bananas be too old for banana bread? ›

No such thing as “too ripe for banana bread.” If you're going to freeze them, peel them first. Also great in smoothies. As long as they're not moldy, they're good. Bananas this far along will be a lot sweeter so I will sometimes reduce the amount of granulated sugar I add to the batter.

What if I ate a banana with red inside? ›

If you find a small red spot inside your banana, there is generally no need to be concerned. The red discoloration is usually caused by a harmless condition called red discoloration, which is the result of a high amount of anthocyanin, a natural pigment found in some banana varieties [1].

When should I eat red banana morning or night? ›

You can consume bananas in the morning along with other breakfast foods. However, you should avoid eating them on an empty stomach. Eating bananas at night should also be avoided if you have cough, cold, or breathing problems.

Is the blood banana fruit edible? ›

The blood banana is an ornamental plant, named for the dark red patches on its leaves, though its small-seeded fruits are also edible. It grows 6' to 8' tall in the wild, but is well-adapted to container growing and can be maintained at 3' to 5'. It grows best in full or partial sun and is hardy in zones 9 - 11.

Which bananas are best for baking? ›

More mature bananas (with brown spots or even completely brown) are absolutely PERFECT for making banana bread. They've got a great sweetness and a really soft consistency that is great for baking.

Do brown bananas have more sugar than yellow bananas? ›

Brown bananas blend up just as well and can be used in just about any smoothie recipe that calls for bananas. The only changes to your smoothie that you might notice are a slightly darker color and a sweeter flavor, as brown bananas tend to contain more sugar — and therefore taste sweeter — than yellow bananas.

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