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.

Are my bananas ripe enough for banana bread? ›

when the skin of the bananas is brown all over, the fruit is very ripe, very sweet and perfect for making banana bread, even though it isn't good for eating out of hand. One thing you can do if your bananas aren't quite ripe is to roast them in the oven.

What goes good with bananas? ›

In the bananas column, more than 40 ingredients are listed as potential flavor partners. Chocolate, rum, coconut and cream are noted as classic combinations. And bananas with tropical fruits, brown sugar, nuts, caramel and yogurt come as no suprise. But chicken, coriander, cinnamon and cardamom are also on the list.

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? ›

Bananas are safe for dogs, but moderation is key. Bananas are high in sugar, so too much of it can put your dog at risk of developing medical conditions. You should give your dog only a few thin slices of banana once in a while. At least 90% of your dog's food should be regular dog food.

When should you throw away bananas? ›

If you notice any mold on your bananas, it's time to throw them away or toss them in the compost bin. The black skin itself is not mold. 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.

Can bananas be too old for banana bread? ›

In my experience, using bananas with a dark brown or even black peel for banana bread is ideal, as long as the inside isn't rotten. Key takeaway: As long as your bananas aren't starting to get moldy, infested with fruit flies or beginning to rot they aren't too ripe for baking banana bread.

How many days old 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.

Why do stores sell unripe bananas? ›

Unripe bananas are usually displayed in stores so that they will remain fresh over a longer period of time. Exposing an unripe banana to room temperature would cause the banana to release gases and ripen.

What is green banana called? ›

Guineos (pronounced [ɡiˈneos]) usually refers to an unripe banana. The term guineo is sometimes used in reference to its ripened counterpart: the yellow (ripened) banana.

What happens if you boil a banana? ›

Boiling bananas can soften them, making them easier to chew and swallow. Additionally, the heat from boiling can break down the natural sugars in the fruit, making it taste sweeter than raw bananas. This sweeter taste is often more appealing to people who have a sweet tooth or prefer fruit that is not too tart.

What should not be mixed with banana? ›

Combining bananas with citrus fruits like lime, oranges or grapefruits, may lead to indigestion or discomfort for some individuals.

Are bananas and peanut butter good for you? ›

1. Bananas and Peanut Butter. Research has found that eating peanuts benefits triglycerides and other fats in your blood and promotes healthy weight loss. 2 Bananas are a source of potassium, an essential nutrient that aids nerve and muscle function.

Are brown bananas healthier than yellow? ›

You might assume brown bananas are less nutritious than yellow ones, but in actuality, the difference between the two is fairly small. Brown bananas still contain healthy nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants ( 2 ). However, some nutrients to be aware of in brown bananas are fiber and sugar.

Why do bananas get sweeter as they brown? ›

The reason bananas get sweeter as they ripen is that their starch is broken down into sugar. When your body has to break down the starch itself (as it does when you eat a green banana), your blood sugar rises more slowly.

Why do brown bananas have more sugar? ›

An article on Spoon University says that when a banana is almost or fully all brown, basically all the starch has broken down into sugar — they're sweeter, which is why people often use mushy bananas to bake with — and chlorophyll has taken a new form.

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