15+ Overripe Banana Recipes
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Bananas gone brown? Fear not! Here are 15+ ways to use overripe bananas in delicious, healthy recipes. Never throw away a ripe banana again!
Why Overripe Bananas are the BEST
Bananas getting spotty, brown, soft, and overripe? Think it’s time to throw them away?
Stop, I tell you. Stop!
While you may see a banana decomposing right before your eyes, I see a banana that is in perfect condition to use as an ingredient. In fact, it’s when bananas are a bit mushy and start losing their firm texture that they are the sweetest and even healthier. (source)
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!
How to Freeze Bananas
While we’ve written an entire post about How to Freeze Bananas, we’ll provide the short and sweet version here.
If you don’t use up a ripe banana in the recipes below, you should freeze them until you are ready to use them.
Yes, their texture will be mushy after being frozen and thawed, but since they will be used in recipes, that won’t matter. It’s an ingredient that I almost always have in my freezer stash along with my freezer meals.
I’ve found the best way to freeze bananas is to peel them and then break them in half. Having the overripe bananas in smaller increments makes it easier to grab what I need for the recipes below.
15+ Recipes to Make with Overripe Bananas
Banana Breakfast Cookies
These breakfast cookies are jam-packed with nutrition and flavor. All ages love them, and they make a great grab-and-go breakfast. Double the recipe so you can stock the freezer with them!
Chocolate Sweet Potato Banana Bread
Ah, sweet breads. Forgiver of all added-in leftovers and hidden fruits and veggies. Your family is going to love this pretty darn healthy Chocolate Sweet Potato Banana Bread!
Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
This Blueberry Baked Oatmeal Recipe with Vanilla Glaze has it all. It’s healthy, easy, freezable, and delicious. It’s also gluten-free & dairy-free! I feel great about filling my family’s tummies with this first thing in the morning.
Whole Wheat Chocolate Banana Muffins
These muffins are not only moist and delicious but they are packed with sneaky nutrition. They are a kid-favorite and freeze beautifully. Serve as an easy, make-ahead healthy breakfast.
Make Ahead Banana Breakfast Cake
Banana Breakfast Cake is my dream breakfast. My whole family likes it, it’s full of nutritious yet simple ingredients, and it works perfectly to double the batch to make a breakfast freezer meal.
Any of our Freezer Smoothie Pack Recipes
Learn how to save time and money and eat healthier by prepping Freezer Smoothie Packs ahead of time. Use our 7 different delicious frozen smoothie pack recipes to start filling your freezer today.
Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal with Chocolate Chips
Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal is a wholesome, warm, comforting breakfast for any day of the week. Kids love the sweetness and chocolate chips; parents love the sneaky pumpkin and other healthy ingredients.
Overnight Oats
2 of our 7 Overnight Oats Recipes use bananas: Almond Joy, and Peanut Butter Cup Overnight Oats.
Banana Pumpkin Bread
This bread is moist, nutritious, and delicious! Learn how to freeze it for later or make it into muffins, too.
Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
These healthy, whole wheat banana chocolate chip muffins are YUMMO. Seriously. Don’t let the whole wheat factor make you think they are going to be compromised. Plus, they are freezer-friendly and an easy breakfast for busy mornings.
Gluten-Free Banana Muffins
Warning: This muffin recipe may introduce you to some ingredients that you don’t recognize. Let me assure you, though, that it’s worth giving them a shot because they are absolutely moist, delicious, and healthy!
Blueberry Banana Bread
This recipe is a classic sweet bread with a healthy twist. It’s the perfect breakfast, snack, or even dessert option and can be frozen for later use!
Dark Chocolate Banana Baked Oatmeal (with sneaky spinach!)
I know, you’re thinking, “Rachel’s gone off the deep end on this one. Spinach in your oatmeal?” You really cannot see or taste the spinach after using the blender to puree the wet ingredients. This warm bowl of comfort is just pure dark chocolaty goodness…filled with lots of fiber, vitamins, and minerals!
Banana Pecan Baked French Toast
What do you do with a freezer bag full of leftover bread heels in the freezer, overripe bananas, and even some butternut squash puree? (Don’t cast a skeptical eye at the squash…just look at all the ways you can use it to sneak in extra nutrition.) Well, in our house, you make baked french toast!
Chocolate Waffles
This Chocolate Waffle recipe (previously known as our “Banana Brownie Waffles”) is a family staple that can be easily made with ingredients you likely have on hand. The banana adds a touch of sweetness and some added nutrition and kids will love the idea of eating “chocolate” for breakfast.
Peanut Butter and Banana Baked Oatmeal
After discovering how life-changing (well, close) Brownie Baked Oatmeal can be, I knew I had to try other forms of this make-ahead oatmeal breakfast
Zucchini Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookie
I love this easy healthy breakfast idea: Chocolate Chip Zucchini Breakfast Cookies. These healthy make-ahead breakfast cookies are great fresh or also as a freezer meal.
Loved you recipes, when I go to my parents house I will try some of the recipes. I don’t have a stove where I presently live. But I have been freezing over ripe bananas for years, to make banana bread and put in my protein shake..
Hi JP. I have been freezing bananas for a long time also. They are so versatile. I’m glad you are enjoying our recipes.
I love th baked oatmeal recipe! Baked oatmeal is good about staying fresh in the fridge over a couple of breakfasts. MY favorite part about buying ripe bananas at discount price isn’t making and then freezing everything.
Agreed!
I also make peanut butter banana pops with my overripe bananas. 2 mashed bananas + 1/2 cup peanut butter + a squeeze of honey is enough to fill 4 silicone push pop “tubes.” These are great frozen treats for the kids and myself – even those of us who don’t eat bananas plain!
Oh, my! What a wonderful list! I, too, buy extra bananas on purpose. They are healthy and so versatile, and a regular part of our breakfasts, smoothies and baking, but the best thing is they are one of the only foods, especially fruits, that are still CHEAP!. I also wrote a blog post on freezing bananas and using them. Thanks for some new recipes to add to my favorites!