25+ Tasty Ripe and Overripe Bananas Recipes

Recently, cooking with bananas has grown in popularity, and for a good reason. Bananas are not only delicious, but they are also a wonderful source of vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B6, and other necessary vitamins and minerals. Let's look at the advantages of utilising ripe bananas in cooking, as well as some quick, healthy, and savoury dessert and baking ideas.

Using Ripe Bananas: Old Banana Recipes and What to Do with Ripe Bananas

Ripe bananas are perfect for baking, offering increased natural sweetness and moisture. Classic recipes such as banana bread or muffins call for overripe bananas. The usage of bananas that would otherwise go to waste is excellent in these recipes. Ripe bananas can also be substituted for butter or oil in baking recipes or in smoothies and pancakes. By using ripe bananas, not only are you reducing food waste, but you are also adding nutritious and delicious ingredients to your meals and desserts.

Homemade birthday banana and oreo cake

If you have a lot of ripe bananas and you’re not sure what to do with them, instead of letting them rot completely or throwing them away, try following this delicious banana and oreo cake recipe. 

Quick and tasty homemade banana cake
This simple recipe shows you how to use an air fryer to produce the tastiest homemade banana cake.

Banana and chocolate muffins

This recipe is for you if you have a Thermomix in your kitchen as it shows you how to use it to prepare the tastiest homemade banana and chocolate muffins.

Watermelon and banana smoothie
This unique pairing of watermelon and banana allows for just the right texture and consistency making the perfect healthy summer beverage. 

Mixed berry smoothie
For a more common combination of fruit try this delicious mixed berry and banana smoothie. It includes spinach, flaxseed and protein-filled Greek yoghurt. 

Banana and oatmeal protein shake
Protein shakes are a wonderful substitute for a snack in between meals and as a post-workout beverage. Try this protein packed and filling banana and oatmeal protein shake recipe.

Spinach, orange and banana smoothie
It doesn’t get healthier than this spinach, orange and banana smoothie. Adding spinach and banana to a smoothie will also add potassium, a key mineral for proper nerve and muscle function as well as blood pressure stabilisation. 

Banana and chocolate thick shake
This is a very simple and quick recipe with only four ingredients: ice, one banana, powdered cacao and milk. Having cacao powder in this smoothie adds the health benefits of a lower blood pressure and improvement of blood flow to the brain and heart as cacao powder contains a lot of flavonoids. 

Raspberry banana smoothie

This is an amazing smoothie option after a great work-out. Make sure to use low fat greek yoghurt as it provides enough of probiotic bacteria and calcium to help the digestive system work properly. 

Blueberry smoothie

This smoothie is a rich source of fibre, vitamins, and minerals that serves a lot of nutrients without tasting like it.

Tangy banana smoothie
This nutritious smoothie has a somewhat tangy edge from the Greek yoghurt, which is a fantastic way to start the day. You can use almond milk in place of the normal milk and coconut milk in place of the yoghurt to make it vegan.

Banana, oatmeal and coffee smoothie
Another amazing smoothie to start your day is this banana, oatmeal and coffee smoothie. Its healthy, a great breakfast option on the go and will give you the energy you need for a busy day. 

Smoothie bowl

Smoothie bowls have gained popularity recently and are now perfect for a tasty and nutritious breakfast or as a snack when made with milk and fruit. This recipe offers a  unique red fruit smoothie with homemade peanut butter and frozen banana.

Banana Dessert Recipes: Easy and Healthy Banana Recipes

There are numerous quick and healthful recipes you can cook at home using bananas, which are a great ingredient for sweets. There are many different ways you can prepare banana pudding or ice cream, which is a traditional dessert that many people enjoy. Instead of using refined sugar, try using honey or maple syrup as a natural sweetener when making banana desserts. You can also add other fruits, such as berries or kiwis, for flavour and nutrition boosts. You can also experiment with baked bananas topped with cinnamon or caramel sauce for a simple yet delicious dessert. 

Homemade Drop Scones or Scotch Pancakes

These drop scones or scotch pancakes include a delicious topping that contains banana which adds that healthy touch making it a great healthy dessert or breakfast option. 

French Toast Rolls with Nutella and Banana

Another tasty breakfast or dessert dish are these tasty french toast rolls that go perfectly with a cup of tea. One of the best fruits to enjoy with Nutella is a banana because its sweetness is balanced by a little tartness and a hard texture, which creates a pleasing contrast with Nutella's sweetness. 

Overnight Weetbix

This recipe combines bananas with other fruits and almonds to make an easy and convenient breakfast. 

Fruit salad

The tastiest homemade fruit salad can be prepared using this simple recipe that is fresh, sweet and excellent for summer. It's not just your typical fruit salad with fruit only, it also contains unique ingredients such as mandarin, small marshmallows, condensed milk, cream and nuts. This combination of ingredients make the fruit salad extra sweet while still having a touch of health with many different fruits.

Fruit kebabs recipe with homemade yoghurt

This quick and healthful breakfast or dessert is ideal for entertaining guests, and the wonderful homemade yoghurt helps to give it a special touch.

Fruit tart

Fruit tarts are a traditional French dessert prepared with a sweet crust, pastry cream flavoured with vanilla, and fruit that has been glazed on top. This recipe shows you how to make this delicious tart with the fruits used as the topping being peaches, kiwis, banana and strawberries.

Chocolate chip cookies

Another recipe for our Thermomix owners is this crunchy chocolate chip cookies recipe. Each mouthful of the cookies has gooey, melted chocolate chips and a subtle banana taste. 

Chocolate-hazelnut crêpe with banana

In just 15 minutes you can make these delicious chocolate-hazelnut crêpes with banana. This french cuisine is perfect for any occasion, from breakfast, a snack or dessert. 

Campfire cones

If you’re planning on camping, especially with kids, then these campfire cones are an exciting treat to share. Simply fill waffle cones with peanut butter, banana, marshmallow, and chocolate chips then wrap it in foil and grill the delicious snack.

Banana Ice Cream

This is a two-ingredient ice cream that is creamy, naturally sweet, healthful, and simple. This recipe just requires fleur de sel and banana which works out well because banana has natural sugars and a creamy texture that works well when frozen and blended. 

Açaí Bowl

This is a great breakfast or afternoon after-yoga bowl. Aça berries are loaded with strong plant compounds that act as antioxidants which can be good for your heart, brain, and overall health. The bowl contains frozen bananas in the smoothie mix and sliced bananas with any other toppings you choose. 

Mocha

This recipe shows you how to make a mouth-watering home-made mocha that’s bound to brighten your morning. The mocha is served with cream on top plus chocolate shavings and syrup as garnish. Bananas in the mocha itself provide sufficient amount of sweetness, removing the need for additional sugar.

Baking with Bananas: Banana Recipes for Baking

A versatile component, bananas can be used in a number of baked goods, such as muffins, cakes, and cookies. They are the ideal ingredient for baking since they give recipes a touch of natural sweetness and moisture. You may create traditional banana bread, banana cake, or even banana oatmeal cookies for a tasty and healthful treat. You may use mashed bananas for eggs or even butter in some recipes, making banana baking even simpler and more vegan-friendly.

Banana cake

This recipe, which blends chocolate chips with chopped fresh nuts, is great if you want to make a fluffy and delicious banana cake.

Mulberry pie

This scrumptious mulberry pie is gluten-free, vegan, diabetic-friendly and healthy. It is the perfect rustic dessert and is relatively easy to make.

Vegan banana chocolate chip muffins

Another delicious vegan friendly recipe is this banana chocolate chip muffins recipe. If executed right your muffins should be soft and moist, making them a great snack. 

Banana bread

This is an easy 5 minute banana bread recipe that guarantees no black spots. Banana bread goes well with dark chocolate, custard, slices of fruit or a delicious chocolate or peanut butter spread.

Hummingbird cake

While it has Jamaican roots, this cake has a banana and pineapple foundation and is often found in southern American cooking. Instead of using butter, oil is used in its preparation, which helps the cake stay moist for longer when combined with the fruit.

Fluffy banana muffins

These tasty fluffy banana muffins are vegan friendly as they do not require any eggs or dairy. They are a great snack choice. These banana muffins contain nuts meaning one muffin provides a great amount of vitamin E and iron.

Banana Cooking: Savoury Banana Recipes

Although bananas are typically used in desserts, they can also be utilised in savoury meals to give a distinctive flavour and texture. They offer a sweet and somewhat acidic flavour that goes well with savoury components in curries, stir-fries, and other savoury recipes. You can try making banana and black bean quesadillas, banana chilli, or even banana and bacon grilled cheese for a surprising twist on classic dishes. Bananas are also nutritious to savour dishes, providing a high fibre and potassium content.

Maryland chicken

This homemade Maryland chicken recipe is the epitome of savoury banana meals. If you love fried food then this chicken is perfect as it's served and garnished with fries and fried bananas. The recipe is split into three important parts: the chicken, the corn cream and the toppings. 

More banana recipes to inspire you

• Chicken with banana curry sauce
• Hillshire farm banana grilled cheese
• Savory banana fritters