First of all, let me just say that this family loves bananas. Thankfully, bananas are one of the things Allison will devour, no questions asked! It’s got a decent amount of good calories, great for breakfast, and just plain good for you! My dad will sometimes bring over like 6 or 7 pounds of bananas because someone just drops off cases at the place he works, so even after eating on them for a few days, there are still at least a couple pounds left to use before they go bad. I’ve learned to get creative with my banana usage so we don’t get tired of the same stuff! Here’s what I do to use up leftover bananas in our household.
Make bulk breakfasts before they get too ripe
I usually make these in the mornings while Allison’s eating breakfast! I can keep an eye on her and also bake some delicious goods to freeze for future breakfasts. I’ll double, triple, or even quadruple the recipe depending on how many bananas/how much time I have! Here are the ones I’ve made and would definitely make again:
Banana Breakfast Bars
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal
Protein Pancakes
Banana Bread Waffles
Banana Oat Greek Yogurt Muffins
Chop up to freeze and use in smoothies
If I’ve exhausted all my ingredients for baking, I’ll chop the rest of the bananas and place them in the freezer on a tray lined with parchment paper. Smoothies are an excellent way to use up old bananas and make delicious things out of them! I prefer to use frozen bananas instead of ice when I make smoothies; one, bananas don’t water down the drink like ice does. Two, the banana just makes the smoothie so much creamier! My current favorite recipe is:
- One banana, chopped and frozen
- 1 cup milk (or 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup Greek yogurt)
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
Just blend together for a delicious breakfast smoothie! Click here for an awesome blender hack I was told about a few months ago.
Chop in half and freeze for future recipes
This is similar to above, but we chop the bananas in half instead of smaller pieces. If you’ve used up your baking ingredients until the next week but the bananas won’t last till then, freeze them and when it comes time to bake, just thaw out what you need and mash them like you would normally!
Make breads
I love, love, love making bread with ripe bananas. I make a couple loaves at a time and freeze them! I’ve found that the loaves keep a little better when I wrap them in plastic wrap first and then put them into a freezer bag. Banana bread is very versatile; you can make it healthy by using applesauce/Greek yogurt, you can add other mix-ins like nuts, blueberries, chocolate chips, or peanut butter… the possibilities are almost endless! Here are some great recipes:
Healthy Banana Bread
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Healthy Blueberry Banana Bread
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
How do you like to use up your leftover bananas? Post your favorite recipes in the comments!
Jaime is a Nutrition Coach through the ISSA and professional writer. She has 4 years experience coaching and 9 years experience in writing. She enjoys cooking easy meals, running, and learning more about food.
Jaime specializes in helping women with ADHD learn to meal plan and cook healthier meals without getting overwhelmed.