Here are all the best ripe banana recipes for cooking with this popular fruit! Pick from banana bread, pancakes, muffins and more.
Got some ripe bananas on hand? This fruit is oh so versatile! Its sweet flavor and moist texture makes it the ideal addition to baked goods, smoothies, or banana peanut butter sandwiches. What’s better than the sweet flavor of banana wafting from the oven? Here’s our collection of all of our very best banana recipe ideas for using this popular fruit! Banana bread, muffins, pancakes…even bananas foster, that classic rum and bananas dessert you get to light on fire! (And yes, you can make it at home.)
And now…the best ripe banana recipes!
Got a few overripe bananas and not sure how to use them? Here’s a classic Banana Muffins recipe with your name on it! It’s exactly what you want in a muffin: tall with a mounded top that’s glittering with crunchy sugar. Inside it’s moist and sweet, with just the right fruity banana essence. Take one bite, and we think you’ll agree: these banana muffins are pretty perfect.
Also try: Banana Nut Muffins
Got ripe bananas ripening on the counter? Here’s a decadent way to use them: this Chocolate Chip Banana Bread! This recipe takes the standard up a notch by using browned butter, infusing a rich, nutty flavor into the entire loaf. It’s perfectly moist, studded with semi-sweet bits of chocolate and scented with just the right hint of cinnamon.
Also try: Easy Banana Nut Bread, Sour Cream Banana Bread, Vegan Banana Bread, Gluten Free Banana Bread or Pumpkin Banana Bread
Here’s the ideal healthy banana recipe, easy and full of irresistible flavor: banana baked oatmeal! This incredible recipe is wholesome and filling, and it’s made with good-for-you ingredients: mostly oats and bananas. It happens to be a vegan baked oatmeal, but it pleases absolutely everyone. Serve it for guests or even better, make up a big pan and eat off of it all week! You can cut it into “bars” for quick snacks, too. Topped with a little nut butter and banana slices, it’s a decadently wholesome treat.
Here’s the only recipe you need to create lazy breakfast magic: our go-to Banana Pancakes recipe! This one is totally classic: with simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand. You can customize it to different diets, and to the amount of bananas you have on hand. It’s totally flexible for you and your morning!
Also try: Banana Oatmeal Pancakes, Gluten Free Banana Pancakes, or Vegan Banana Pancakes
Here’s a favorite banana recipe that’s simple, healthy, and ultra delicious: chocolate covered bananas! We know, this concept it not new or revolutionary. But man, is it perfect for a sweet treat craving! The crunch of a crisp dark chocolate coating around an icy banana makes magic. Here’s the new thing for us: making small chocolate covered banana bites! It gives you a healthy treat in the freezer anytime a chocolate craving hits.
One of our top banana recipes: our "famous" banana bread muffins! These healthy muffins are made mostly of oats and bananas, blended together in a blender. They're sweetened with maple syrup and so light and fluffy, you'll never believe there's no flour! They’re blender muffins so they’re easy to make at home.
Also try: Banana Oatmeal Muffins
Here's a classic banana recipe: bananas foster! Bananas are sauteed in a gooey sauce of caramelized sugar and rum, and served over ice cream. There’s usually a flame too, which brings in over the top drama! This recipe works for two, though the quantities can be enough for four small dessert portions. The best part: you can make it in 10 minutes!
Here's the perfect banana smoothie! It’s got just the right creamy texture and beautifully banana-forward flavor. Even better: it’s made with unfrozen bananas! Most banana smoothies call for frozen bananas, but this one you can whip up in minutes.
If there are two fruits that go hand in hand, it’s tart blueberries and fruity sweet banana. They meet in perfect harmony in this Blueberry Banana Bread! Any kind of banana bread always hits the spot, but this one is a favorite around here. It’s moist, sweet, and punctuated by bursts of tangy purple berries. This quick bread is the ideal use for those brown bananas sitting on your counter.
Imagine: a bite that’s perfectly chocolaty, crunchy on the top and moist on the inside. Yes, these chocolate banana muffins are calling you! They’re the perfect texture, not too rich and just sweet enough. These muffins have become one of our favorite banana recipes…ever.
Got a grill? Then you absolutely must try the revelation that is grilled bananas! This grilled spin on the flavors of bananas foster is the perfect end to a dinner on the patio. Each tender bite is flavored with maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. It’s made even more perfect with a little melty vanilla ice cream: restaurant quality with very little effort!
Looking to mix up your mornings? Try this creamy Banana Oatmeal! Adding banana to your morning oats adds a little natural sweetness and creamy texture. It’s offset with warm spices and vanilla to make a cozy and easy breakfast.
What's better than a good banana nice cream? Instead of buying ice cream, throw frozen bananas and blueberries berries into a blender with coconut milk or yogurt! It's instant berry banana ice cream, blended into frozen goodness. It's a healthier take on ice cream that's just as fun to eat!
Here’s a vegan banana muffins recipe that will make everyone say, “Wow!” They’re fluffy and just sweet enough, with the perfect banana flavor. Even better, a streusel topping gives every bite a little crunch and extra touch of sweet. You’d really never know these are vegan, and they work for eaters of all diets!
Also try: Banana Oatmeal Muffins
Want a cross between banana bread and chocolate cake? This dark chocolatey banana bread is just the right amount of moist, sweet and banana. Topped with chopped walnuts for a little crunch, it's got all the right textures. Add dark chocolate chips for more decadence.
Got a few extra dark bananas ripening in the fruit bowl? Try this Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins recipe! These are pretty darn perfect, and we’re not quite sure how to describe the magic. Moist and sweet, they’re vanilla scented with just the right hint of cinnamon and pure sweetness from the banana. They’re studded with rich chocolate chips, then topped off with a glittering sprinkle of crunchy sugar. There’s a total “wow” factor, but the recipe is straightforward and simple.
Banana nutrition
These tasty fruits are more than just delicious: they’re packed with nutrients. Here are some of the benefits of bananas (source):
- Full of fiber, about 10% of your daily value is in 1 banana (3 grams)
- High in potassium, which is good for heart health
- A source of prebiotics, which is good for gut health (though may be best experienced in bananas that are not baked!)
15 Ripe Banana Recipes: Muffins, Bread, & More!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
Description
This banana muffins recipe is perfect: moist, sweet, and irresistibly banana scented! Everyone will love this classic muffin.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups mashed banana (about 3 large or 4 medium)
- 1 egg
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (optional)
- Turbinado sugar, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Add 12 muffin cups to a muffin tin.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.
- In another medium bowl, mash the banana. Whisk in the egg, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla.
- Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients using a spatula, and stir until a smooth batter forms. Avoid the urge to overmix. Gently fold in the chocolate chips. Divide the batter evenly into the muffin cups.
- Bake the muffins for 15 minutes, until puffed and golden on top. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack to cool fully, about 1 hour. Store up to 4 days in a sealed container at room temperature, refrigerated up to 1 week or more (allow to come to room temperature before serving), or frozen up to 3 months.
- Category: Baked
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Keywords: Banana Recipes, Ripe Banana Recipes
More baked recipes
So many of these banana recipes are baked goods: here are some more of our favorite baking recipes!
- 20 Baking Recipes You Should Know A collection of all our favorites!
- “Magic” Blueberry Cobbler This easy blueberry cobbler has a little “magic”: pour in the batter and top with blueberries. After baking, the blueberries sink and the cobbler rises!
- 13 Fruit Desserts to Try Now These fruit desserts showcase all the best ways to make fruit into a sweet treat, from easy strawberry crisp to our award winning peach pie.
- Easy Blueberry Cake This easy blueberry cake recipe is stunning: it’s fluffy, lightly sweet, and scented with lemon. Perfect for dessert or brunch!
- The Best Peach Pie This really is the world’s best peach pie recipe! Our prize winning family recipe features fresh peaches with a thick creamy custard and a salty crust.