Not Sure What to Do with Ripe Bananas? These 11 Recipes Are the Answer (2024)

Make Ice Cream Creamier

Ripe bananas freeze beautifully, and adding a few of them to this rich butter pecan ice cream gives it the velvety texture you want. For an easy dessert, try this lightened-up dairy-free banana ice cream.

Fill Your French Toast

Start your day right with a scoop of mashed ripe banana in your French toast. Mix it with cream cheese and top the toast with sugared nuts for possibly your best breakfast ever.

Blend with Berries for Soup

You've heard about chilled soups as a starter before, but did you know bananas can also make their way into the summer-favorite side dish? Make this sweet and spicy ripe banana recipe by blending with raspberries and minced jalapeños.

Buy It: NutriBullet Blender Combo, $149.99, NutriBullet

Add to Cupcake Batter

It's not every day that a banana, sweet potato, and pineapple enter a kitchen and come out as a delicious cupcake. Thanks to this ripe banana recipe with warm spices like cinnamon and cloves, these mini hummingbird cakes are the perfect sweet treat. You can also try using ripe bananas in our coffee-lovers mocha-filled cupcakes, too.

Buy It: Williams Sonoma Cleartouch Nonstick Muffin Pan, $33, Williams Sonoma

Make Grilled Kabobs

When trying to figure out what to make with ripe bananas, grilling them is a unique way to go. Smoky and sweet grilled fruit kabobs make an excellent side for savory fish. If using wooden skewers, make sure you soak them in water for 30 minutes.

Sweeten Bread Pudding

There's something about warm bread pudding that feels super comforting. Your ripe bananas will turn into a masterpiece after pairing it with golden raisins and cinnamon bagels for the ultimate brunch treat.

Moisten Cake Batter

If you have a lot of ripe bananas to use up, it might be time to make a layered cake or some frosted banana bars. Despite its sprinkled good looks, the real star of this cake is the fruit-filled batter: Bananas and pineapple make a super moist and naturally-sweet cake.

Test Kitchen Tip: For easy slicing and serving, chill your frosted cake for 1 hour before serving.

Power Your Smoothie

If you dream in smoothies, try this creamy creation: Banana, avocado, and Greek yogurt make a healthy, power-packed sippable option that's great for breakfast or lunch. No avocado? Try this smoothie bowl with chocolate or a luscious fruit smoothie.

Transform the Banana Split

Enjoying a banana split doesn't have to be topped with a scoop of ice cream. Rather than tossing those ripe bananas, whip up this show-stopping cake. In this impressive rolled cake, we've filled a banana sponge cake with cream cheese and strawberry filling.

Buy It: Nordic Ware Jelly Roll Baking Sheet, $20, Target

Upgrade Your Oatmeal

Elvis Presley is known for loving a sandwich that combined peanut butter, banana, and bacon. It's surprisingly delicious (we like it with some apples for crunch), but you can use your ripe bananas to make it in creamy oatmeal form, too. If you like meal-prepping your breakfasts, try using them in overnight oats.

Chop Into Fruit Salsa

Tomato salsa is so last summer. For dressing up fish fillets, we're bananas about refreshing salsa that's chock-full of bananas. A squeeze of zesty lime makes the fish topper truly divine.

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