Bananas are great for a quick, healthy, grab-and-go snack, but what do you do when a few in the bunch have browned a bit too much? No one wants a mushy, overripe banana — but don’t throw yours out! Try these simple recipes so your ’nanners don’t go to waste.
Banana Bread
A good go-to is banana bread, since you’ll likely have all the ingredients you need on-hand. This recipe is easy to follow, and even if you’ve never made banana bread, it’ll turn out great. To start, you’ll want two or three overripe bananas (three if you like your banana bread super moist; two is just right for my taste). The best part: If your bananas are perfectly overripe, you won’t need a mixer or blender; just mash them with a fork until there are no (or very few) lumps. Truthfully, lumps won’t hurt; you’ll hardly notice them in the finished product. Another plus: You won’t have to dirty too many dishes; just mix all the ingredients in one big bowl before transferring them to a buttered loaf pan.
Ingredients:
2 or 3 overripe bananas, peeled
⅓ cup of melted butter (use a non-dairy substitute, such as Smart Balance, if necessary)
1 teaspoon of baking soda
Pinch of salt
¾ cup of white granulated sugar
¼ cup of brown sugar (if you don’t have brown sugar on hand, using white granulated sugar only is fine; with a total of no more than 1 cup of sugar)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter (or lightly oil) a loaf pan (approximately 4”x8” in size); set pan aside. In a large mixing bowl, mash bananas with a fork or potato masher until smooth, then stir in melted butter. Add in all remaining ingredients, stirring until combined. Pour batter into your prepared loaf pan and bake 50 minutes to an hour at 350 degrees until loaf rises and browns. As with cake, you can check the doneness by inserting a tester (a wooden skewer works well); when the tester comes out clean, you’re ready to remove the pan and let the bread cool. When cooled, slice and serve! Or even better, enjoy warm.
Banana“Nice Cream”
What better to go with a warm slice of banana bread than a scoop of banana ice cream? The trick here though is you won’t actually need to use cream — this healthy alternative is good for those who can’t have dairy and makes an easy treat. You will need a blender or food processor for this recipe in order to reach the desired consistency.
Ingredients:
About 4 overripe bananas; peeled, sliced, and frozen
Optional ingredients: for chocolate banana “nice cream,” incorporate 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder; for peanut butter banana “nice cream,” mix in a tablespoon or two of peanut butter.
Directions:
Peel your overripe bananas, cut into thin slices, and place pieces in a single layer on a parchment-lined plate or baking sheet. Freeze for one to two hours. Place frozen banana slices in a blender or food processor and puree them until you reach a smooth, creamy consistency. If necessary, you can use a tablespoon or so of milk to help smooth the mixture. Once mixture is completely blended, add in optional ingredients — cocoa powder or peanut butter; or both! — if desired. Serve immediately, or for a firmer “nice cream,” put back in the freezer until it hardens.