Best Recipes to Make When You Have Ripe Bananas | Ambitious Kitchen (2024)

Spring is almost here and while I’m excited for warmer weather and extra sunshine, I’m still over here creating new treats and baked goods for you to make, share and love. If you’re like me and always stock up on bananas, you’re going to love these breakfasts, snacks and desserts that are the perfect way to use up ripe bananas. In fact, did you know I have a recipe for banana bread cinnamon rolls? TOO GOOD.

I broke these ripe banana recipes into pancakes & waffles, smoothies, oatmeal, bread, muffins, cake & rolls, and bars, bites & cookies so that you can find everything that you’re looking for. You’ll find tons of easy recipes using ripe and overripe bananas and even no bake options that are perfect for weekday snacks, and plenty of banana baked goods you’ll make again and again.

How to freeze ripe bananas

Have lots of ripe bananas that you’re not going to use right away? Freeze those babies! Here’s how to do it:

  1. Peel & slice. Simply peel them and, if you’d like, slice them into 1/2 inch pieces.
  2. Store. Place them in a freezer-safe bag or container.
  3. Use in 6 months. Freeze those bananas and use them for up to 6 months.

If you’re using them for smoothies, I’d suggest slicing them into 1/2 inch pieces first before freezing. Feel free to then label your bag with how many bananas are inside. When you’re to use them you can then dump the banana slices right into your blender frozen!

How to use frozen bananas in baking

If you’re looking to use your frozen bananas for baking, this is how you do it:

  1. Thaw first. Thaw your frozen banana(s) at room temp before using. I’d recommend either freezing your bananas whole so that you know how many are in your freezer bag or container, or simply making sure to measure out the amount of mashed banana you’ll need for a specific recipe.
  2. Drain them. Once the bananas are thawed you should drain off the excess liquid the bananas produce
  3. Use them up. After you’ve drained the bananas you can then use them in the recipe.

I hope you love these delicious, easy banana recipes! If you make any of these ripe banana recipes I’d love for you to leave a comment & rating on the recipes – it lets me know how you liked it encourages others to do the same. Enjoy, xo!

Best Recipes to Make When You Have Ripe Bananas | Ambitious Kitchen (1)

Pancakes, Waffles & Brunch Treats

Healthy Banana Oatmeal Pancakes (made right in the blender!)

Peanut Butter Strawberry Banana Quesadilla

Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes with Wild Blueberry Maple Syrup

Cottage Cheese Banana Oatmeal Protein Pancakes

Upside-Down Bananas Foster French Toast Bake

Whole Wheat Banana Bread Pancakes with Chocolate Chips

Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Greek Yogurt Waffles (gluten free!)

Almond Butter Blueberry Paleo Waffles

Gluten Free, Protein-Packed Quinoa Flour Banana Pancakes

Oatmeal Blueberry Yogurt Pancakes (gluten free, high protein!)

Banana Chocolate Chip Quinoa Flour Waffles

Whole Wheat Banana Quinoa Pancakes

Sidney’s 4-Ingredient Banana Pancakes

Best Recipes to Make When You Have Ripe Bananas | Ambitious Kitchen (2)

Smoothies

Vitamin C Packed Strawberry Orange Banana Smoothie

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Strawberry Lemonade Smoothie

Sunshine Tropical Turmeric Smoothie

Peanut Butter Blueberry Banana Smoothie

Refreshing Pineapple Kale Smoothie

Chai-Spiced Butternut Squash Smoothie

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Immune Boosting Wellness Smoothie

Knock You Naked Peanut Butter Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Carrot Cake Smoothie

Lemon Blueberry Smoothie

Triple Cherry Berry Watermelon Smoothie

Superfood Mint Cacao Nib Green Smoothie

Coconut Key Lime Pie Smoothie

Layered Banana Split Protein Smoothie

Vegan Almond Butter Banana Oatmeal Smoothie

Wild Blueberry Banana Spinach Power Smoothie

Good Morning Coffee Lover’s Smoothie

Antioxidant Triple Berry Smoothie

Cinnamon Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie

Green Goddess Smoothie

Almond Cherry Smoothie (my favorite smoothie ever!)

Best Recipes to Make When You Have Ripe Bananas | Ambitious Kitchen (3)

Oatmeal

The Most Delicious Breakfast Cookies

Chunky Monkey Banana Baked Oatmeal

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal

Salted Brown Butter Banana Zucchini Baked Oatmeal

Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal Cups

Strawberry Banana Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal

High Protein Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats

Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal with Chia Seeds

Best Recipes to Make When You Have Ripe Bananas | Ambitious Kitchen (4)

Bread

Healthy Chocolate Brownie Banana Bread

Peanut Butter Lover’s Banana Bread

Best Ever Healthy Banana Bread Recipe

Healthier Carrot Cake Banana Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Chickpea Flour Banana Bread (gluten free!)

Healthy Chai Banana Bread with Salted Cashew Butter Vanilla Glaze

Paleo Chocolate Chip Coconut Flour Banana Bread

Nourishing Almond Flour Banana Bread

Healthy Marbled Chocolate Zucchini Banana Bread

Double Chocolate Paleo Banana Bread

Healthy Honey Flax Tahini Banana Bread

Honey Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

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Muffins

Oh So Fluffy Vegan Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Blender Banana Spinach Muffins (kid-friendly!)

Paleo Double Chocolate Tahini Banana Muffins

Skinny Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Honey Cinnamon Walnut Banana Muffins

Blender Double Chocolate Spinach Muffins

Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Muffins (dairy free + gluten free)

Strawberry Kissed Almond Butter Muffins

Chunky Monkey Zucchini Banana Muffins

Skinny Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

Healthy Dairy Free + Gluten Free Banana Muffins

Flax Almond Meal Banana Muffins with Dark Chocolate (gluten free, paleo!)

Power Flax Chocolate Chip Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Healthy Pumpkin Banana Muffins with Macadamia Nut Crunch

Skinny Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Vegan Paleo Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips

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Cakes, Pies & Rolls

Damn Good Peanut Butter Banana Cake (gluten free, grain free)

World’s Best Banana Cream Pie (with peanut butter cookie crust!)

Vegan Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls

Caramel-Walnut Upside-Down Peanut Butter Banana Cake

Vegan Banana Bread Mug Cake

Whole Wheat Brown Butter Banana Bundt Cake with Dark Chocolate

Best Recipes to Make When You Have Ripe Bananas | Ambitious Kitchen (7)

Bars, Bites & Cookies

Chia Banana Bread Energy Bites

Healthy Soft Banana Bread Cookies

2-Ingredient Blueberry Nice Cream

Paleo Zucchini Banana Bread Bars

Nutrition-Rich Omega 3 Blueberry Breakfast Cookies (gluten free + vegan!)

Rainbow Fruit Skewers

Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies (vegan!

Whole Wheat Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2-Ingredient Healthy Banana Bread Breakfast Cookies

I hope you love these delicious, easy ways to use ripe bananas! If you make any of these ripe banana recipes I’d love for you to leave a comment & rating on the recipes – it lets me know how you liked it encourages others to do the same. Enjoy, xo!

This post was originally published on April 10th, 2021, and republished on February 27th, 2022.

Best Recipes to Make When You Have Ripe Bananas | Ambitious Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What to do when you have too many ripe bananas? ›

What to Do with Overripe Bananas
  1. Mash Into Oatmeal. Breakfast is a great time to take advantage of the energy boost that comes from eating the natural sugars in bananas. ...
  2. Blend Into Waffle or Pancake Batter. ...
  3. Make Banana Muffins. ...
  4. Bake Banana Cookies. ...
  5. Add to a Smoothie. ...
  6. Turn Into Ice Cream. ...
  7. Whip Up Beignets.
Mar 12, 2024

Can bananas be too ripe for a recipe? ›

Yes, you can use overripe bananas for baking banana cakes or muffins. In fact, overripe bananas with brown spots are often preferred because they are sweeter and have a stronger banana flavor, which can enhance the taste of your baked goods. Just make sure to mash them well before adding them to your recipe.

How do you use a lot of old bananas? ›

17 Delicious Ways To Use Up Old Bananas
  1. Make banana bread (duh). ...
  2. Or blend a peanut butter-chocolate chip banana milkshake. ...
  3. Whip up healthy instant chocolate pudding with avocado, banana, and peanut butter. ...
  4. Or keep it simple: smoothies! ...
  5. Bake this gorgeous caramel banana cake. ...
  6. Mash a few into banana pancakes.
Jun 11, 2013

Is a banana a day too much sugar? ›

One medium banana (about 126 grams) contains 29 grams of carbs and 112 calories. The carbs are in the form of sugar, starch, and fiber ( 3 ). A medium banana contains about 15 grams of sugar ( 3 ). Bananas do contain simple carbs, which can cause blood sugar levels to rise more than other nutrients.

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