Brown skin, mushy consistency? This is how you can use ripe bananas and make really delicious recipes out of them!
Bananas are one of the most popular fruits in the world. They taste delicious, are easy to digest and contain a lot of healthy ingredients. But people often get carried away by special offers and end up sitting on a whole mountain of bananas with brown peel.
The Karlstad University in Sweden even dedicated a study to the issue of food waste and found that bananas are among the seven most discarded products in the supermarket.
If the fruit does make it home, for many it ends up in the trash after a few days when the skin starts to have brown spots.
But this is really unnecessary and a waste of food. Alone when you consider where the fruit comes from. They are flown in from Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama and travel halfway around the world. And then end up in our garbage. No, that's over now!
Because the tropical fruits are not like apples, where brown spots are a sign of rot. The opposite is true: small, brown spots show that the banana is ripe and has fully developed its sweet aroma.
The longer the banana is stored at room temperature, the browner it becomes. Finally, the peel is dark brown, sometimes black.
Even if you don't like bananas with brown skin anymore, you can make something delicious out of them. Today we show you a few great ideas for overripe fruit.
Table of contents
What is the best way to store bananas?
Bananas should be kept at room temperature, not in the refrigerator, or they will lose flavor. They will keep longer if you wrap the stem end with plastic wrap (or even better, oilcloth). This delays the ripening process. The fruits emit the ripening gas ethylene through their stalk. By doing the trick with the foil, you slow down the ripening process by a few days.
Research has shown that the vitamin content of a banana decreases as it ripens until the peel is completely brown. According to a Japanese study ripe bananas increase the body's production of tumor necrosis factors (TNF), which have an anti-cancer effect.
Bananas, on the other hand, have a high vitamin B6 content and help minimize inflammation in the body. They also strengthen the immune system. Instead of throwing away overripe bananas, make something delicious out of them!
When should you stop eating a banana?
If the banana is completely brown inside and smells rotten, you should not eat it. Do not confuse them with fruits that have a dark brown skin.
In most cases, bananas with black skin are edible, but very sweet. Is the fruit no longer yellow and also has brown spots inside? These are usually caused by pressure marks. If you do not like this, cut out these spots.
Can you freeze ripe bananas?
Yes, you can freeze overripe bananas to make them last longer. It is important that you peel them thoroughly and remove dark spots. Cut the fruit into small pieces if you want to use it for baking or ice cream. Likewise, you can puree them and use them later for a banana milk.
Freezing the fruit is a good way to use ripe bananas at a later date. By the way, you do not need to throw away the peels - they are the optimal fertilizer for many plants.
16 quick recipes to use up ripe bananas
Enough about the theory now let's get into the kitchen. There are many delicious recipes for overripe bananas, which succeed in no time. The riper the fruit, the sweeter the dishes. If you like, you can add a little honey.
Ice cream
Have you ever heard of banana ice cream? You only need one ingredient, and that's ripe bananas. If you want, you can also add Cocoa powder* or blueberries. Brown bananas can be used to make delicious ice cream - also known as nicecream due to its healthy ingredients.
For the treat in the photo you take frozen bananas, blueberries and a sip of coconut milk. All this goes together in the high-powered blender and then it's time for the spoons!
Mega delicious and my absolute favorite refreshment on hot summer days.
Here you will find three delicious Nicecream recipes with instructions!
Banana coffee drink
Fancy a little caffeine kick? Then try drinking this drink in the morning. The jerk out of the banana provides you with quick energy, as soon as this wears off, the coffee keeps you awake. I swear by this drink when the night has been long and I don't feel like a classic breakfast.
Ingredients:
- 1 banana
- 200 ml cold coffee
- 100 ml milk
- 4 tablespoons oatmeal
Preparation:
Put all the ingredients in a blender and puree until you have a uniform drink.
Who would like can still Cocoa powder* and stir in. And if you want to enjoy the drink in the afternoon, you deserve a scoop of ice cream. Vanilla is particularly delicious.
Cake topping
My absolute secret tip for those with a sweet tooth who can't get enough of chocolate is this delicious cream. I like to spread it on no bake cakes.
For this delicious cream you need bananas, cocoa, almond paste and honey. The ingredients are mixed in a food processor until you have a nice liquid consistency. Then you spread the cream on cake and then it goes into the freezer for 30 minutes.
You should definitely try this! You can find the recipe for this banana cream in the post "No Bake Brownies against PMS". Yes, read that right. All the ingredients in these brownies are a magic bullet against PMS!
Smoothies
Every smoothie needs a little sweetness. So why not use the overripe fruit? Just about every smoothie contains bananas as ingredients. For the extra load of sweetness, power and vitamins, even fruits with brown skin are still perfectly suitable.
However, since the fruit is very sweet, half per smoothie is usually enough. The rest you can cut up small for next time and freeze.
Pancakes
Did you know that you only need two ingredients to make delicious pancakes? A banana and an egg? These ingredients are enough when the desire for sweet is great and when it must go fast.
If you like, add another tablespoon grated hazelnuts* or almonds into the recipe to ensure a firmer consistency. The exact Recipe for the pancakes from two ingredients you can find here.
Bananas for baking
Did you know that both bananas and Applesauce a great substitute for eggs are? Whether in the cake, pancake or waffles - they bring a fruity note to the recipe.
One banana replaces about two medium eggs. However, when using bananas, be sure to use less sugar in the original recipe.
Waffles
Or how about delicious waffles again? You can also prepare these without sugar if you use a ripe banana instead. Honey and chocolate chips are particularly good toppings. Doesn't that look delicious?
Mixed with an egg, spelt flour, and milk, you'll quickly turn that spotty banana into a delicious breakfast. Here you come to a quick recipe for Banana wafers without table sugar.
Classic banana milk
Probably the most obvious way to use up ripe bananas is banana milk. All you need are really ripe bananas and (vegetable) milk. I like to use oat milk, because it harmonizes particularly well. Who would like, can still Cocoa powder* or add peanut butter.
If you want to treat yourself, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to the shake. And if you want to feel full for a long time, mix in oatmeal.
Chocolate mousse with avocado
Until now, no recipe for the utilization of overripe bananas could convince you because everything was not chocolaty enough? Then you'll love this mousse! Doesn't the chocolate cream look delicious?
You need avocado, banana for this, Agave syrup*cocoa and almond milk. This recipe is also suitable for vegans and anyone who is lactose intolerant.
Here are the instructions for this mousse!
Porridge
Your porridge is missing that certain something? It's probably a banana. It provides sweetness and makes the porridge even creamier. Simply mash the banana with a fork and boil it together with oat flakes and milk.
What goes particularly well with it are raisins for even more sweetness or nuts. Likewise, fresh berries do quite well in the breakfast porridge.
Banana cookies
In the blink of an eye, brown-skinned fruit transforms into delicious cookies. There are countless recipes for them - from vegan, low carb to cookies with peanut butter and chocolate chips. They are all delicious and very moist thanks to banana.
By the way, these cookies are a great way to let kids (and men) snack healthily - without them even knowing it.
I have two delicious recipes for you, take your pick which one appeals to you more:
Banana puree
If you want to use an overripe banana but eat it later, prepare a fruit puree from it. You can store it in the refrigerator for two days.
Try this recipe
- 200 g apple
- 100 ml water
- One ripe banana
- 1 pinch Cinnamon*
Preparation:
- Wash the apple, core it and cut it open. If you wish, you can peel the apple - but this is not mandatory.
- Bring the apple to a boil in the water. Put the lid on and simmer gently for about 10 minutes.
- Add the banana and the Cinnamon* and puree the ingredients to a paste
- Let the puree boil up again. Done.
Now you can use the puree as a base for muesli or you can fill it into jars and eat it later. If you like, you can also boil down the fruit puree - this takes 30 minutes and makes it keep for over a year. The Preserving basics you should read through in advance.
Banana bread
At the latest since the first Corona Lockdown, really everyone knows banana bread and has tried it. There are countless recipes. From vegan, low carb to classic with flour. What they all have in common is that they get by without household sugar thanks to bananas.
You can also find many different banana breads in our shop. Try these:
- Banana bread with chia and spelt flour
- Quick banana bread with oatmeal and millet
- Low carb banana bread
- Chocolate banana bread with nuts
Bananas grill
If I want to use ripe bananas, then it can also be fancy. Is it the same for you? Then you should unpack the grill. Overripe bananas can be prepared excellently on the grill.
Due to the heat they develop a delicious flavor and are full of aroma.
It's that simple:
- Cut the bananas lengthwise and fold the peel slightly to the side.
- Fry the banana on the hot grill for about 10 minutes - without turning it.
- When the pulp begins to bubble, the dessert is ready
The ripe banana tastes best if you mix it now with a mixture of Cinnamon* and honey.
Banana ice cream on a stick
You'll have even less work if you freeze the bananas whole and then cover them with chocolate. Sounds delicious, doesn't it?
To do this, peel the banana and cut it in half. Skewer them and then put them in the freezer for at least 2 hours. Once they are frozen, melt chocolate in a water bath. Dip the banana in the chocolate bath and sprinkle with nuts, coconut flakes or other toppings.
Banana soup with chili
Have you ever heard of banana soup? Neither have I. But it's at the top of my to-do list. You need bananas, onion, curry, chili, vegetable broth, coconut milk, soy sauce and lemon.
Until I tried it out for myself, I was looking at Tastybits a delicious recipe for the soup found
Check it out, it looks delicious and is certainly worth a try.
Our conclusion
There are so many ways to utilize ripe bananas and save them from the trash. Just because bananas have brown spots doesn't mean you have to throw them away. Try your way through our recipes! It can be so delicious to do something about food waste!
Good luck and enjoy it :)
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