13 Tasty Ways To Use Overripe Bananas

No matter how quickly you eat them, it often feels like bananas go from perfectly yellow to bruised and brown in the blink of an eye. It's easy to favor them in their attractive, yellow state (and it's true — this may be when they're best eaten plain), but this is really just the beginning of their journey. Brown and mushy, overripe bananas may be their most delicious state, and have potential for use in countless yummy recipes.

There is science behind why bananas get more delicious as they ripen. Bananas don't just get softer over time, they also grow sweeter. The drastic changes that occur in bananas as they transition from green, to yellow, to brown are due to various chemical changes in the fruit. The change into a soft and sweet ingredient is due to pectin, a starch, as it is broken down into sugars by two enzymes: amylase and pectinase. This chemical process turns overripe bananas into the perfect ingredient for many recipes, from baked goods to frozen treats. We explored 13 delicious ways to use your overripe bananas so that no banana gets wasted the next time you have a bunch that gets ripe too fast.

Banana bread might just be the crown jewel of overripe banana recipes, and for good reason. Moist, sweet, and delicious, it's a beloved classic that depends entirely on bananas that have gone a little past their prime. Banana bread needs to be made with overripe bananas. In fact, if you've ever felt like your banana bread didn't live up to par, you may have made the common banana bread mistake of not letting your bananas ripen far enough. The best banana bread starts with bananas that are very soft and maybe even fully browned. At that stage, the bananas are not only easier to mash into a smooth purée, but also concentrated with moisture, which helps give the bread its signature texture and flavor.

As the super ripe bananas bake in the oven, they begin to caramelize adding an extra depth of flavor. These surprise notes of honey, rum, and vanilla are harder to achieve unless the natural sugars of the banana have already been released through ripening. The result is a sweet, moist, and deliciously complex loaf. It's a classic for a reason!

Because of their intense sweetness, people may tend to gravitate towards using bananas in dessert form. When you're tired of too much sweetness and want to balance things out instead, consider making a banana curry. Bananas are prevalent in South India and are relatively prominent in a variety of dishes. One of these dishes is a dry banana curry, which combines bananas with a variety of spices and fresh herbs. While traditionally made with green bananas or plantains, it has been adapted more recently in a more sweet-and-savory version.

Bananas and curry might sound like an unlikely combination, but it turns out the balance of opposite flavor profiles works pretty well. The trick to making a banana curry is choosing fruit that are very ripe and sweet, but still firm enough that they hold their shape. When mixed together with these savory flavors and served alongside naan or rice, this banana dinner might just be a hit at your next dinner party.

If you're still skeptical about using bananas in savory cooking, know that this tradition goes back a long time. In fact, back in the days of the Titanic, bananas appeared on the first-class menu as part of the iconic dish Chicken à la Maryland. Though bananas might seem like an unlikely ingredient for such an elegant setting, they were once considered a luxury item. At the time, Maryland was a major importer of bananas, and the dish's name reflects that connection.

There are many variations of Chicken à la Maryland, but in its essence, it is a breaded and fried chicken cutlet, served with a creamy béchamel gravy sauce. Sounds pretty standard, until you add the magical secret to this dish: super sweet, ripened bananas. Sliced and then sautéed in butter so that these natural sugars can even caramelize slightly, these bananas bring a wonderful sweetness to the dish that cuts the richness of the bechamel, and a soft texture that contrasts with the crispiness of the fried chicken. It's a pairing that is both surprising and delightful: living proof that bananas can go far beyond breakfast or dessert.

Lumpia are a traditional Filipino spring roll that can be filled with a wide array of ingredients. This dessert variety is a delicious way to utilize the extra sweetness of overripe bananas. Banana lumpia are traditionally made with apple bananas, which are a sweeter variety that grow without the familiar curve of the bananas commonly found in the United States. Because we don't have access to this super sweet banana variety, using the sweetest (aka ripest) bananas we can find, is essential.

To make banana lumpia, begin by cutting your super ripe bananas into straight pieces to mimic the traditional apple banana shape. This will allow you to more easily wrap them in the lumpia sheets. Next, roll the banana pieces in brown sugar to allow for even more caramelization and set them aside. When all of your bananas are prepped and ready to roll, wrap them in the lumpia wrapper and seal the edges with water. Then deep fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes, flipping halfway. Serve these hot alongside a caramel dipping sauce and enjoy!

It would be wrong to not include banana pancakes in an overripe banana use roundup. An easy but fun way to easily upgrade your classic pancake, banana pancakes just make your brunch spread a little more elevated and playful. As they do in all banana baked goods, overripe bananas add a natural sweetness and extra moisture to your cake, and can bring a fun texture as well.

The great thing about using bananas in pancakes is that they can be used in all their forms of over-ripeness. If overripe but still somewhat solid, slice them up and dot them in the pancake as you're frying them, or if it's a dire — almost rotten situation, just mash them up and add them directly to the batter as you're mixing it up. Whether or not bananas on top as a garnish can still be considered "banana pancakes" is still up in the air, but that is also always an option.

If you're active on TikTok, you may have heard of something called banana coffee. Before reacting with confusion, know that banana coffee is more of a smoothie than a coffee drink. Banana coffee is a simple drink made with only two ingredients: frozen bananas and cold coffee. Blended together, though, these two ingredients really make for the perfect pair. The sweetness of the banana balances the bitterness of the coffee, and the creamy texture of a frozen banana transforms the drink into a sort of shake, without any added dairy or sugar.

Because coffee is so bitter, the sweeter the banana, the better. This makes it a very practical way to use your overripe bananas, too. Overripe bananas can get to the point of rotten if you're not careful, and sometimes you need a backup plan. This is where freezing them comes in clutch. When you see your banana overripening, get it to the point you like and then throw it in the freezer to stop the process. Soon you'll have a collection of frozen bananas perfect for all your banana coffee needs.

So, your accumulated mass of frozen bananas has surpassed your need for banana coffee? Not to worry, because banana ice cream offers another delicious option to use them up. Also viral on TikTok, banana ice cream or "nice cream" as it has been termed, is a very simple, yet delicious sweet treat. The only ingredient in banana ice cream is, well, bananas. To make banana ice cream, first freeze your bananas completely. Then, simply blend them in a high power blender until completely smooth and creamy, and voilà!

Using overripe bananas for this recipe is essential. If your bananas are not ripe enough, your ice cream will not achieve the ideal sweetness or creamy texture. While delicious on its own, you can also customize banana ice cream however you'd like. The banana is a subtle enough flavor that combined with other things, it doesn't feel too overpowering. Consider adding chocolate chips, strawberries, or matcha powder for a healthy and delicious frozen treat.

Few American desserts are as nostalgic and beloved as banana cream pie. A true classic, this pie is all about layers. On the bottom is a buttery crust that has been blind baked. Next, a layer of sliced bananas is laid out and covered with a delicious custard. The pie is then chilled until ready to serve, when it is topped with whipped cream and another layer of freshly spiced bananas. So creamy and delicious!

Surprisingly, because there is no banana in the actual custard, banana cream pie is actually less banana-y than you might imagine. This means it is essential to use super-ripe bananas to enhance the banana flavor. Their sweetness and intensity bring the signature banana flavor forward, while their soft texture allows them to blend seamlessly into each bite. When done right, banana cream pie isn't just creamy and comforting, it's a celebration of the banana at its ripest and richest state.

You've probably had a pineapple upside-down cake before, but have you tried the banana adaptation? Evoking a different kind of tropical flavor than its pineapple counterpart, this cake is deeply moist with a toasty, buttery caramelized banana topping. To make this cake there are a couple of components: the caramel top (technically a bottom, but turned upside-down), delicious slices of overripe banana that become deeply caramelized while baking, and a moist vanilla cake that pairs well with the natural notes brought out in the caramelized banana.

This recipe is perfect for using up your overripe bananas because they have the deepest banana flavor and the perfect amount of sugar to bring extra caramelization to the brown top. While they should still somewhat hold their shape to evoke that classic upside-down cake top, truly the riper the banana, the better. Served warm or chilled, this cake is a comforting, crowd-pleasing dessert that puts your forgotten bananas to delicious use.

If you're looking for a more innovative banana-based dessert, consider making a banana cheesecake. This decadent treat passes on first glance for a regular cheesecake, but is rich with banana flavor. Having extremely overripe bananas is essential for this recipe, mostly for the texture. Before adding the bananas to the cheesecake mixture, they should be mashed into a very smooth purée so the cheesecake remains smooth, and you don't have random banana chunks floating around. While moist and delicious, bananas also introduce some added liquid, so gelatin should be added to add some more robustness to the cake to compensate. The overripe bananas also obviously add a delicious added sweetness, though, and extra banana-y flavor.

There are so many options available to modify this cheesecake. Consider a caramel topping to give it more of a banana foster vibe, or serve it with whipped cream and bananas on top to evoke a sort of banana cream pie.

Looking to make your overripe bananas a little bit boozy? Bring a beach party to your kitchen and consider trying them in a banana daiquiri. This cocktail is a creamy, blended, rum-based drink with coconut, banana, and cinnamon flavors. Deliciously indulgent, overripe bananas give an especially luxurious texture and sweetness to this fun drink.

For an elevated version with a deeper flavor that highlights the overripe banana's inherent sweetness, consider additionally brûléeing the bananas. To make this version, simply sprinkle your bananas with sugar and brûlée them with a blow torch or under the broiler until deeply caramelized. The bananas should now have a toasty sweetness that adds a complexity to the normal banana daiquiri flavor. Then, add them to your blender as normal and blend until smooth and creamy. Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon or a toasted coconut rim for a drink that feels like an instant vacation.

One of the best things about an overripe banana is the deep, almost caramel-like flavor it develops as its natural sugars intensify. That rich sweetness is strikingly similar to the crackly top of a classic crème brûlée, making the two a surprisingly perfect pairing. To elevate your traditional crème brûlée, try adding brûléed banana slices. Simply slice an overripe banana, sprinkle the pieces with sugar, and caramelize them with a kitchen torch or under the broiler until golden and bubbling.

If you want to take it even further, consider a Bananas Foster-inspired variation. In this decadent take, banana slices are sautéed in butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then finished with a splash of rum for a rich, boozy caramel sauce. Spoon the warm banana mixture over each serving of crème brûlée just before serving for a luxurious dessert that blends two classics into one unforgettable bite. Whether choosing the simple or extravagant route, overripe bananas have the potential to add a bold new dimension to this classic, French favorite.

If all else fails and you're just looking for a quick and simple way to get rid of an overripe banana, just throw it into a smoothie. When blended up into a delicious drink, any brown spots will be forgotten and you'll be left reaping the benefits of the overripe banana's sweet and creamy texture. The cheat code for a more flavorful smoothie is to use frozen fruit, which creates that cold, creamy texture without the dilution that comes from using ice.

Overripe bananas are perfect for freezing and saving for future smoothies or for other frozen banana treats. The best way to freeze bananas is when they're fully ripe, so you can capture their peak flavor. Just be sure to peel and slice them into chunks before freezing; this small step makes them much easier to blend when you're ready to use them. With a stash of frozen banana pieces on hand, you're always just a few minutes away from a delicious and nutrient-packed treat.