We’ve all been there. You stumble into the kitchen for a quick snack, only to discover that the bananas on the kitchen counter are now overripe. Instead of wasting them, here are three easy overripe banana recipes to try out that will make better use of your bananas than the trash can will.
Fruit Jam Oatmeal Squares
My roommate found this recipe off of a TikTok video and it was extremely quick and easy to make. It's also pretty healthy, and depending on the type of butter you use, it can become vegan-friendly. The ingredients and steps are laid out clearly in the video, but for quick reference, here are the ingredients you'll need:
Oatmeal Base:
- 1 overripe banana
- 1/2 cup of oats
- 2 tablespoons of vegan butter/regular butter
- Cinnamon
Fruit Jam Filling:
- 1 cup of frozen fruit (we tried it with strawberries, but it also works with other fruit such as raspberries and blueberries)
- 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
As shown in the image above, they turned out pretty well. Since we used actual fruit instead of pre-made jam, the filling was just the right amount of tart and sweet. My roommate and I were pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to make these and how great they tasted. These would be a great post-class or post-workout snack, and we also saved some for breakfast the next day.
Banana Bread
It's 2021, but some of us still haven't hopped off the banana bread train. Quarantine baking took the internet by storm last year, and there are plenty of banana bread recipes online. Banana bread is a great way to use up your overripe bananas, especially if you have an entire bunch of them. It's easy, nutritious, and delicious. What more could you want?
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My roommate is vegan, so we used recipes by The Simple Veganista and by The Baking Fairy. Plain banana bread is already great as it is, but to spice it up, you can always add in extras, such as chocolate chips, nuts, or sprinkle powdered sugar on top to give your banana bread some extra flavor. Preparation and making the batter took us approximately 10-15 minutes, and we baked it for an hour, with the first 45 minutes leaving the bread uncovered, and the last 15 minutes covering the top with foil.
Banana Pancakes
The last recipe we tried out to get rid of the last of our overripe bananas was for banana pancakes. This recipe was incredibly easy and only requires two ingredients: bananas and eggs. Unfortunately, the recipe we used was not vegan, but A Virtual Vegan provides a great alternative recipe for vegans that also looks quick and easy.
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Like the banana bread, banana pancakes can also be dressed up and decorated with add-ons like syrup or honey, chocolate chips, coconut chips, and other fruit.
Hopefully these recipes and ideas have inspired you to make something tasty out of your old bananas. As long as the bananas aren't completely rotten, you have an opportunity to make something tasty with them, so try it out!