Never Waste Another Banana

It happens to the best of us. We optimistically buy a bunch of bananas and, despite our best efforts, we end up with leftovers. Sure, you could eat them on their own or slice them up and toss them in your morning cereal, but why not try something new?

Freeze

Bananas make a perfect base for smoothies or nice cream. They add natural sweetness and make for a smooth texture. Slice the bananas, place them in a reusable bag, and toss them in the freezer. The next time you want to make a frozen treat, they’ll be ready to go.

Bake

Sadly, bananas are one of the most wasted fruits. This is partly due to the misconception that dark brown, soft bananas are inedible. As a banana ripens, its starch content decreases while its sugar content increases. This means that if you’re throwing out those brown bananas, you’re throwing out sweet, caramelly goodness! Brown bananas are the key to taking baked goods from humdrum to heavenly.

Why not whip up a quick batch of banana muffins? You probably already have all the ingredients you’ll need in your pantry.

Mash

Mashing soft bananas into your morning oatmeal or quinoa is an easy way to add natural sweetness and nutrients to your breakfast. Add a splash of milk, a sprinkle of cinnamon and some slivered almonds to really spice it up.

Dip

A recipe really doesn’t get any easier than chocolate covered bananas. Just dip a peeled banana in chocolate and lay it on a wax paper covered tray. You can also customize it however you like. Have some leftover shredded coconut? Sprinkle that on before the chocolate hardens. Want to use white chocolate? Go for it!

Caramelize

Despite being simple to make, caramelized bananas look and taste decadent. This bananas foster inspired topping is great on waffles, pancakes, crêpes, French toast, oatmeal, or ice cream.

Bananas Foster Topping Recipe

One Serving

Ingredients:

1 sliced banana

1 tbsp butter

2 tsp brown sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1. Melt the butter over low heat in a small pan.
2. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon.
3. Add sliced bananas facedown when the sauce is bubbly and the slices appear halfway softened, flip the slices.
4. Let cook until tender.

The next time you find yourself with a few extra bananas, give one of these methods a try. You might just discover a new favorite! 

Guest Writer
Erin Fay