8 Ways to Use Bananas

Freezing bananas is simple and efficient. I usually peel the bananas, and line them up in a gallon size freezer bag, but you can also cut them into 1 inch chunks, to make it easier to use them in smoothies. I prefer the whole banana method because its easier to take out 1-2 bananas when I'm making my banana bread recipes.

Here are some recipes that you can enjoy using frozen bananas in:

- banana bread
- smoothies
- banana milkshakes
- banana ice cream
- cornbread (did you know you can replace an egg with 1 banana?)
- bananas foster (serve over vanilla ice cream)

Really, I think you can use frozen bananas in place of fresh ones for almost any recipe that you would cook or bake with.

TIP >> I make sure to line my bananas up flat and carefully, so the bags can be easily stacked in the freezer for long-term storage.

There are so many banana bread recipes you can make, just do a quick search on Pinterest or look in your favorite cookbook, but this one is our favorite. We originally found it in the Mennonite Country-Style Recipes cookbook, and adapted it to add some crushed pineapple. We were pleasantly surprised with the moist results!

My mom made these for us every summer as a special treat. So simple too!! I think she bought a little packet mix usually found in the grocery store at the bananas, but the process is actually quite simple.

1. Cut the bananas in half.
2. Slide a popsicle stick in the bottom, where you cut the banana.
3. Freeze the bananas on a tray.
4. Melt some chocolate chips.
5. Dip the frozen bananas in the chocolate.
6. Freeze again.

Yum! A healthy and refreshing treat on a hot summer day!

You can roll them in chopped nuts too, like in this recipe.

I love this recipe that a reader shared with me. It actually reminded me of a recipe my sister-in-law once gave me, but hers included some coconut flour. Experiment! See what works for you!

- 2 eggs
- 1 banana
- 1 tsp cinnamon

Oh my goodness, bananas foster is a must-make. I just made it recently for the first time, in fact I think it was over the pandemic for something fun, but it was SOOOOO worth it. I wish I would have done this years ago. Absolutely amazing!!

I would have never thought of this idea on my own, until a reader shared it with me. She said she has spa nights with her daughter, and they do banana face masks! Its such a simple recipe that I think we're going to try this on our next mother-daughter night.

- 1 banana
- 2 Tbsp honey

I found this blog post that gives you some other simple recipes for face masks with banana, including some that are specifically designed to help wrinkles and acne. Who knew!!!

When I asked on Instagram Stories for ideas on what to do with my plethora of bananas, the most common answer by far was banana ice cream!! Probably because its so simple and delicious.

You can blend a banana, peanut butter, and milk, and then add a few chocolate chips and you're good to go! Last time we tried it, we added some fresh mint leaves from our garden, then we tried some basil leaves too. So much fun!

The blog post linked here was shared with me by a reader, and I love how creative the options are. We'll certainly be trying a few of these as we continue to use up our frozen bananas.