Easy Ripe Banana Recipes {Banana Desserts}

Use those brown bananas in these easy ripe banana recipes. Try them in baked desserts like cake, cupcakes, cookies, bread or no bake recipes like smoothies, puddings, ice cream, snacks.

Before you decide to throw away those ugly brown overripe bananas sitting on your countertop, be sure to browse these banana desserts below. There is definitely something in here to inspire you, beyond just boring old banana bread!

Why use bananas in baking?

• It add a lot of moisture to your baked goods.
• It adds natural sweetness.
• It's a great way to substitute some sugar and even some butter and oil in your recipes to make them lighter and healthier.
• It adds a lovely tropical flavor and aroma.

Are overripe bananas bad for you?

No, they are not bad for you. They are actually naturally sweeter than unripe bananas, which means you have to add less sugar in your recipes.

Is it okay to use overripe bananas?

Absolutely yes! The browner they are, the sweeter and riper they are with such magnificent flavor and aroma.

Can I freeze ripe bananas?

Yes. This is a great way to enjoy them later. Just peel and dice them and store them in the freezer in sealed Ziploc bags to prevent freezer burns.

What to do with lots of ripe bananas?

Use them in cakes, cupcakes, cookies, smoothies/ milkshakes, puddings, ice cream, cheesecake, cookies, bread, muffins, pancakes, waffles, fruit salads, oatmeal, cereal topping and so much more.

Cakes

• Banana Chocolate Chip Cake (Banana Sheet Cake)- Soft, moist and can serve a crowd at parties or picnics.
• Banana Upside Down Cake- Topped with caramel sauce and ripe bananas.

Cookies

• Healthy Breakfast Cookies- Loaded with oats, bananas, peanut butter.
• Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies- These have a wonderful cake-like texture.
• Chocolate Banana Almond Biscotti- Rich, buttery, crispy and crunchy.

Frozen Desserts

• Banana Popsicles- These made a healthy dessert or snack on the go.
• Chocolate Covered Bananas- Bite sized and dipped in melted chocolate.
• Chocolate Banana Ice Cream- Also known as "nice cream" and made with 2 simple ingredients.

Smoothies

• Chocolate Banana Smoothie- Rich, smooth, creamy with a hint of peanut butter flavor. 
• Banana Blueberry Smoothie- Loaded with fruits, yogurt and milk.
• Banana Raspberry Smoothie- Refreshing with a lovely shade of pink.
• Orange Banana Mango Smoothie- One of my favorite tropical smoothies ever.
• Easy Green Kiwi Smoothie- Ready in just 5 minutes.

Pies, Crumbles and Crisps

• Banana Crumble- Loaded with fresh bananas, cinnamon, vanilla and crunchy oat topping.
• Easy Banana Cream Pie- No bake graham cracker crust is filled with fresh bananas, banana pudding, whipped cream, vanilla wafers and caramel sauce.

Breads and Muffins

• Easy Banana Bread (With Cake Mix)-  Flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg. Topped off with melted white chocolate and toasted walnuts.
• Banana Muffins- Soft, moist, packed with cinnamon and topped off with streusel crumb topping.
• Chocolate Banana Bread-  Loaded with chocolate chips and starts off with cake mix. 
• Healthy Double Chocolate Muffins- Low fat muffins that freeze well too.

No Bake Desserts (Salads, Toppings, Fillings, Puddings)

• Orange Fruit Salad- Packed with oranges, bananas, strawberries and yogurt. 
• Easy Caramelized Bananas-  Great on ice cream, pancakes, waffles.
• Easy Banana Pudding- Full of mashed bananas, milk, butter, eggs, vanilla wafers.

My Favorite Banana Dessert Recipe- Chocolate Peanut Butter Saltine Cracker Candy

These saltine cracker candy bark is one of my favorite ways to use up ripe bananas. It's loaded with saltine crackers, semisweet chocolate and a delicious banana peanut butter spread and sprinkles, of course. I prefer this so much more than the classic Christmas crack candy or Saltine toffee plus it's so much easier to bake and requires no baking! By the way, the peanut butter banana spread that you will make in this recipe can be used in so many other treats like sandwiches or hot cocoa or as a topping on ice cream, waffles, crepes, pancakes, cakes, cupcakes.

A few variations and tips

• Use other nut butters- Such as almond butter, cookie butter (Biscoff), sunflower seed butter, cashew butter.
• Use ripe banana for spread- Because it has a lot of natural sweetness.
• Banana should be mashed super smooth- Use a blender or food processor, if necessary. This is important because it allows the spread to be silky smooth without any chunks.
• What chocolate to use? This is entirely up to you. I recommend semisweet chocolate because it's not too sweet and balances the other flavors of this treat very well. You can even use white chocolate! In terms of brands, use Nestle or Ghiradelli.
• Chill- Let the bark set until chocolate is fully set because this makes it easier to break it into smaller pieces. The swirls will not become 100% firm and that's normal.
• Line pan with wax paper or parchment paper- Because this prevents the candy from sticking to the pan and it also makes removal easy.
• Other topping options- Instead of sprinkles, you can toss chopped nuts, shredded coconut, chopped candy bars or mini chocolate chips.
• Don't use all the spread- Use only a few spoonfuls on top to create swirls. This recipe makes a decent amount of that special spread. Don't use the whole amount. It's simply too much!

Storage

• Room temperature- In a sealed container for 2-3 days.
• Refrigerate- In a sealed container for 5 days. 
• Freeze- This is not recommended since the crackers can become soggy upon thawing. Also, the sprinkles start melting and discoloring from all the moisture.

More Dessert Recipe Collections

• Pink Desserts (Valentine's Day Desserts)
• Green Desserts (St.Patrick's Day Desserts)
• Christmas Food Ideas (For Kids)
• Best Christmas Cookies
• Easy Rainbow Desserts
• Father's Day Ideas
• Halloween Desserts

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