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}

Quick and easy chocolate chip cake recipe that’s packed with ripe bananas and chocolate chips. This banana sheet cake is soft, moist and can serve a crowd at parties or picnics.

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Banana Upside Down Cake

Quick, easy caramelized banana upside down cake recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Starts off with yellow cake mix. Topped with caramel sauce and ripe bananas.

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Banana Cake Roll

Use those over ripe bananas to make this delicious and easy banana cake roll filled with strawberry jam and topped off with buttercream icing beads!

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Cookies

Healthy Breakfast Cookies

The best, quick, easy, healthy breakfast cookies recipe, homemade with 3 simple ingredients. Loaded with oats, bananas, peanut butter. Soft and chewy! 

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Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Easy banana chocolate chip cookies recipe, requiring simple ingredients, ripe bananas and lots of chocolate. They are soft, moist with a cake like texture. 

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Chocolate Banana Almond Biscotti

Easy chocolate banana almond biscotti recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Great way to use up ripe bananas. Rich, buttery, crispy and crunchy!

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Frozen Desserts

Banana Popsicles

Quick and easy banana popsicles recipe, requiring 2 simple ingredients! These homemade popsicles are a healthy snack or dessert with many flavor options. 

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Chocolate Covered Bananas

Quick, easy frozen chocolate covered bananas, homemade with simple ingredients. Bite sized fresh bananas are dipped in melted chocolate for a healthy snack.

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Chocolate Banana Ice Cream

Quick and easy chocolate banana ice cream recipe, made with 2 ingredients with many flavor options. This healthy chocolate ice cream is vegan and paleo.

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Smoothies

Chocolate Banana Smoothie

Healthy, quick and easy chocolate banana smoothie recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Rich, smooth, creamy with a hint of peanut butter flavor. 

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Banana Blueberry Smoothie

Quick and easy banana blueberry smoothie recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Healthy, refreshing, rich, creamy, loaded with fruits, yogurt and milk.

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Banana Raspberry Smoothie

The best, thick, quick and easy raspberry smoothie recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Healthy breakfast on the go, packed with oatmeal, Greek yogurt, milk, fruits.

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Orange Banana Mango Smoothie

Quick and easy orange banana mango smoothie recipe that’s perfect for breakfast or post-workout snack! This tropical smoothie is healthy, creamy, delicious.

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Easy Green Kiwi Smoothie

Quick and easy kiwi smoothie recipe, homemade with simple ingredients in 5 minutes. This green smoothie is loaded with kiwis, bananas and spinach.

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Pies, Crumbles and Crisps

Banana Crumble

Quick and easy banana crumble recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. This banana crisp is loaded with fresh bananas, cinnamon, vanilla and crunchy oat topping.

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Easy Banana Cream Pie

Easy banana cream pie recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. No bake graham cracker crust is filled with fresh bananas, banana pudding, whipped cream, vanilla wafers and caramel sauce.

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Breads and Muffins

Easy Banana Bread (With Cake Mix)

Easy banana bread recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Starts off with yellow cake mix and flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg. Topped off with melted white chocolate and toasted walnuts.

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Soft and Moist Banana Muffins

Best, quick and easy banana muffins recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Soft, moist, packed with cinnamon and topped off with streusel crumb topping. 

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Easy Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe

Quick and easy chocolate banana bread recipe, made with simple ingredients. Soft, moist, loaded with chocolate chips and starts off with cake mix. 

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Healthy Double Chocolate Muffins

Quick and easy healthy double chocolate muffins recipe, made with simple ingredients. These low fat chocolate muffins are soft, moist and freeze well too!

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No Bake Desserts (Salads, Toppings, Fillings)

Orange Fruit Salad

Quick and easy orange fruit salad that makes a healthy dessert or snack. This healthy fruit salad is packed with oranges, bananas, strawberries and yogurt. 

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Easy Caramelized Bananas

Quick and easy pan fried caramelized bananas recipe, homemade with simple ingredients in 15 minutes. Flavored with cinnamon, vanilla. Great on ice cream, pancakes, waffles.

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Easy Banana Pudding

The best, thick, creamy, old fashioned, easy banana pudding recipe from scratch, homemade with simple ingredients. Full of mashed bananas, milk, butter, eggs, vanilla wafers.

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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!

Ingredients

• 16-20 Saltine crackers
• 3 cups Chocolate chips, Semisweet, Melted
• 1/2 cup Peanut butter, Smooth, Warmed in microwave
• 1 Banana, Ripe, Mashed until very smooth
• 1 tbsp Sprinkles

Instructions 

1. Line a square pan (Dimensions: 8×8 or 9×9) with wax paper or parchment paper.
2. Arrange saltine crackers evenly.
3. Pour melted chocolate on top and spread it evenly with a spatula.
4. Mix together warm peanut butter and mashed bananas in a mixing bowl.
5. Add a few spoonfuls of this peanut butter banana spread on top of the chocolate (you don’t have to use all of it. Enjoy leftovers in peanut butter and jelly sandwiches).
6. Use a clean toothpick or chopstick to swirl it around into a beautiful pattern.
7. Toss some sprinkles on top.
8. Chill in fridge for 20-30 minutes or until the chocolate sets and peanut butter swirls on top become slightly firmer.
9. Flip the pan onto a table and remove the wax paper and break the candy bark into smaller pieces. Enjoy!

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.

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