the ultimate guide to baking with bananas

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I’m on a mission to banish brown bananas from fruit bowls across the country, so I’ve compiled the ultimate guide to baking with bananas.

Don’t have ripe bananas but craving banana bread?
No worries – you can easily ripen bananas quickly using the oven. If your bananas are yellow but too firm for baking, line an oven tray with baking paper then place individual bananas on the tray. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 150ºC (300ºF). Allow the bananas to cool, then peel/squeeze them out of their skins!

My banana choc chip cake is one of my readers’ favourite recipes. One reader once emailed me to say that they have to make a double batch because one disappears while it’s still cooling (so she needs to make a second so there’s some left for lunch boxes!)

You can make my blender banana bread in a garden-variety mixer or a thermomix! I love to toast a slice, smear it with butter and scoff it!

Banana Black Sesame Vegan Scones w/ Sweet Tahini Glaze by Veggie Inspired are a perfect offering for your herbivore friends.

If you’re after something sweet but still want to fit into your jeans, try this Quinoa Banana Bread by Kathy at Beyond the Chicken Coop.

Kylie from Kidgredients is the queen of the lunchbox! You can slice and freeze her Best Ever Banana Bread then pop them into lunchboxes as you need them.

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins look delicious, thanks to Monica of Older Mommy Still Yummy.

How gorgeous is this Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread by Sarah’s Cucina Bella?

A new take on an old favourite: Banana Beet Nut Bread by Shashi at Savory Spin.

Kids will love these Kumara Banana Muffins from My Kids Lick The Bowl. I bet they never even notice the sweet potato!

Stacey from My Kids Lick The Bowl is always coming up with new ways to get extra nutrition into small people – check out her Chickpea Banana and Chocolate Slice.

Ricotta and bananas are a match made in heave. Try these Chocolate Chip Ricotta Banana Bread Muffins by Kellie of the Suburban Soapbox.

I know many of my readers are coeliac, so a banana baking list wouldn’t be complete without a gluten-free option. Try these Gluten-Free Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins by Michelle from My Gluten Free Kitchen.

Kaitie from Fuschia Freezer thinks eating healthy should mean eating boring and I couldn’t agree with her more! Check out her Cranberry Almond Banana Muffins.

Life After Wheat by Celeste Noland is another great resource for celiacs: Browned Butter Banana Bread with Maple Glaze.

These Banana Nut Baked Oatmeal Muffins by Maryea of Happy Healthy Mama could double as breakfast on the go.

Low Carb Banana Bread by Lisa of Low Carb Yum is also gluten free!

If there’s one thing better than chocolate, it’s triple chocolate: Triple Chocolate Banana Bread by Gina of Kleinworth and Co.

Emilyl of Half-Scratched dusts her baking trays in cinnamon sugar, so her Sour Cream Banana Bread has a clever and delicious crust.

Banana Nut Butter Blondies by Raia’s Recipe: who wouldn’t want one?

Ann at Our Happy Mess toasts the pecans in her Banana Pecan Muffins to maximise their flavour.

I’ve never met a cream cheese icing I didn’t like, so this Chocolate Chunks & Cream Cheese Banana Bread by Judy of Pie Lady Bakes is on my must-try list.

This Paleo Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread by Lauren of Healthy Delicious is so soft you’d never guess its gluten and dairy free!

So there you have it friends – my ultimate guide to baking with bananas. My final tip for using ripe bananas and eliminating waste is if you find yourself with ripe bananas in the fruit bowl, but not time to bake: peel and freeze them. When they’re defrosted they’re ready for your next banana baking mission!