17 Delicious Recipes to Use Up Brown Bananas Everyday Health MenuNewslettersSearch Diet & Nutrition 17 Creative Ways to Cook or Bake With Brown Bananas Need to use up some overripe bananas? Look no further than this list of easy and delicious banana recipes. By Amy Gorin, MS, RDNReviewed: March 20, 2018Fact-CheckedMango Banana Sorbet, Banana Coconut Mini Muffins, and Homemade Peanut Butter Cups are just a few of the scrumptious brown-banana recipes at your disposal.Photos Courtesy of Elizabeth Shaw; Michelle Pederson; Abbey's KitchenWhat to do when the bunch of bananas you bought turns brown? Fortunately, those overripe bananas are super useful in recipes — and some concoctions will turn out even tastier, because brown bananas contain more sugar than their greener counterparts. As a recipe developer myself, I love figuring out new ways to use them. You can find a few of my ideas on my website, like my Mango Banana Almond Overnight Oats and my Matcha Green Tea Energy Muffins! But why exactly do bananas turn brown? Technically, they’re spoiling: The acids in the fruit have softened, and the over-ripe bananas become sweeter and mushier. No matter the color, bananas are full of nutrients, including blood-pressure-helping potassium and satiating fiber. RELATED: 10 High-Fiber Foods to Add to Your Diet Ready to use those brown bananas? Here are a bunch of dietitian-approved recipes to get you started! And if you’re reading this article and only have green or yellow bananas in your kitchen, here’s a trick to get them to brown faster: Place the bananas in a brown paper bag to trap ethylene gas inside the bag and speed along the ripening process. 1 Mix Brown Bananas Into Oatmeal and Add Chocolate Use ripe bananas to sweeten an overnight oats recipe. Or combine them with zucchini, unsweetened cocoa powder, and oats for a delicious oatmeal-based bread. “This Chocolate Zucchini Bread Oatmeal is one of my favorite oatmeal recipes because the sweetness from the ripe banana and the richness from the cocoa allow you to sneak in some veggies,” says Jessica Cording, RD, who is in private practice in New York City. Get the recipe at Jessica Cording Nutrition. 2 Make Banana Muffins With Coconut and Yogurt Combine ripe bananas with banana yogurt and coconut for Banana Coconut Mini Muffins, suggests Devin Alexander, a celebrity chef and the author of The Most Decadent Diet Ever in Manhattan Beach, California. “These muffins curb your craving for sweets without overdoing it,” notes Alexander. Get the recipe from Devin Alexander. 3 Microwave a Cinnamon Roll and Add Banana Who says cinnamon rolls have to be hundreds of calories and take forever to make? This Skinny Cinnamon Roll Mug Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting from Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE, a dietitian in Franklin, New Jersey, and the author of Belly Fat Diet for Dummies, “packs in all the flavor of those cinnamon rolls at the mall with a quarter of the calories,” says Palinski-Wade. “The addition of the banana and dates boosts the fiber and antioxidant content, while reducing the need for added sugar.” Get the recipe from Erin Palinski-Wade. 4 Make Sweet Banana Cookies With Oats and Walnuts For this treat, you’ll swap sugar for bananas. “The ripe bananas add sweetness so you don’t have to use sugar,” explains Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN, who is in private practice in Chicago and is the author of The Superfood Swap. She recommends her easy 3-Ingredient Banana Bread Cookies, which also feature nutrient-rich oats and walnuts.Get the recipe from Dawn Jackson Blatner. 5 Have Bananas for Breakfast in Cookies Photo Courtesy of Marisa MooreOr make a three-ingredient cookie recipe with peanut butter from Marisa Moore, MBA, RDN, who is in private practice in Atlanta. Get the recipe at Marisa Moore Nutrition. 6 Serve Up Some Quick Microwave PB and Banana Cookies Photo Courtesy of the Nutrition TwinsWant a recipe with a little more sweetness? This 5-Ingredient Microwave Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie from Lyssie Lakatos RDN, and Tammy Lakatos Shames, RDN, dietitians in private practice and personal trainers in New York City, features chocolate chips as well as brown bananas. Get the recipe from the Nutrition Twins. 7 Blend Brown Bananas and Sweet Potato Into a Refreshing Smoothie Photo Courtesy of Bonnie Taub-DixFrozen brown bananas are game changers for smoothies because their sweetness erases the need for added sugar and their coldness means you don’t have to use ice. Try this Sweet Potato Smoothie from Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, who’s in private practice in Woodmere, New York, and is the author of Read It Before You Eat It. Bonus: “This recipe is a good source of calcium, derived from the almond milk and Greek yogurt,” Taub-Dix says. And with the sweet potatoes, you get an extra dose of fiber. Freeze your bananas a few hours before you need ‘em: Just peel, slice, and stick in a zip-top freezer bag.Get the recipe from Bonnie Taub-Dix. 8 Bake Mini Banana Cupcakes With Peanut Butter Frosting Puree those brown bananas, then combine them with low-fat plain Greek yogurt, unsweetened cocoa powder, and other ingredients. “Chocolate Banana Mini Cupcakes With Peanut Butter Frosting are a great way to rock through those brown, overripe bananas,” notes Julie Hartigan, a chef in Hoboken, New Jersey. Get the recipe at Cooking W/ Julie. RELATED: 7 Healthy, Protein-Packed Nut Butters 9 Fry Up a Batch of Banana-Nut Pancakes Photo Courtesy of Kaleigh McMordieBrown bananas easily sweeten up a batch of Healthy Banana Nut Pancakes without any need for added sugar.Get the recipe at Lively Table. 10 Make Banana Pancakes With Peanut Butter Ricotta Looking for a recipe with chocolate chips? Opt for Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Pancakes. “The optional peanut butter ricotta topping will boost the protein of your pancakes, making them a great satisfying meal to start the day,” says Mandy Enright, RDN, a food blogger and dietitian in Neptune, New Jersey. Get the recipe at Nutrition Nuptials. 11 Bake Classic Comforting Banana Bread Photo Courtesy of Emily Kyle NutritionThis might just be the most obvious thing to do with overripe bananas! For a nutritious crunch, add walnuts and coconut in this Vegan Coconut Banana Bread With Walnut Streusel. “This banana bread recipe is packed with wholesome ingredients like whole-wheat flour, bananas, and warming spices,” says Emily Kyle, RDN, who is in private practice in Rochester, New York. Get the recipe at Emily Kyle Nutrition. 12 Add Bananas to Homemade Salted Peanut Butter CupsStore-bought PB cups have nothing on these sweet and salty homemade treats courtesy of Abbey Sharp, RD, a culinary nutritionist in Toronto, Ontario. Healthy Homemade Peanut Butter Cups With Banana and Dark Chocolate are naturally sweetened with brown bananas rather than sugar. “You get healthy fats, protein, and fiber from the nut butter and lots of potassium from the bananas — all in a totally decadent treat,” Sharp says.Get the recipe at Abbey’s Kitchen. 13 Whip Up Chocolate Avocado Pudding With Banana Mixing bananas into this creamy Chocolate Avocado Pudding makes for a decadent dessert that’s rich in healthy fat from avocado. Plus, “doing so is a great way to use up ripe avocados, in addition to ripe bananas,” says Andrea Docherty, RD, who is in private practice in Windsor, Ontario. Get the recipe at Andrea Docherty Nutrition. 14 Add Chia and Banana to Pudding for a Filling Breakfast or SnackIf you have chia seeds in your pantry, you can also make this Chunky Monkey Chia Pudding from Rebecca Clyde, RDN, who is in private practice in Salt Lake City. Whether it’s for an energy-boosting bite in the morning or afternoon, this recipe is sure to do the trick. Get the recipe at Nourish. 15 Blend a Nice Cream With Salted Chocolate Chips and BananaFrozen brown bananas make the best base for fruit-based “nice cream.” Consider this no-churn recipe for Salted Chocolate Chip Banana “Ice Cream,” which is vegan-friendly and contains no nuts or gluten. Get the recipe at NUTRitIONALLY. 16 Make Homemade Mango Sorbet With BananasFor a refreshing dessert, blend together just two ingredients — mango and banana — for this simple Mango Banana Sorbet With No Added Sugar. “This no-added-sugar sorbet is a great way to satisfy a sweet tooth without having to leave the house!” says Elizabeth Shaw, RDN, a food blogger who is in private practice in San Diego. Get the recipe at the Shaw Kitchen. RELATED: 5 Tricks for Getting Enough Fruit and Veggies 17 Indulge in Vegan Dairy-Free Homemade Banana Candy Bars“These Mini Nice Cream Snickers Bars are a healthier way to satisfy your sweet tooth and use up overripe bananas,” says Kara Golis, RDN, who is in private practice in Columbus, Ohio. “The vegan treats taste just as indulgent as the store-bought variety but are filled with nutritious and wholesome ingredients like bananas, dates, peanut butter, and dark chocolate!” Get the recipe at Byte Sized Nutrition. NEWSLETTERS Sign up for our Diet and Nutrition Newsletter SubscribeBy subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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