There's no need to throw away your overripe bananas. Use them to make these easy, healthy, and delicious vegan banana recipes.
Extremely ripe bananas are a gift from the culinary gods. Yet, most of us toss them in the trash because they just don’t look good. But, this is when “what really matters is what’s on the inside” rings true.
What Can I Make With Overripe Bananas?
In short, tons! Bananas are essential to healthy oil-free plant-based baking. They give you the ability to make some amazing vegan treats the whole family will love. They are a great replacement for eggs and oil in dairy-free baking.
Muffins, cookies, cakes, smoothies, and even ice cream are just a few examples of easy desserts you can make. Ripe and overripe bananas are much softer and sweeter. So, they add a natural sweetness and depth of flavor to your recipes.
How Do I Replace Oil, Eggs, and Butter With Bananas
Bananas are great for creating healthy dairy-free and oil-free recipes. So, to say they are vital to healthy plant-based and vegan cooking is an understatement.
Here’s how you do it:
- Oil: substitute ¾ cup of mashed banana for 1 cup of oil in baked goods such as muffins, cakes, and bread.
- Eggs: one ripe banana per egg.
- Butter: equal amounts of banana per amount of butter.
Keep in mind the banana will flavor whatever you’re baking, so make sure they complement the other ingredients. Remember, the riper the banana the sweeter and more intense the flavor.
Can I Freeze Overripe Bananas?
Yes! Storing your bananas in the freezer is a great way to preserve them until they’re ready to be used. And, there are several ways you can store them.
The easiest way is to peel the bananas, place them in a freezer-safe bag, and store them in the freezer. When you’re ready to bake simply remove the bananas from the freezer and let them thaw naturally.
If you like smoothies or enjoy bananas as a snack with a little peanut butter then sliced bananas are great. Simply slice, toss into a bag, and freeze.
We bake a lot in our house so I will usually go ahead and mash the bananas and freeze them. I usually freeze 1 cup (3 medium-sized bananas) per bag. I usually let them thaw 24 hours before I’m ready to bake.
What You’ll Need For Healthy Ripe Banana Recipes
When making wholesome plant-based recipes with bananas you need simple wholesome ingredients. Here are a few staples to keep on hand for making healthy recipes:
- Flour: whole wheat flour, gluten-free baking flour, almond flour, oat flour, and organic unbleached all-purpose flour.
- Sweetener: maple syrup, brown sugar, date sugar, organic cane sugar, and date syrup
- Leavening: baking soda and baking powder
- Extras: vanilla extract, nuts, nutmeg, and cinnamon are flavor additions that complement banana recipes very well. Ground flaxseed makes a great egg replacer when you need a little extra binding. It’s also a great source of healthy fats as well.
A few things you’ll also want to have to facilitate baking:
- mixing bowls (mainly a large mixing bowl)
- parchment paper
- nonstick loaf pan
- always have a toothpick on hand for testing to see if recipes have cooked
- plastic wrap
Alright, let’s get to the recipes! Ready? Let’s do this.
10 Vegan Banana Recipes For Ripe and Overripe Bananas
Are you ready? Here are 10 banana recipes using ripe and overripe bananas that are oil-free and perfect for a healthy plant-based and vegan diet.
Vegan Chocolate Banana Brownies
These healthy vegan banana brownies are refined sugar-free, rich, fudgy, and oil-free! An easy low-calorie treat that's moist and full of decadent chocolate flavor. Put your overripe bananas to good use with this easy dessert, and add chocolate chips for puddles of melted chocolate in every bite!
GET RECIPE: Vegan Chocolate Banana Brownies
Healthy Vegan Banana Bread Recipe
This vegan banana bread recipe is moist and delicious. Made with whole wheat flour and oil-free, it’s healthy, flavorful, and so easy to make. The perfect recipe for weekend brunch, afternoon snack, or dessert. Toss in some pecans or walnuts to make this delicious bread even better.
GET THE RECIPE: The Best Vegan Banana Bread
Chocolate Banana Cake (Vegan, Oil-Free)
This Chocolate Banana Cake from Faithful Plateful is full of fiber and primarily sweetened with bananas. A whole-food plant-based cake that’s much healthier than other vegan recipes, chocolatey, and delicious!
GET THE RECIPE: Banana Chocolate Cake
Blender Banana Pancakes
Healthy Blender Banana Pancakes are delicious and so easy to make! No flour, no eggs, and no dairy. Wholesome ingredients blended perfectly to make an incredible breakfast.
GET THE RECIPE: Blender Banana Pancakes
Apple Banana Oat Muffins
If you’ve got a bunch of bananas just laying around these vegan apple banana oat muffins are perfect. They are moist and so easy to make using only simple wholesome ingredients. Great as a snack or breakfast! Gluten-free and refined sugar-free.
GET THE RECIPE: Apple Banana Oat Muffins
3-Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Healthy Banana Oatmeal Cookies are so easy to make and require just 3 simple ingredients. Vegan and easily made gluten-free, these cookies are perfect for breakfast, dessert, or a snack.
GET THE RECIPE: Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
This Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins recipe is moist, delicious, and so easy to make. Made with 9 ingredients and ready in less than 30 minutes, this recipe is sure to be a family favorite. Perfect for a quick healthy breakfast or dessert!
GET THE RECIPE: Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Peanut Butter Banana Popsicles
Caitlyn at From My Bowl created this recipe and it is one of my absolute faves! These Peanut Butter Banana Popsicles are a sweet & refreshing treat! Made with only 4 healthy ingredients, they'll keep you cool without weighing you down.
GET THE RECIPE: Peanut Butter Banana Popsicles
Vanilla Nice Cream with Real Vanilla
Frozen bananas are the secret to the creamy texture of this nice cream, which is fabulous with warm cobblers and pies or as a refreshing treat on its own. For the sweetest results, be sure to freeze bananas when they're very ripe. It tastes so much like real ice cream no one will ever know it’s healthy.
Top with some nuts, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and melted chocolate chips for the ultimate hot fudge Sunday!
GET THE RECIPE: Vanilla Nice Cream
Healthy Chocolate Banana Smoothie with Flax
This healthy chocolate banana smoothie recipe with flax is a delicious breakfast or pre-workout snack. It's vegan, plant-based, and so easy to make. Perfect for breakfast on the go.
GET THE RECIPE: Chocolate Banana Strawberry Smoothie
Vegan Banana Pudding
Banana pudding is super popular here in the South. This vegan banana pudding is not only delicious but healthy and comes together using just a few basic ingredients.
And unlike many other quick banana pudding recipes you can find online, there's also no Cool Whip and no instant vanilla pudding mix needed for this one.
GET THE RECIPE: The Best Vegan Banana Pudding
When you make some of the ripe banana recipes above let me know. Share a comment with or review below and let me know your favorite overripe banana recipe. I love to hear from you.
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