Recipes Ingredients Fruit Banana Recipes 17 Recipes That Make the Most of Overripe Bananas Don't throw those overripe bananas away! Try one of these delicious recipes for coffee cake, cookies, ice cream, donuts, smoothies—and, yes, banana bread. By Rebecca Morris Rebecca Morris Rebecca is a freelance writer for MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines and Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the Martha Stewart recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years. Editorial Guidelines Updated on April 30, 2024 Close Photo: Grant Webster Bananas are one of the most perfect snacks. But sometimes, just sometimes, they become too ripe. When you have ripe bananas that are beyond what you want to top your cereal or toast with, don’t toss them. It's at this stage of ripeness that a banana unlocks its greatest superpower. With the right sidekicks in tow—like butter, nuts, and flour—your overripe banana can transform into something even better than what it was before. Whether it is by blending into an ice cream base, standing in for the egg in vegan waffles, or becoming the surprise flavor in a batch of whoopie pies, bananas that seem past their prime are catalysts for creativity in the kitchen. Collect ripe bananas and stash them in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer. Keep adding to your stash as the weeks go by, and soon enough you'll have enough for banana cake or waffles—and you’ll be thanking yourself for such inspired planning. How to Freeze Bananas to Use in Everything From Smoothies to Baked Goods 01 of 17 Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins Mike Krautter Are these muffins better than banana bread? They definitely challenge everyone's favorite quick bread for easy deliciousness. Ripe banana adds banana flavor and sweetness to these cakey muffins. View Recipe 02 of 17 Bananas-Foster Milkshake Bryan Gardner Perhaps the best part about any banana recipe that calls for using a blender is that you can use up your stash of frozen bananas. Here, they're whirled into a decadent shake reminiscent of the classic rum-based dessert. View Recipe 03 of 17 Banana Whoopie Pies Just because those bananas are too brown and mushy to garnish the top of a fancy tart or pie doesn't mean you can't bake something beautiful. These whoopie pies are a fun project to take on and even more fun to eat and share with friends. View Recipe 04 of 17 Gluten-Free Peanut Butter-Banana Waffles Addie Juell This recipe will perfume the whole house with the smell of delicious toasted waffles, a guaranteed way to wake up the sleepyheads for family brunch. Using really ripe bananas in these gluten-free waffles is key to avoiding any starchy flavors. View Recipe 05 of 17 Test Kitchen's Favorite Banana Chocolate-Chip Bread Marcus Nilsson Banana bread is often the destination for overripe bananas, and why not? It's an excellent vehicle for their sweetness. This recipe also uses the natural banana syrup that collects from thawed frozen bananas. This elixir is also known as "liquid gold" and imparts a pure, concentrated banana flavor to baked goods. View Recipe 06 of 17 Banana Blueberry Smoothie Chris Court Bananas bring thickening power and a natural sweetness to all kinds of smoothies. If you already keep a bag of peeled bananas in your freezer, then you're well on your way to this easy three-ingredient smoothie snack. View Recipe 07 of 17 Banana Walnut Chocolate-Chunk Cookies Victor Schrager If you're a little bored with banana bread, these cookies are the rut-buster you need. Moist—almost cake-like—and studded with toasted nuts and dark chocolate, they're a wonderful way to use up overripe bananas. View Recipe 08 of 17 Chocolate, Banana, and Graham Cracker Icebox Cake David Prince Make-ahead, no-bake desserts like icebox cakes have been around so long they inspire a sense of nostalgia in every slice. This playful version has you layer slices of ripe bananas into a loaf pan with graham crackers and chocolate pudding. View Recipe 09 of 17 Streusel Banana Bread Yuki Sugiura Part coffee cake, part banana bread, this is the kind of baked good that—if set on the counter unprotected—will be gone by the end of the day due to walk-by grazing. View Recipe 10 of 17 Banana Caramel Ice Cream Jonathan Lovekin This luscious combination in an ice-cold scoop will make you wonder why you've never paired bananas and caramel before. If you're already a fan of this duo, then this is a must-make. View Recipe 11 of 17 Banana Cream Pudding Photographer Bryan Gardner; Food Stylist Laura Rege; Prop Stylist Paige Hicks A ripe banana recipe for a crowd, this glorious banana cream pudding uses six of our favorite fruits and feeds 12. It's a cooling, comforting dessert just right for parties and potlucks. View Recipe 12 of 17 Banana Sheet Cake With Passion-Fruit Frosting Con Poulos The passion fruit juice that is added to the frosting is a tart and refreshing counterpoint to this dense and rich banana cake. It's a stunning bake for all sorts of occasions—no one will know you were using up some old bananas! View Recipe 13 of 17 Gluten-Free Banana Almond-Butter Muffins Lennart Weibull These completely flourless muffins are ultra-moist, and the easy batter calls for ingredients you probably already have in the house, like almond butter and eggs. View Recipe 14 of 17 Banana Pancakes Rachel Marek No collection of ripe banana recipes can be without one for banana pancakes. This recipe uses sliced bananas in the pancakes and more slices sautéed in butter to go on top. View Recipe 15 of 17 The Best Banana Bread Grant Webster Our list of recipes for overripe bananas wouldn't be complete without our best banana bread recipe. Featured in Martha's first book, Entertaining, it's been her go-to ever since. The secret ingredient—sour cream—gives the bread a subtle tang and moist texture. Try it once, and it's sure to be your favorite, too. View Recipe 16 of 17 Bananas in Brown Sugar So simple and so good, this easy dessert is the best way to use ripe bananas that still look good. Quickly sauté them in butter, add brown sugar to make a caramel, then rum and flambé. A little crème fraîche or sour cream is the finishing touch. View Recipe 17 of 17 Banana Cake This simple snacking cake uses ripe bananas and buttermilk to create a moist, fluffy, flavorful texture. Topped with a delicious crumb topping, it pairs well with coffee or tea or as an afternoon snack. 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