Sweet, Ripe Bananas
We love this superfood for its healthy benefits: bananas provide relief from acid reflux by acting as a natural antacid, prevent muscle cramping, supply the body with potassium, counteract calcium loss, strengthen your blood—the list could go on. Incorporate this über-healthy fruit into your daily diet with a few of our favorite banana recipes.
Bananas Foster Parfaits make a delicious breakfast, lunch, snack, or dessert treat. When making this recipe for adults, substitute an equal amount of gold rum for the apple juice.
Skinny Elvis Waffle
This aptly-named breakfast treat would've delighted the King of Rock 'n' Roll, with its sweet peanut butter and crispy bacon complemented by delicious sliced bananas.
Coconut-Banana Grape-Nuts with Lime
These crunchy wheat-and-barley nuggets are packed with 49g of whole grains per serving.
Citrusy Banana-Oat Smoothie
Smart food choices really boost your day. Start off right with this delicious smoothie. Make it faster by freezing the banana and prepping the oatmeal the night before.
Banana, Chocolate, and Hazelnut Dip
Made with Greek yogurt and light sour cream, this delicious spread makes a guilt-free treat. Serve on graham crackers, or add it to a peanut butter sandwich for a touch of sweetness without loading it up with calories.
Chocolate-Almond Banana Smoothie
Get your chocolate fix by preparing this smoothie for breakfast. With a whopping 7.2 grams of protein per serving, it will give you enough fuel to carpe diem.
Bananas Foster Breakfast Strata
Take care when adding the rum to the hot pan—it flames up immediately. You can also add the rum off the heat, and then carefully light it with a long match.
Banana Bread with Chocolate Glaze
The most tempting of all our quick breads, the chocolate glaze on this banana bread makes it irresistible.
Breakfast Quinoa
Like most whole grains, quinoa is surprisingly filling, but if you need more for breakfast, serve with an egg on the side.
Cinnamon Banana Crunch Bowl
Mix up your oatmeal routine with bulgur in this Cinnamon Banana Crunch Bowl. The results are a quick and easy breakfast of champions.
Spinach Smoothies
Don't let the name of this recipe fool you, because it packs in plenty plaintain—two whole, medium-sized bananas, to be exact. Spinach and kiwi also give a power boost to your day as key ingredients in this tasty smoothie.
Banana Split Ice-Cream Sandwiches
The vanilla cookies are very thin and are made from a batter that requires chilling before shaping. They'll be soft when warm but light and crisp after they cool. Gooey toppings make this a good knife-and-fork sandwich. Assemble just before serving.
Frozen Chocolate-Banana Shake
Love chocolate-dipped frozen bananas at the amusement park? Enjoy the same flavors in a glass. Tofu adds creaminess to this dessert shake.
Chai Banana Bread
You'll find all the delicious spices of Chai tea in one melt-in-your-mouth loaf of Chai Banana Bread.These spices work really well together and are a good contrast with the sweetness of the banana.
Banana-Chocolate French Toast
For hard-to-please kids, try serving breakfast for dinner. Pair this dish with a mixed fruit cup to round out the meal.
Coffee-Drenched Ice Cream with Banana and Peanuts
Substitute strong brewed coffee for the espresso, or use instant coffee/espresso granules to make the coffee. A vegetable peeler is a great tool to make chocolate curls from a bar of chocolate.
Horchata Shake
Horchata is a cinnamon-laced drink based on traditional agua frescas of Mexico and Guatemala. A frozen banana whirred up with the vanilla-flavored milk base creates a delicious shake.
Whole-Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes with Orange Sauce
Whipped egg whites and leavening agents make these pancakes extra fluffy, while the banana topping provides a healthy pièce de résistance.
Banana Split Sundaes
Believe it or not, banana splits are a great way for children to have a well-balanced sweet treat. The secret? Go heavy on the fruit!
Banana Snacking Cake
This is a light and healthy snack any kid would love. It also makes a great go-to breakfast on those mornings when you're short on time.
Peanut Butter, Banana, and Flax Smoothies
Get the day started right with a peanut butter, banana, and flax smoothie. Not only will it taste like a treat, but you'll also get a good dose of potassium, protein, and fiber to boot. If the smoothies seem too thick, just add another tablespoon or two of milk.
Brennan's Bananas Foster
This bananas foster recipe was created at New Orleans's Brennan's Restaurant in the 1950s. For best results, be sure to use firm, ripe bananas.
Carrot, Apple, and Ginger Refresher
Slim on saturated fat and high on beta-carotene, potassium, and antioxidants, this recipe makes for a breakfast of champions.
Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese FrostingÂ
These delectable morsels melt in your mouth, because they're so moist. If the frosting is too thin, place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until it is spreadable.
Banana-Agave Smoothie
Combining bananas and blueberries with creamy, fat-free yogurt and a hint of agave nectar makes for a rich and satisfying smoothie that's also low in fat. Found in most grocery stores, agave nectar comes from the plant by the same name and offers a sweeter flavor than honey. This smoothie fuels you up with a healthy dose of potassium, antioxidants, and vitamins C and B6.
Banana, Wheat Germ, and Oats
Wheat germ and oats make a perfect pair: You get the goodness of whole grains from the oats and a host of nutrients, such as vitamin E, iron, potassium, and folic acid, from the nutty wheat germ. Don't forget the banana slices!
Banana Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Mashed banana adds more than just flavor to this cake—it also keeps the layers moist.
Roasted Banana Bars with Browned Butter-Pecan Frosting
Brown butter in a saucepan to enhance its richness, thus eliminating the need for full-fat cream cheese in this recipe. This is a great way to use ripe, speckled bananas.
Classic Banana Bread
We love this bread's moist texture and simple flavor. Banana bread should form a crack down the center as it bakes—a sign the baking soda is doing its job.
Browned Butter Bananas with Orange-Brandy Sauce
Browned butter gives this dessert a rich, caramelized, almost nutty flavor. Choose firm bananas with no spots; they'll hold up better when cooked.
Banana Breakfast Smoothie
Take this protein-packed smoothie and a handful of granola for a quick breakfast on the go. Adding the yogurt at the very end imparts a creamy texture.
Tropical Muffins with Coconut-Macadamia Topping
Most monounsaturated fat in each serving comes from mild-flavored canola oil and rich macadamia nuts. Flaked sweetened coconut is high in saturated fat for a plant food (nearly 94 percent of the fat is saturated), but a little offers nutty flavor to the batter and texture to the topping.
Banana-Coconut Ice Cream
The added creaminess of two percent milk (as opposed to fat-free or one percent) makes richer ice cream with fewer ice crystals. Cream of coconut is a sweet, thick mixture that's used to make piña coladas; look for it in cans near the drink mixes.
Chocolate Shortcakes with Bananas and Caramel
These dusky cakes are enriched with cocoa and butter. Patting the dough into a single disk keeps it from being overworked so the shortcake stays tender.
Banana Cream Pie Smoothie
Frozen bananas, graham cracker crumbs, and vanilla extract are a few of the ingredients that make this smoothie a rich dessert in a glass. One serving gives you about the same amount of calcium as a glass of 1% milk.
Chocolate-Banana Snack Cake
This easy-to-make snack cake has a deep chocolate taste. For more banana flavor and a slight crunch, top the cake with crumbled banana chips before baking.
Banana Rum Coconut Cookies
These low-fat oatmeal cookies will make you feel as if you're on a Caribbean beach. The combination of coconut, rum, and banana give this cookie a flavor that seems too good to be true. (It's not.)
Grilled Peanut Butter and Banana Split Sandwich
This fun, kid-friendly indulgence was a hit at taste testing and received our highest rating. The recipe can easily be multiplied to make as many sandwiches as you need.
Berry and Banana Smoothies
Pop the sliced peeled banana in the freezer Friday night so the next morning's prep is quick and easy. The rest of the fruit gets tossed into a fruit salad on Sunday.
Chocolate Pizza with Apricot Preserves and Bananas
The recipe calls for letting dough rise one hour. You can also let it stand at room temperature overnight with the same great results. Slice bananas just before adding to pizza to avoid discoloration. Serve this deliciously gooey dessert with a knife and fork.
Banana Nut Muffins with Oatmeal Streusel
The whole wheat flour and oatmeal in these Banana Nut Muffins offer whole grains, and the prudent amount of walnuts adds fiber, vitamin E, and unsaturated fats.
Sparkling Fruit Gelées
These stylish individual cups can be prepared and refrigerated up to two days before the gathering.
Roasted Banana Pudding
It's hard to think bananas without thinking about pudding. Banana pudding is a simple Southern classic evolved into an all-American favorite. Many folks claim banana pudding tastes best the next day, after the flavors have blended overnight and the cookies have softened.
Monkey Bars
Monkey bars are moist snacking cakes that might remind you of banana bread. They make a great kids' snack.
Banana-Cinnamon Waffles
Crown these lightly spiced waffles with cinnamon sugar, sliced bananas, and/or a drizzle of maple syrup. Buckwheat flour adds a somewhat tangy, robust nuttiness to this breakfast favorite.
Pineapple-Coconut-Banana Upside-Down Cake
Upside-down cakes are classically made in a cast-iron skillet, because it gives the cake a crisp edge, cooks it evenly, and keeps it moist.
Orange-Banana SmoothieÂ
This creamy, refreshing, orange-banana drink is great for breakfast, after a workout, or as a midday pick-me-up. Use any flavored yogurt you like--strawberry makes the smoothie pink, while blueberry turns it purple.
Tropical Fruit Salad
Like appetizers, dessert is a recent addition to the traditional West African table. Often ripe fruit--or a combination like this--serves as dessert.
Peanut Butter, Banana, and Chocolate Smoothies
This classic combination of peanut butter, banana, and chocolate is an easy sell with most kids. Parents will love that these are full of potassium, fiber, and protein.
Banana-Mango Crisp
Go tropical with this easy fruit crisp featuring banana and fresh mango and a crumbly topping of oats, brown sugar, coconut, and ginger.
Banana-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Add sweetness and flavor to these chocolate chip cookies with mashed ripe bananas.
Banana Coffee Cake with Macadamia Nuts and Coconut
Perfect for entertaining, this recipe will impress when served for brunch. Substitute pecans if you can't find macadamia nuts.
Crepes with Bananas and Hazelnut-Chocolate Sauce
Mix breakfast up a bit with these light, airy French delights. Don't worry if all your crêpes don't turn out perfectly; there's enough batter to allow for a few mistakes.
Banana-Mango Smoothie
Start your day with a flavorful fruit smoothie. This drink tastes great for breakfast, but also serves well as an afternoon snack or even a frosty dessert.
Banana-Split Cheesecake
This cheesecake has it all. Banana, chocolate, pineapple, and strawberry are just a few of the flavors that stand out in this dessert reminiscent of the favorite ice cream treat.
Peanut Butter-Banana Pie
Add sweet, nutty flavor to a basic banana cream pie by stirring peanut butter into the pie filling. Bananas that are firm rather than extra-ripe work best in this pie.
Banana-Date Flaxseed Bread
Flaxseed has long been popular with European bakers because of its robust, nutty flavor. But new studies suggest that this powerhouse whole grain contains fibers and fat that may play a role in warding off heart disease and certain types of cancer. Flaxseeds can be found at health-food stores and some supermarkets.
Banana-Pecan Biscotti
Treat yourself to delicious homemade biscotti with your coffee. This recipe makes two dozen, and with only 72 calories per serving you can feel free to indulge.
Banana Layer Cake with Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting
This recipe would be a great birthday treat for any kid crazy about bananas. The zesty lemon cream-cheese frosting adds an extra dimension of flavor that sets it apart from conventional banana-layer cakes.
Banana-Oatmeal Bread
Give your usual banana bread a healthy boost with a handful of oats. It's perfect for breakfast but also great to snack on any time of the day.
Jamaican Banana Bread
Nuts, coconut, lime, and rum give this quick bread a tropical and indulgent feel. It’s an unforgettable recipe with the tangy lime glaze balancing the sweet bread.
Banana-Orange Daiquiri
Bring the flavor of the Caribbean to your back porch with a banana-flavored drink infused with sweet-and-sour cocktail mix and orange juice concentrate. The creamy cocktail is part dessert, part heaven in a glass.
Banana Fluffer Nutters
Give the kids a tasty treat with this peanut butter and marshmallow cream sandwich. The creative use of a halved banana as the bread will have the kids coming back for seconds.
Tropical Bananas Foster
Freshly sliced bananas and pineapple meet soft vanilla ice cream and a savory cinnamon-flavored sauce to give you one decadent dessert. Fresh fruit is always best, but for the sake of convenience, the pre-cut variety works well too.
Double-Banana Pound Cake
For banana lovers: This cake packs a double punch of banana with the fruit and liqueur. The banana liqueur is a must; it gives the cake a sweet, rich banana flavor.
Piña Colada Shake
Take a sip, close your eyes, and imagine you're on a tropical island. Serve with pineapple wedges, if desired.
Peanut Butter-Berry Smoothie
Inspired by a childhood favorite, this drink is reminiscent of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Serve garnished with more berries, if desired.
Mocha Banana Split
Get your coffee fix with a Mocha Banana Split. On a hot summer day, there's nothing better than this blend of creamy and deliciously sweet flavors.
Caramelized Banana Bread with Browned Butter Glaze
A few smart techniques will take this banana bread to the next level. Cooking ripe banana slices in butter deepens the sweet banana flavor, while browned butter gives the glaze nutty richness.
Peanut Butter and Banana Pancakes
You can give these pancakes a PB&J flavor profile by spreading them with grape or strawberry jelly. Or, just drizzle them with syrup.
Go-Getter Green Smoothie
Be sure to try this smoothie in the summer when honeydew melon is at its peak. Garnish glasses with wheels of additional peeled, sliced kiwi fruit, if desired.
Grilled Peanut Butter–Banana Fingers
A tablespoon of chocolate sauce drizzled on top turns this tasty sandwich into a masterpiece. Make this a complete meal by adding a cup of 1% low-fat milk per serving.
Banana-Raspberry Cake with Lemon Frosting
Mashed ripe banana adds moistness to this layer cake, which features a lemon cream cheese frosting and a layer of fresh raspberries.
Gingery Banana Pudding with Bourbon Cream
If ever there were a match made in adult-dessert heaven, it would be this divine banana pudding with bourbon cream. This recipe is a must for late-night celebrations or gatherings with friends.
Morning Glory Muffins
Substitute apricots or raisins for chopped pitted dates in this recipe if you like. The dried fruits, nuts, oatmeal, wheat bran, and whole wheat flour contribute plenty of fiber to each muffin. Complete your breakfast with fat-free yogurt and fruit.
