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Nothing is more frustrating than spending time and money on groceries, only to have the food you buy go bad before you have a chance to use it. With inflation causing a consistent spike in grocery prices across the country, having food go bad is even more of a problem now. But once you spot mold on that loaf of bread or notice a funky smell coming from your chicken, you’ll want to toss these items immediately. Thankfully, there are still some foods that can be salvaged once you begin to see signs that they are beginning to go bad—take bananas, for example.
If you can catch bananas while they’re overripe, you can actually still bake plenty of recipes with them. And while you’ve most likely heard of using overripe bananas to bake banana bread, you may not know that there are other uses for this fruit as it’s going bad.
Read on for 7 ways to use bananas while they’re going bad—and for more recipe inspiration, check out 10 New Cookbooks We Can’t Wait To Get Our (Oven) Mitts on in 2023.
Banana bread is one of the most obvious ways to use overly ripe bananas. But this classic recipe is simple-to-make and a delicious way to ensure you’re not wasting money on produce.
Get our recipe for Banana Bread.
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Anyone who grew up in the southern United States has had banana pudding this way—layered with Vanilla Wafers and topped with meringue. The recipe calls for ripe bananas, but pudding works great with overly ripe bananas due to its soft, creamy texture.
Get our recipe for Banana Pudding.
If you’re on the Whole30 diet or just trying to consume less gluten and dairy, these muffins are for you. This recipe’s use of “very ripe” bananas and mashed sweet potato add a ton of natural sweetness without any of the added sugar.
Get our recipe for Sweet Potato Muffins.
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Another Whole30-approved way to use bananas that are going bad, these banana bread pancakes use ingredients like almond meal, cinnamon, ghee, and a ripe banana. The ripe banana adds a creamy texture and a dose of sweetness, which means the riper, the better!
Get our recipe for Banana Bread Pancakes.
Snickerdoodle cookies are great—but have you tried snickerdoodle muffins? These muffins offer the same combination of cinnamon and vanilla we love from the original cookies, but with a protein boost. The recipe calls for one mashed banana, and overripe bananas are easiest to mash.
Get our recipe for Snickerdoodle Muffins.
You may not associate homemade granola with overripe bananas, but this recipe is the perfect way to use that produce that is about to go bad. An added benefit of this recipe is that it yields about 12 servings, which makes it great for meal prep.
Get the recipe from Minimalist Baker.
Quesadillas don’t have to be savory and full of cheese. They can be sweet and full of fruit, too. This fun twist on a classic quesadilla makes for a delicious dessert, and it gives you the perfect excuse to use up those bananas.
Get the recipe from Ambitious Kitchen.
Samantha Boesch
