I always feel the need to buy bananas whenever I stroll through the produce section of the grocery store. Is it because of their flavor? Or does it have to do with the fact that they are only 49 cents or less per pound? Either way, I always find that before I know it, my once yellow bananas were forgotten on the counter and are now too brown to be eaten by themselves.

But, did you know that brown bananas can still be eaten? As bananas begin to brown, they become more sweet, easier to digest, and they have a higher antioxidant content! So, instead of throwing away your brown bananas, let’s get creative and make good use of them! Check out our top 3 ideas below:

1 – Make Banana Bread

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 3 Bananas, mashed
• 1 Egg
• ⅓ Cup Butter, melted
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 Cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 Cup all purpose flour
• ½ Cup Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• ½ Teaspoon Salt

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350℉ and lightly grease a bread pan (roughly 9x4x4)
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together bananas, egg, butter, and vanilla until well-combined. Then add in the rest of the ingredients
3. Pour mixture into the bread pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes
4. Remove loaf from the bread pan and allow it to cool on a cooling rack

2 – Freeze Bananas to Use in Smoothies

How to Freeze Bananas

1. Peel your bananas first before putting them in the freezer. (I’ve made this mistake before and basically had to dig my way past the frozen peel in order to reach my banana.)
2. Cut your bananas in half, slice them into coins, or leave them whole.
3. Store peeled bananas in an airtight freezer bag or plastic container laying the pieces flat. This keeps your bananas from freezing into one large lump.
4. Bananas keep in the freezer indefinitely, but are best used by 4-6 months.

Frozen bananas add texture to smoothies

If you have never tried adding a banana to your smoothie, please put it on your meal plan for the week! Not only do bananas add some sweetness and extra fiber, but they also add an insane creamy consistency to your smoothie! Add ½-1 frozen banana for that extra creamy texture.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 1 Banana, frozen
• 1 Tablespoon Cocoa Powder
• 1 Tablespoon natural Peanut Butter
• 1 Cup Milk (skim, almond, oat, etc.)
• Optional: 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder

Directions

1. Blend ingredients in a blender on high for 1-1:30 minutes until all ingredients are well-blended
2. Pour into a large cup and enjoy!

3 – Make Cookies

Chocolate Chip Banana Breakfast Cookies

Serves: 5  (two cookies per serving)

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Rolled Oats
• 1 Banana, mashed – enough to yield ½ cup 
• 1 Egg
• ½ teaspoon Cinnamon, ground
• ¼ teaspoon Salt
• ¼ Cup Chocolate Chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Mix mashed banana and egg in a large mixing bowl until well-combined
3. Add in the oats, cinnamon, sea salt, and chocolate chips until well-combined
4. Add about two tablespoons of cookie dough onto the parchment paper. Repeat for the rest of the dough leaving at least two inches between each cookie.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cookies are golden brown and allow to cool on a cooling rack

–Written and photographed by Gabriella Childers, Brittany Jones Nutrition Intern