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by Whitney Bond
January 17, 2023
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Never throw out overripe bananas again! Learn how to freeze bananas, whole or sliced, with this simple method. Use frozen bananas in smoothies or for baking recipes, like banana bread!
That moment when you look over at the counter and realize you have a whole bunch of bananasthat are about to be too ripe. Rather than rushing to bake as many loaves of banana bread as you can, freeze them!
Store sliced or whole bananas in your freezer to have on hand to use in recipes any time.
Pop frozen banana slices in the blender to create banana ice cream that has the most perfect creamy texture andnatural sweetness. They can also be added to smoothies, baked goods, and more!
No matter how you use them, having frozen bananas in the freezer all the time is an easy way to get a boost of potassium, fiber, calcium, and vitamin C!
Table of contents
- How to freeze bananas
- Tips and tricks
- How to use frozen bananas
- More kitchen tutorials
How to freeze bananas
- Peel the bananas. I always recommend peeling the bananas before freezing them. Peeling a frozen banana is both difficult and messy, which is why I recommend peeling them before freezing. Yes, you can store unpeeled bananas in the freezer, but you will then need to defrost them, at least partially, before peeling them and using them in a recipe.
- Slice the bananas. You can either slice the banana into halves, quarters or slices, or you can keep it whole. This will depend on how you plan to use the frozen bananas. If you plan to use them in a smoothie, I recommend slicing them into quarters or slices, so that they’ll easily blend into your smoothie. If the bananas are really ripe and you plan to use them in banana bread, you can keep them whole.
- Store the bananas. If you plan to use the entire banana in a recipe (whole or sliced), you can simply place the banana in a freezer-safe container and transfer it to the freezer. If you plan to only use a few slices of banana at a time, I recommend freezing the slices in a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet first for a one hour flash-freeze. Then you can transfer them to a freezer safe bag. Bananas can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Tips and tricks
- Always freeze bananas that are fully ripe, or even slightly overripe. Bananas will not ripen any further once they’re frozen, so you want to freeze fully ripe bananas so that they’re naturally sweet when you use them in a recipe.
- Always label the container with the freeze date so you can remember when you froze the bananas. Frozen bananas should be used within 3 months.
- To prevent the bananas from turning brown in the freezer, make sure to use an airtight container, or freezer-safe plastic bag. Exposure to air is what causes bananas to brown, so as long as they’re sealed tightly, you won’t have any issues with browning.
- To thaw frozen bananas before adding them to a recipe, like banana bread, I recommend thawing them overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for about 2 hours. You can also use the defrost setting on your microwave if you are in a hurry.
- If you know that you’ll be using the bananas to make banana bread, you can can mash the bananas in a bowl before placing them in a freezer safe container. The mashed bananas can be defrosted in the refrigerator overnight before being used in the banana bread recipe of your choice.
- Size theslices accordingly. If you know how you will be using the frozen banana you can cut them into larger or smaller chunks. Smaller sizes are better for recipessuch as smoothies.
How to use frozen bananas
Frozen bananas are perfect for smoothies or baked goods! Try them in any of these recipes.
- Superfood Green Smoothie
- Gluten Free Strawberry Banana Bread
- Banana Date Protein Shake
- Superfood Pumpkin Smoothie
- Almond Milk Smoothie
- Vegan Avocado Smoothie Bowls
- Cookies and Cream Nice Cream – from The Healthy Epicurean
- Salted Caramel Nice Cream – from Eat Fresh Glow
More kitchen tutorials
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- How To Cut A Pomegranate
- How To Peel Garlic
- 3 Ways – How To Cook Sweet Potatoes
- How to Hard Boil Eggs
- How To Make Sauteed Mushrooms
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How To Freeze Bananas
Never throw out overripe bananas again! Learn how to freeze bananas, whole or sliced, with this simple method. Use frozen bananas in smoothies or for baking recipes, like banana bread!
Servings: 1 banana
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Freezing Time: 4 hours hrs
Total Time: 4 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
Author: Whitney Bond
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 banana
Instructions
Peel the bananas.I always recommend peeling the bananas before freezing them. Peeling a frozen banana is both difficult and messy, which is why I recommend peeling them before freezing.
Slice the bananas.You can either slice the banana into halves, quarters or slices, or you can keep it whole. This will depend on how you plan to use the frozen bananas. If you plan to use them in a smoothie, I recommend slicing them into quarters or slices, so that they’ll easily blend into your smoothie. If the bananas are really ripe and you plan to use them in banana bread, you can keep them whole.
Store the bananas.If you plan to use the entire banana in a recipe (whole or sliced), you can simply place the banana in a freezer-safe container and transfer it to the freezer. If you plan to only use a few slices of banana at a time, I recommend freezing the slices in a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet first for one hour. Then you can transfer them to a freezer safe bag. Bananas can bestored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Always freeze bananas that are fully ripe, or even slightly overripe.Bananas will not ripen any further once they’re frozen, so you want to freeze fully ripe bananas so that they’re naturally sweet when you use them in a recipe.
- Always label the container with the freeze dateso you can remember when you froze the bananas. Frozen bananas should be used within 3 months.
- To prevent the bananas from turning brown in the freezer,make sure to use an airtight container, or freezer-safe plastic bag. Exposure to air is what causes bananas to brown, so as long as they’re sealed tightly, you won’t have any issues with browning.
- To thaw frozen bananas before adding them to a recipe, like banana bread, I recommend thawing them overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for about 2 hours. You can also use the defrost setting on your microwave if you are in a hurry.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 105kcal (5%)Carbohydrates 27g (9%)Protein 1g (2%)Fat 0.4g (1%)Sodium 1mgPotassium 422mg (12%)Fiber 3g (12%)Sugar 14g (16%)Vitamin A 76mg (2%)Vitamin C 10mg (12%)Calcium 6mg (1%)Iron 0.3mg (2%)
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published on January 17, 2023 0 Comments
Posted in: Blog Posts, How To Posts
About Whitney Bond
I’m a sports-loving, coffee-drinking, food blogger, the host of “29 Minute Meals”, a contributing writer for TODAY Food, cookbook author and on-camera food and lifestyle expert! Here you’ll find most recipes are made in 29 minutes or less, in one pot, or in a crock pot!
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