Do you have a bunch of overripe bananas sitting one your countertop glaring at you? If you are like me, you bought them with the best of intentions. Right? You were going to keep fresh fruit around to keep you from unhealthy snacking. But time got away from you and now they are ruined.
OR are they really?
Let’s not let them go to waste. Surely, there is SOMEthing we can do with them.
The Problem with Overripe and Forgotten Fruit
The other day I was cleaning my kitchen after making a batch of no bakes for the cookie jar. Almost done with the dishes and YIKES! I looked next to the sink and hanging above the fruit bowl was a bunch of overripe, mushy bananas that would normally get thrown away because there’s no way I’m going to eat them now.
A Different Solution for Ripe Bananas
Since I am trying to be very intentional about not wasting money or food, I’ve started taking advantage of those overlooked and overripe bananas. It’s quite the tasty solution, too!
I can freeze them and use them later.
Easy, Peasy Banana Squeezy?
- Start by peeling the bananas.
- Using a table knife, cut the bananas into ½ inch slices.
- Arrange the slices on a parchment paper lined baking sheet or a flexible cutting board. I like to use the flexible cutting board because it creates less waste.
- Place the baking sheet or cutting board in the freezer for about two hours. You can defintely leave them in longer, but two hours is usually long enough for them to be frozen through.
- Take the sheet out of the freezer and remove the banana slices. Store them in a freezer bag in your freezer to use later for smoothies, cookies, bread or other treats. My favorite use is as a morning smoothie. See recipe below.
Banana Smoothie Recipe
Banana Smoothie Recipe
This is a simple basic smoothie that uses bananas as the starting point. There are lots of ways to personalize this one.
Ingredients
- 1 frozen banana (cut into ½ inch slices)
- 2 tbsp almond butter
- 2 tbsp greek yogurt
- 2 tsp milled flax seed
- 12 oz almond milk (can be sweetened or not, depending on your taste)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender
- Blend until smooth
- Divide into drinking glasses and serve
Notes
Substitutions or additions:
Can use other nut milks or oat milk in place of almond milk.
Can use peanut butter, cashew butter or other nut butters for protein in place of almond butter.
Can add maple syrup or honey to make smoothie even sweeter or add a tsp of fruit preserves per serving (strawberry is excellent).
