Freeze them and decide later.
Linda C

I agree with Linda C. I peel them, freeze them and make banana bread when I'm in the mood....

Linda P

I almost asked the same question last week. I had three bananas that had black peels but the inside was fine and very sweet. I ended up making some banana bread with pineapple in it. Change of pace and turned out very good. I was thinking about making chocolate banana cream pie but was afraid that the bananas would turn too quickly after they were peeled.

I bought more bananas on Friday.....I'll never learn!

Nancy

I usually do peel and freeze, but truthfully, I never use them from the freezer and end up tossing them anyway.

So I was rally hoping for a change of pace.

Linda

Viagra?

Terri made this Banana Snack cake that I have saved. It looks really good. Hey, send me your bananas so I can make it:)

I have noticed lately that bananas I buy go from zero to sixty pretty quickly. Last time I had black bananas and I went to peel and mash for banana muffins and they were still hard and ripe looking and hard to mash once I peeled them - and they were really black on the outside!

Here is a link that might be useful: Banana Snack Cake

I second the Banana Snack Cake, it very good!
Made it last week, and now waiting on bananas to ripen to make it again.......it's a keeper recipe.

Linda, I used to toss out my frozen banana's too... Until I 'discovered' banana milk shakes... One sliced up frozen banana, some really cold milk and a spoon of sugar and stick it all in a blender... Nothing better on a hot summers day... ( if we ever get them again... lol )

They work great for guilt free strawberry - banana smoothies too... A couple strawberries, 1/2 of a banana, a little cold water, a few ice cubes and a spoon or two of powered milk...

Rita

Hi Linda,

I often add diced bananas to pancake batter. It's really good with blueberry pancakes too.

This is a different twist on banana bread, and it's great toasted:-)

PEANUT BUTTER BANANA BREAD
1 1/2 C whole wheat flour
1/2 C AP flour
1 t baking soda
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t salt
1 stick softened unsalted butter
1 C sugar
1 large ripe, mashed banana
1 C milk
1 egg
1/2 C creamy peanut butter
******************************************************
Mix flours, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add banana, milk and egg to butter mixture, and beat until blended. Add peanut butter and blend well. Stir in flour mix just until combined, do not overmix. Pour batter into sprayed 9" loaf pan and bake at 350 about an hour, until toothpick inserted in center comes clean. Cool 15 minutes in pan on wire rack, then turn out to cool completely.

Rita's suggestion for banana smoothies sounds good too. Use the frozen bananas straight from the freezer for them, that's what I do.

Nancy, did you use drained, canned pineapple in your banana bread?
DONNA

Look what just popped up on Epicurious.com...yummy!

Caramel-walnut upsidedown banana cake
Bon Appit : March 2008
Jill O'Connor

A new take on pineapple upside-down cake. Here, a sticky brown-sugar caramel drips down the sides of a super-moist banana cake.

Servings: Makes 6 to 8 servings

IngredientsTopping:
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
3 tablespoons dark corn syrup
3/4 cup walnut halves or pieces

Cake:
1 3/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 to 3 large)
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

PreparationFor topping:
Spray 8-inch round cake pan with 2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Bring butter, sugar, and corn syrup to boil in medium saucepan, stirring constantly until butter melts. Boil syrup 1 minute. Stir in nuts. Spread topping in prepared pan. Let topping cool completely.

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift first 4 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in large bowl until blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then mashed bananas, sour cream, rum, and vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients in 2 additions just until combined. Spoon batter into pan.

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Cut around cake. Place platter over pan. Holding pan and platter together, turn over. Let stand 5 minutes, then gently lift off pan. Cool at least 15 minutes for topping to set. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Here are a couple of banana cake recipes that my family enjoys - the first one in particular is better if it's made a day or two ahead, which probably means it would freeze great.

Becky

* Exported from MasterCook *

Banana Nut Carrot Cake Squares

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Cake
2 cups flour -- unbleached
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 large eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup pineapple juice -- or orange or apple
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup mashed bananas
1 cup chopped walnuts
Icing
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Grease a 9"x12" baking pan.
In a large bowl sift together the flour, cinnamon, cloves and baking
powder.
In a smaller bowl beat together the eggs; add sugar and honey; whisk in the
oil and juice. Mix into the dry ingredients. Stir in the carrots, bananas
and walnuts.
Pour mixture into the baking dish. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until a
toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Frost with icing while still warm.

Source:
"Adapted by Becky Chatham from a recipe from "The Zen of Cooking by
Lucille Naimer""

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NOTES : This tastes better if made at least one day in advance.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Banana Cake

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3/4 cup butter
2 1/8 cups white sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas
Frosting:
1/2 cup butter -- softened
1 package cream cheese (8 ounces) -- softened
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. In a small bowl, mix mashed bananas with lemon juice, set aside. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Stir in banana mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place directly into freezer for 45 minutes. This will make the cake very moist.
4. For the frosting: In a large bowl, cream 1/2 cup butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add confectioners sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high until frosting is smooth. Spread on cooled cake.

Source:
"www.allrecipes.com"

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NOTES : I had to cook this for more than hour to get it cooked through, but it was very moist. Toasted chopped walnuts on top would be a nice addition.

Use a metal pan (not glass) to bake it in if you're going to put it in the freezer!

I freeze them without peeling them - that way I don't need to put them in a plastic bag. I try to use frozen ones in smoothies within a week of being frozen, however.

Lars

Thanks to this thread, I just pulled 18 banana-walnut muffins with struesel topping from the oven. Scrumptious! Two of the bananas were on the counter, almost black; two had been in the freezer for almost a year - in their peels. Peel is the perfect wrapper. I used to get a kick out of students who brought their bananas to school peeled and wrapped in plastic wrap!

I suppose a year in the freezer may be a bit long, but the muffins are wonderful. Why do you peel bananas?

How about old fashioned southern banana pudding? I have used the recipe on the Splendid Table web site. It's kind of a goofy fifties sort of dish. It's fun to make and kids usually like it once they get used to the idea that it's okay for foods to touch each other if it's desert......Tache

Banana toast!
Been ages since I made it when my GS was little!

For 2 slices of bread, mash 1/2 banana with some butter, little bit of cinnamon, and if needed a tad bit of sugar.
Spread on bread and bake in oven until bread is crisp!

Grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches are pretty good too.

Ashley's favorite cake is a banana cake, posted here by Jgarner, I think it was a Rose Birnbaum Levy recipe. It's yummy and I don't even like bananas.

Banana Cake (Rose Levy Berenbaums Cordon Rose Cake)
Jgarner-Cooking Forum

(good as layer cake, elegant, delicate texture)
mix together:
sifted cake flour 2 cups (200 g)
sugar 3/4 c + 2 Tbs (170g)
baking soda 1 tsp
baking powder 3/4 tsp
salt 1/2 tsp
puree together:
2 large ripe bananas 1 c (227 g)
sour cream 2 Tbs or up to 1/2 c (30 g to 121 g)
2 large eggs 2 (100 g)
grated lemon zest 2 tsp
(I left this out since I don't like the flavor of lemon with banana)
vanilla 1-1/2 tsp
soften:
Butter 10 Tbs (5 oz) (142 g)
Add butter and half of pureed mixture to dry ingredients in stand mixer and mix at medium with paddle for 1-1/2 minutes. Scrape bowl and add rest of banana mixture in two batches, mixing 20 seconds after each addition. Pour into 9"x2" round pan (I just lined the bottom with parchment, no spray or butter) and bake at 350 F for 30 to 40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in pan and then turn out onto rack to cool completely.
Hint: Use smallest amount of sour cream and 3 bananas for more pronounced banana flavor
Cream Cheese Icing
Cream cheese, softened 8 oz.
Butter, softened 5 TBS (2.5 oz)
Sour cream 1 Tbs
Vanilla extract 1/2 tsp.
Rum 1 Tbs
Powdered sugar 1 1/4 C (5 oz)
Process (yeah, the food processor) or beat cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth. Add powdered sugar and pulse until smooth. Makes enough to frost the top of a 9x13 sheet cake.

Annie

I've been making this yeasted banana bread. Ohmy it smells good....and it makes wonderful toast.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Oatmeal Banana Bread

Recipe By : Katie, 2008
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
4 cups white flour* -- * use 7-8 c. flour total
3 cups whole wheat flour*
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon* -- *or replace cinnamon and allspice with one tsp. Penzy's Cake Spice or Baking Spice
1/2 teaspoon allspice*
2 packages dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
3 very ripe bananas -- mashed
1 cup chopped pecans
2 eggs -- beaten

Using stand mixer and dough hook: Heat milk, brown sugar and butter just until butter melts. Cool to lukewarm, pour into mixing bowl and add yeast. Mix 3 cups flour, oatmeal and salt. Pour over yeast mixture. Add bananas, nuts and eggs. Knead, adding flour gradually until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead a few minutes more.

Place dough in a buttered bowl, cover with a towel and let rise until double (1 1/2 - 2 hrs.). Punch down. and shape into two loaves. Place in greased 9x5x3 loaf pans. Spirinkle with cinnamon sugar if desired. Let rise until double, about an hour.

Bake at 350F for 50-55 minutes. Cover loaves with foil halway through. Cool before slicing.

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My mom gave me the BEST tip on preserving bananas, and we buy them by the bunches now when they are on sale. Leave the peels on, and wrap each individual banana in alumiminum foil. Store them in the refrigerator. We have kept bananas this was for over 3 weeks, and the flesh is always perfect. The peels don't turn black either.

For the next batch - I forgot about this low-fat cake.

Banana Yogurt Bundt Cake

1/3 Cup Canola Oil
1 Cup low fat yogurt
1/3 Cup milk (your choice)
1 tsp Vanilla
3 Medium Ripe Bananas, mashed

2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Sugar
2 Tbs Cornstarch
1 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Whisk all the wet ingredients together in a medium bowl until smooth. Set aside. Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Spray your bundt pan with cooking spray, or lightly grease. Flour the bundt pan with some of the dry mix, pouring excess back into the bowl when finished.

Mix wet ingredients into the dry, adding a tablespoon or so of milk if needed. Batter will be thick but not dry. Pour evenly into the bundt pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before removing from pan.

Serve with powdered sugar. I also added a few tablespoons and ground flaxmeal.

Well, since I am not much for cake, I ended up making banana nut muffins. I know, same old, same old....

I will try the foil method. Thanks! Someone told me if you wrap cheese in foil it won't mold, too. Wonder if that works.

Linda

I look forward to my bananas ripening so I can make banana smoothies:

1 over ripe banana
1 cup banana yogurt
1/2 tray of banana ice cubes (made with banana nectar)
2 tbls banana nectar

Blend to make smoothie

Can anyone confirm or deny that the frozen bananas work for anything OTHER than in a baked recipe? Any chance they would work for a banana pudding without being black or mushy?

I found a bag of "turning" bananas at a local grocery store for 99 cents...there are probably 4 full bunches in each bag....now that's a score price wise.

I'm going to try the freezing method and get back to them when I'm ready to make a bunch of something with bananas in it :)

Thanks for reviving this thread. Now I have lots of ideas!!

Rita beat me to it. I was going to say milkshakes.
But I almost never get that far with them. I freeze bananas on purpose before they get too ripe, then eat them instead of ice cream. I love ice cream, but I can seldom get any home before it melts. Who would have thought public transportation's long waits would be a secret diet tool?