Simple Vegan Recipes to Use Up Leftover Bananas

The bananas were yellow when you bought them, but now they’re spotty and nobody wants the last two. Start with simple zero waste tips to use up leftover bananas.  Very ripe bananas bring natural sweetness.

Brown spots usually mean a banana is ripe and sweet, not spoiled. However, discard fruit with mould, a fermented smell or leaking flesh. Don’t taste a questionable banana to check whether it’s safe.

Obviously avoid nuts/seeds and their butters for young children. Keep these recipes away from pets, due to spices, nuts and chocolate. Read more on food safety for people and pets.

Banana and peanut butter toast

Toast 1 or 2 slices of bread, then spread with peanut butter. Slice 1 ripe banana over the top and finish with a pinch of cinnamon or a light drizzle of maple syrup.

How to buy bananas with no plastic bags

• Organic bananas are often wrapped in plastic, to stop contamination from Fair Trade non-organic bananas. Either leave packaging on the shelf, or visit farm shops that often sell bananas that are both organic and plastic-free.
• Buying from indie farm shops and box schemes, also means bananas are usually sea-freighted, rather than flown in by air.
• You’re also more likely able to buy one or two bananas, rather than whole bunch sellotaped together with sticky plastic that is hard to recycle.
• Keep bananas away from other fruit. Once ripe, you can chill them in the fridge (the skin will go dark but the flesh will still be okay in-date).
• You can chop up and compost banana peel.

How to freeze leftover bananas 

• Peel the bananas, slice them and after freezing on a tray, put them in a reusable silicone food bags.
• Write the date on the container. Love Food Hate Waste recommends freezing bananas up to three months.
• Use frozen pieces directly in smoothies or blended banana pudding. Freezing changes their texture, so thawed bananas are best mashed or blended.

Mini vegan banana bread for two

Heat oven to 180°C (350°F) and lightly oil a small loaf tin. Mash 1 ripe banana, stir in 30 ml each vegetable oil and plant milk and 40 g sugar. Add 100 g plain flour, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder and pinch of salt.

Stir just until you can’t see dry flour, spoon the batter into the tin and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Vegan banana split for two (or just you if greedy)

Split one banana lengthways, place it in two bowls, then add a scoop of vegan ice cream to each. Finish with a spoonful of vegan chocolate sauce, chopped nuts or sliced strawberries. For a quick sauce, stir 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder with 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and a little hot water until smooth.

One-banana vegan smoothie 

This quick smoothie makes one generous glass. Blend 1 ripe banana with 200 ml unsweetened oat drink, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and a pinch of cinnamon until smooth. For a sweeter smoothie, add a teaspoon of maple syrup.

Baked banana with hazelnuts and chocolate

Heat oven to 200°C (400°F), place 1 unpeeled banana on a small tray and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until skin turns dark and fruit feels soft. Split down the middle and add 1 tablespoon each chopped vegan chocolate and chopped hazelnuts.

For two people, just add another banana and double the toppings.

Easy vegan banana pudding

Mash 1 ripe banana until smooth, then mix it with 120 g plain vegan yoghurt and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Spoon into a glass or small bowl. Again you can double the recipe. Top with vegan palm-oil-free biscuit crumbs.

Three ingredient banana pancakes

Mash 1 ripe banana in a bowl, stir in 50 g plain flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder and 60 ml plant milk. Add a splash of optional plant milk. Cook small pancakes for 2 to 3 minute each side in a lightly oiled frying pan on medium-low heat. Turn then when bubbles appear and the edges look set. Makes around four small pancakes.

Single-serve banana baked oats

Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Mash 1 ripe banana in a small ovenproof dish, then mix in 40 g rolled oats, 80 ml plant milk, ½ teaspoon baking powder and a pinch of cinnamon. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top looks set and lightly browned. Eat it warm from the dish, or add a spoonful of vegan yoghurt.

Banana Nice Cream for one

Peel and slice 1 ripe banana, then freeze the pieces until firm. Blend them in a food processor, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed, until the banana turns smooth and creamy. It may look crumbly at first, but keep blending and it should come together. Serve straight away for a soft-serve texture.

No-baked banana oat bites

Mash 1 ripe banana in a bowl and stir in 80 g rolled oats and 1 tablespoon peanut butter. If the mixture feels very wet, add another tablespoon of oats; if it feels dry, add a little more mashed banana or peanut butter. Roll the mixture into six small balls and chill for 20 minutes so they firm up.

Add a few vegan chocolate chips or a pinch of cinnamon if you like. Keep in a covered container in the fridge and eat within a couple of days.

Quick banana and cocoa pudding

Mash 1 ripe banana with 1 tablespoon cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons plain vegan yoghurt. Stir until the cocoa is fully mixed in, then taste and add a teaspoon of maple syrup if you’d like it sweeter. Spoon into a small bowl and chill for 10 minutes, or eat it straight away for a softer pudding. For two small portions, double the ingredients and divide the mixture between two dishes.