I recently published a hub about Banana Plants and the subject came up about the different ways we utilize bananas in recipes.

I initially thought the number of ways to use a banana was pretty limited, but I was mistaken. I decided to gather a collection of recipes that call for bananas in the ingredients. There are so many recipes that call for ripened over ripe bananas.

None of these recipes are my own, nor have I personally tried them. I am simply providing you with information I found by researching the topic. The sites where the recipes were found is included as a link in the recipe name. Please visit the actual site for more information and tons more recipes too massive an undertaking for this single hub.

Banana Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 cup of mashed bananas (about 2 ½ large bananas)
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 2 cups of flour
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground mace or nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
• 1 cup of pecans (can substitute walnuts or chocolate chips)

Preparation:

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

2 In a bowl, mix the mashed bananas and baking soda. Let sit for 2 minutes.

3 Mix the banana mixture into the butter mixture. Mix together the flour, salt, and spices and sift into the butter and banana mixture and mix.

4 Fold into the batter the nuts or chips. Drop by spoonfuls or scoops onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until nicely golden brown. Let cool on wire racks.

Makes about 30 cookies.

Grilled Chocolate Bananas

4 bananas

2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 ounces miniature marshmallows

Any type of garnishes you want such as whipped cream, ice cream, nuts, cherries, etc.

Preheat the barbecue grill or save this recipe for after your normal grilling is done.

Using a sharp knife, make a slit along most of the length of the unpeeled banana skin and almost through the bananas as if you were cutting it in half but stopping short of doing so.

Push chocolate chips and marshmallows into the slits; push the banana closed again. Wrap each banana tightly in aluminum foil like you would a baked potato or corn on the cob.

Place the banana packets on the grill rack and cook for 10 minutes, turning the packets after 5 minutes. Remove from the grill. Carefully open the banana packets and remove the cooked bananas from the aluminum foil or you can serve them in the foil.

If desired, serve with your favorite toppings or garnishes. Eat with a spoon by scooping out the banana flesh covered in melted chocolate.

Make 4 servings.

Banana Split Bars

INGREDIENTS:

For the base:

• 2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter

For the filling:

• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 bananas, sliced
• 1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, well drained
• 1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 (4 ounce) jar maraschino cherries, halved

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Melt the butter or margarine over low heat. Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup sugar and graham cracker crumbs. Press into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake for 15 minutes; let cool.
3. Cream together the cream cheese, 1 cup of white sugar and vanilla. Spread over graham cracker crust.
4. Layer sliced bananas, drained pineapple and whipped cream dessert topping on top of bars in order given. Sprinkle with chopped nuts, then with cherries. Cover and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight.
5. Cut into squares and enjoy!!

Banana Fritters

INGREDIENTS

1½ cups all-purpose flour

4 or 5 medium-sized ripe bananas

3 eggs

1 cup milk

6 Tablespoons sugar

Vegetable oil, as needed for deep-frying

Powered sugar (confectioners' sugar)

Preparation:

In a deep mixing bowl, stir together the flour and sugar.

One at a time, beat in the eggs with a wire whisk.

While whisking, add the milk approximately ¹/₃ cup at a time.

Continue to beat until the batter is smooth and elastic enough to stretch like a ribbon from the beater when the beater is lifted out of the bowl.

Peel the bananas, chop or slice them coarsely, and place them in a shallow bowl.

Mash the bananas to a smooth purée, using the tines of a table fork.

Stir the purée into the batter and allow the mixture to rest at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes before frying.

Pour oil into a deep fryer or large, heavy saucepan to a depth of 2-3 ".

Heat the oil until it shimmers with the heat.

For each fritter, ladle approximately ¼ cup of the banana batter into the hot oil.

Deep-fry 2 or 3 banana fritters at a time, taking care to leave enough space between them to allow them to spread into 4 " rounds or oblongs.

Turning once or twice with a slotted spoon, fry for approximately 3 minutes or until the fritters are a rich golden color on all sides.

As they brown, transfer the banana fritters to paper towels and allow them to drain.

While the fritters are still warm, sprinkle lightly with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately.

Banana Pudding

• 1 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups milk (whole or 2%)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon butter (not margarine)
• 4 egg yolks (large eggs or better)
• box of Vanilla wafers
• 4-5 ripe bananas

Meringue:

• 4 egg whites, at room temperature
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375°F.

1. Line the bottom of a 9" x 9" baking dish with a layer of vanilla wafers.
2. Peel and slice the bananas into rounds and set aside. If you cover them with plastic wrap it keeps them from darkening.
3. Combine the sugar, flour and salt in a bowl, and stir well to mix. Mash out any flour lumps with the back of your spoon. Set aside.
4. In a heavy saucepan, beat the egg yolks with a fork or whisk.
5. Over medium heat, add the flour mixture to the egg yolks, alternately with the milk and vanilla, stirring constantly.
6. Bring to a gentle boil and, when the mixture begins to thicken, add the butter, continuing to stir.
7. Keep boiling and stirring until mixture reaches a nice pudding consistency. [Note: If you're working with an electric cooktop, adjust the heat so that it's hot enough to boil, but not so hot that the pudding scorches.]
8. Remove from heat.
9. Place a layer of banana slices in the baking dish on top of the vanilla wafers.
10. Pour half of the pudding over the banana layer.
11. Place another layer of vanilla wafers, another layer of banana slices, and cover with the remaining pudding.

For the meringue:

1. Beat the egg whites at high speed until they form soft peaks.
2. Add the cream of tartar. At high speed, gradually add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff peaks form.
3. Fold the vanilla into the meringue, and spread the meringue over the pudding, sealing it at the sides of the dish.

Bake in a preheated 375°F oven until meringue browns, 12 to 15 minutes, depending upon your oven. Serves 6-8.

SOUR CREAM BANANA BREAD

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup shortening

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup chopped nuts

2 large ripe bananas, mashed

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted

Cream sugar and shortening together

Add eggs and vanilla to the creamed mixture and blend.

Add bananas to the mixture.

Sift flour with dry ingredients. Add alternately with sour cream.

Stir in nuts.

Bake in 10 inch loaf pan at 375 degrees for 1 hour. Wrap in foil to store. This is a very moist bread.

Old-Fashioned Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients

• 1 9-inch pie shell, baked
• 3 cups whole milk
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten (save whites for meringue if desired)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 bananas

Directions

• Have baked 9-inch baked pie shell standing by.
• In a large saucepan, scald the milk.
• In another saucepan, combine the sugar, flour and salt; gradually stir in the scalded milk.
• Over medium heat, stirring constantly, cook until thickened.
• Cover and, stirring occasionally, cook for two minutes longer.
• In a small bowl, have the 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten, ready; Set aside the egg whites. Stir a small amount of the hot mixture into beaten yolks; when thoroughly combined, stir yolks into hot mixture.
• Cook for one minute longer, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat and blend in the butter and vanilla.
• Let sit until cooled off some and mixture is warm, not hot.
• When ready to pour, slice bananas and scatter them in the pie shell; pour warm mixture over bananas.
• If desired, make a meringue out of the 3 leftover egg whites.
• Cool until ready to serve.
• Serves 8

You can easily convert this recipe to a plain vanilla cream pie by eliminating the bananas. Or it can become a coconut cream pie by eliminating the bananas and adding one cup of shredded coconut to the milk as it's being heated.