Freezing bananas is a great way to reduce waste and keep ripe bananas on hand. Many baking recipes call for ripe bananas for their sweet flavor and soft texture, which may be hard to find at a moment’s notice if they aren’t already sitting on your counter. Ripe bananas work so well in baking because their texture is perfect – soft and easy to mash – and they are actually sweeter than barely ripe bananas. This makes it possible to use less sugar in the recipe. When it comes to using frozen bananas in smoothies, not only do they add great flavor, but also a creamy texture. Follow these simple steps for how to freeze bananas for smoothies, baking, and more.
When to Freeze Bananas
The best time to freeze bananas is when they have developed some brown spots but aren’t overly mushy. These spots indicate that the bananas are ripe and at peak sweetness, making them perfect for smoothies or baking. Once frozen, bananas won’t continue to ripen, so it’s ideal to freeze them at this stage to lock in the flavor and sweetness for future use. Just remember to freeze them before they get too soft for the best texture in your recipes!
Step three: Transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container.
Transfer the frozen banana slices or bananas to a freezer-safe bag or container and store them in the freezer for up to three months.
Step two: Flash-freeze the bananas
Put the parchment-lined baking sheet in the freezer for four hours to freeze the bananas. Flash freezing the bananas will prevent them from sticking together when you transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag.
Step four: Use your frozen bananas
You will want to thaw your banana before you use them in most recipes. The exception to this is smoothies. Frozen banana pieces make a great replacement for ice cubes. To thaw the bananas, take out just want you need and allow them to come to room temperature on a plate on your counter. This should take less than an hour for whole banana and less than 30 minutes for the pieces. If you find these steps and tips helpful for freezing bananas or make any of my banana recipes, I would be so grateful if you came back and left me a comment letting me know! You can also use them just as they are! Just blend your frozen banana pieces to make banana ice cream. It’s a great healthy treat.
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