A limp banana turning an ominous shade of brown is a common sight in fruit bowls across the land – the short window between the perfect banana and overripeness means we’re sometimes caught short. When a banana loses its firmness it becomes hard to eat as a snack, but it can be mashed and used up in a number of thrifty ways.

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Buying and storing bananas

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Consider the shelf life when buying bananas. If you want to eat them over the course of the week, choose ones that have green tinges on the ends as they can be ripened at home. To eat straight away, choose bananas with small patches of black on the skin, which is a sign of ripeness. Store in a fruit bowl rather than the fridge, as the cold temperature will make the skins go black. They’ll also make everything else in the fridge smell like bananas.

Leftover banana recipes

1. Banana bread

Toffee banana bread on blue background

A popular way of using up bananas is in a loaf or bread, and we have no shortage of recipes to keep you busy. Try a traditional loaf with icing, team it with Brazil nuts, or try our healthy banana bread with low-fat spread for breakfast. Check out our collection of banana bread recipes for lots of inspiration.

2. Baked bananas

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Let your soft and squidgy bananas meld in heavenly fashion with chocolate buttons in these whole baked bananas. If it’s not barbecue season, they’ll cook perfectly well in the oven. Contrast all the steaming gooey sweetness with a dollop of ice cream.

Chocolate baked bananas

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3. Banana muffins

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Earn brownie points by tucking one of these moreish banana and pecan muffins into a lunchbox, or serve for an easy breakfast. If you prefer, you can swap the buttermilk for milk and lemon juice.

Banana muffins

4. Microwave banana pudding

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The mashable nature of overripe bananas means they can easily be worked into a cake batter. This cheat’s pud takes merely 20 minutes in the microwave, making it an ideal no-fuss midweek pud.

Microwave banana pudding

5. Quick banana ice cream

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You don't need a fancy churner to enjoy homemade ice cream. For this version, chop your ripe bananas then freeze on a tray. Once frozen, whizz in a food processor with milk. It even counts towards your five-a-day – what more could you ask for?

Quick banana ice cream

6. Banana smoothie

Blueberry banana smoothie

Another way of getting benefits from nutritious, potassium-rich bananas is to blitz them into a smoothie. Use a pack of silken tofu to add extra protein, making it super filling.

Banana smoothie

Blitz up some more delicious banana smoothies.

7. Banana pancakes

Banana pancakes on plates

Go stateside at brunch time and flip up some fluffy pancakes with banana two-ways – sliced into thin rounds and mashed into the batter. Team with crispy bacon and syrup. Elvis would approve...

Banana pancakes

For a delicious dairy and egg-free alternative, try our coconut & banana pancakes.

8. Banana fairy cakes

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Use up your mushy bananas in a traditional sponge. These cake sale-friendly cupcakes with retro icing will go down a storm with kids.

Dotty banana fairy cakes

9. French toast

Spiced banana French toast

Try this moreish French toast with spiced banana and honey for brunch this weekend. Serve with whipped cream for a real treat.

Spiced banana honey French toast

10. Feelgood flapjacks

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Be a little more virtuous with a nutritious flapjack, packed with hidden apple and banana, healthy seeds, chewy apricots and peanut butter.

Feelgood flapjacks

More brilliant banana recipes...

Banana recipe collection
Vegan banana pancakes recipe video
Easiest ever banana ice cream recipe video

How do you use up leftover bananas? Leave a comment below…

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As many countries urge populations to stay at home, many of us are paying more attention to our diets and how the food we eat can support our health. To help sort out the fact from the fiction, BBC Future is updating some of their most popular nutrition stories from their archive.

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