Bananas have plenty of health benefits [1], but you might get a little bored of always eating them au naturel or in a smoothie. Fortunately, there are so many other ways to enjoy this tasty fruit, from sweet treats like muffins, cookies, and ice cream to crowd-pleasers like banana bread and pancakes.
We've got vegan and Paleo options, dairy-free and gluten-free recipes, healthy choices, and downright decadent dishes collected together for your enjoyment, all of which will satisfy your banana craving. There's peanut butter, there's Nutella, there are twists on banoffee pie — what's not to love? Browse our pick of 21 delicious recipes here, and check out more awesome ways to use overripe bananas [2] that even Eric of 29 Acacia Road — aka Bananaman himself [3] — would enjoy.
No-Churn 2-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream
Yes, you really can make your own banana ice cream without an ice cream machine — and with only two ingredients: bananas and condensed milk. You can add a third ingredient, cinnamon, to sprinkle on top for that final flourish.
Get the recipe: no-churn 2-ingredient banana ice cream [4]
Paleo Banana Pancakes With Coconut Flour
These light and fluffy Paleo banana pancakes are naturally sweetened, and are free from gluten, grain, and dairy, too. They're made with tapioca starch, coconut flour, and unsweetened vanilla almond milk.
Get the recipe: Paleo banana pancakes with coconut flour [5]
Butterscotch Banana Bread
Banana bread just got sweeter with the addition of butterscotch chips, and cinnamon and nutmeg deepen the flavour.
Get the recipe: butterscotch banana bread [6]
Peanut Butter Banana French-Toast Bake
This tasty dish is perfect for brunch, and uses staples like eggs, peanut butter, unsweetened almond milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla extract, sliced bread, and bananas.
Get the recipe: peanut butter banana French-toast bake [7]
Fluffy No-Bake Chocolate Banoffee Pie
There's no baking involved in this tasty dessert, just a chocolate biscuit and melted butter base that sets in the fridge, with a topping of heavy cream whipped with dulce de leche. It's then sprinkled with banana slices, chocolate sauce, and toffee bits.
Get the recipe: fluffy no-bake chocolate banoffee pie [8]
Hazelnut Banana-Nut Muffins
Calling all Nutella fans: these banana muffins contain chopped hazelnuts and a swirl of your favourite hazelnut spread.
Get the recipe: hazelnut banana-nut muffins [9]
Healthy Gluten-Free Banana Bread
This easy gluten-free recipe involves placing the bananas, eggs, oil, milk, rolled oats, baking powder, and flavourings in a blender before folding in chocolate chips.
Get the recipe: healthy gluten-free banana bread [10]
Banana Bread Pudding
If you love bread pudding and you love bananas, then put 'em together! There's custard, there's vanilla sauce, there's French bread — what's not to love?
Get the recipe: banana bread pudding [11]
Banana Nutella "Éclairs"
This quick and easy treat uses premade puff pastry, bananas, and Nutella. Add an egg wash for shine and pecans or hazelnuts for an optional extra crunch.
Get the recipe: banana Nutella "Éclairs" [12]
Paleo French Toast With Fried Bananas and Salted Coconut Caramel
This fluffy Paleo bread (which contains almond flour and tapioca flour) is topped with fried cinnamon bananas and rich caramel made with coconut sugar.
Get the recipe: Paleo French toast with fried bananas and salted coconut caramel [13]
Simple Banana-Bread Cobbler
Baked in a skillet with butterscotch chips and baked bananas, this cobbler uses standard ingredients like self-raising flour, sugar, milk, butter, oats, and pecans.
Get the recipe: simple banana-bread cobbler [14]
Gluten-Free Banana Oatmeal Pancakes
These gluten-free pancakes are made with oat flour and rolled oats, plus eggs, coconut oil, and mashed banana.
Get the recipe: gluten-free banana oatmeal pancakes [15]
Easy Mini Banoffee Pies
Shop-bought ingredients make these cute little banoffee pies a breeze to construct by filling ready-baked pastry shells with dulce de leche, sliced bananas, cream, and chocolate shavings.
Get the recipe: easy mini banoffee pies [16]
Banana Pecan Crumb Muffins
Give your banana muffins a pecan twist and a crunchy topping with crumbly streusel.
Get the recipe: banana pecan crumb muffins [17]
Vegan Cookie Dough Banana Ice Cream
This vegan banana ice cream with cookie dough is free from gluten, dairy, and refined sugar, too. The ice cream involves freezing banana slices overnight, and the cookie dough is made from chickpeas, natural peanut butter, agave nectar, and chocolate chips.
Get the recipe: vegan cookie dough banana ice cream [18]
Peanut Butter and Banana Bars With Rum
You actually make your own peanut butter for this recipe, with peanuts, buckwheat, desiccated coconut, coconut oil, and maple going into the bars. The filling is made from medjool dates, banana, vanilla essence, and rum. Yum!
Get the recipe: peanut butter and banana bars with rum [19]
Gluten-Free Blackout Banana-Bread Cake
This banana-bread cake is made with brown rice flour, raw cacao (or cocoa) powder, coconut sugar, and coconut oil (amongst other things), and is smothered with a rich, dark chocolate ganache made with coconut milk.
Get the recipe: gluten-free blackout banana-bread cake [20]
Vegan Gluten-Free Oatmeal Banana Cookies
You only need three ingredients for these vegan, gluten-free, naturally sweetened cookies: mashed banana, rolled oats (which you can make ground oat flour from too), and dark chocolate chips. You can add more to the mix, though, like spices, dried fruit, or seeds.
Get the recipe: vegan gluten-free oatmeal banana cookies [21]
Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream
You don't need a machine to make this ice cold treat, and it only uses three ingredients: overripe bananas (cut into slices and frozen), peanut butter, and vanilla extract.
Get the recipe: peanut butter banana ice cream [22]
Healthy Vegan Banana Chocolate-Chip Muffins
These healthy, whole wheat muffins are moist thanks to the applesauce, and vegan thanks to flaxseeds, which do the binding job instead of eggs when combined with water.
Get the recipe: healthy banana chocolate-chip muffins [23]
Banana Cupcakes With Nutella Frosting
These banana cupcakes have spices like cinnamon and nutmeg in them, and you add sugar, butter, and cream to the Nutella to make the icing.
Get the recipe: banana cupcakes with Nutella frosting [24]