Recipes: For overripe bananas

Overripe banana recipes | Project Soul

I LOVE bananas because they are the #1 food in my house that is zero food waste. Not 1 banana ever ends up in the compost. Plenty of skins do though! 

 

The facts on bananas:

  • They are loaded with potassium and fibre

  • Reduce stress, anxiety and depression - they contain tryptophan and 30% of your daily vitamin B6 which helps the brain produce serotonin (the feel good hormone)

  • Tryptophan also helps you sleep. Bananas are a great snack if you have trouble getting to sleep or wake up hungry in the middle of the night

  • The potassium content helps to control high blood pressure

  • B6 helps to even out blood sugar levels, avoiding those sugar highs and lows

  • The natural sugar provides long lasting energy - great before workouts

  • The fibre content provides a food source for beneficial bacteria within the digestive tract and will help you feel fuller for longer

 

There are a million and one ways to eat or cook with an overripe banana. Thankfully, since if you are like me, you don't like eating them once they get to this very ripened stage. 

Bananas freeze really well, so if I don't have time to cook anything, then I'll break them up and pop them in containers in the freezer to use in smoothies. 

The other advantage to overripe bananas is you can buy them really cheaply from the shop or fruit market. I hate food waste, so if I can turn something that is about to be thrown out, into a nourishing snack, then I'm happy! 

The cooking of these quick, yummy, healthy snacks were the result of some overripe bananas, leftover ricotta in my fridge and pantry items:

Oat, almond and seed cookies | Project Soul

Oat, Almond and Seed Cookies 

(A Donna Hay magazine recipe) 

  • 1 medium banana

  • 2 tablespoons almond butter

  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut

  • 60g dates (pitted and chopped)

  • 1/4 cup linseeds (flaxseeds)

  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds

  • 1/2 cup almonds, chopped

  • 1/3 cup rolled oats

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

  2. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix to combine.

  3. Roll 2 tablespoons of mixture in a ball and place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Gently flatten.

  4. Cook for 12-15 minutes or until golden.

  5. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

  6. You can store these cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week (if they last that long!)

 

Banana ricotta muffins | Project Soul

Banana Ricotta Muffins

  • 5 tablespoons honey

  • 1 organic egg

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 3 bananas, mashed

  • 2 cups white whole wheat flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup ricotta cheese

  • 1/2 - 1 cup 70% dark chocolate, chopped (or I use cacao nibs)

  1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees.

  2. In a mixing bowl, combine mashed banana, honey, egg and vanilla.

  3. To the mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix again.

  4. Fold in ricotta cheese and then chocolate

  5. Grease cupcake tin and spoon batter in.

  6. For mini-muffins, bake 10-12 minutes, until cooked all the way through. For regular size muffins, bake about 15-18 minutes until baked through. Do not overcook or they will be dry.

  7. Remove and cool on wire rack.

  8. Store in an airtight container or alternatively, they can be put in the freezer.

 

Other ways to use overripe bananas: 

/ Put frozen banana in a blender and make instant banana icecream, or add to smoothies 

/ Banana pancakes 

/ Banana frittatas 

/ Banana bread (this recipe from The Healthy Chef is fantastic - and gluten-free) 

 

Happy (overripe) banana baking! 

Kate xo

 

 

References:

The Essential Edible Pharmacy by Sophie Manolas

Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal by Fran Berkoff RD and Joe Schwarcz PhD

 

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