Freezing Method: Mashed And Frozen In A Single Layer
- Timing: 15 minutes
About this method: Peeling and mashing bananas for future use is a super common bakery trick. The mash can be measured and frozen in quart-sized bags for specific recipes. All the mashing work is done up front and you have frozen bananas puree at the ready.
Results: Despite being skeptical about this method, we had to give it a go. This method worked best for baking and was a complete failure for smoothies The pre-mashed bananas couldnt be measured out for one smoothie and gave it a slightly starchy texture .
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How To Freeze Large Banana Pieces
If you’re working on a baking project where you mash your bananas before using, but you don’t want to bother mashing them before you freeze them, you can leave them in larger pieces.
Banana Oatmeal Pancakes Faq
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How do you make healthy banana pancakes? You only need 7 ingredients to make healthy banana pancakes. Mix together oat flour, rolled oats, baking powder, eggs, mashed banana, vanilla, and coconut oil. Then, cook over low/medium heat.
Can you make pancakes with oatmeal? Girl, yes you can make pancakes with oatmeal! And, if oatmeal is the only grain you have in your home, no fear, because you can grind your oats into oat flour in order to make the most delicious oatmeal pancake recipe out there!
Can I use steel cut oats instead? We do not recommend using steel-cut oatmeal for this recipe as they are too coarse.
How do you make healthy banana pancakes without eggs? While we havent officially tested this method, feel free to substitute the eggs in these healthy oatmeal pancakes for flax eggs. Check out our tutorial on how to make a flax egg.
Are banana pancakes good for you? Banana pancakes are a healthy breakfast option that pack in whole grains, a serving of fruit, fiber, and protein! These banana oat pancakes are dairy-free, gluten-free, kid-friendly, and freezer-friendly!
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Do You Freeze Bananas With The Skin On Or Off
The answer to whether you should freeze bananas with the skin on or off is subjective. Generally, it is recommended to peel the banana before freezing it, as this makes it easier to use in recipes and gives a smoother consistency.
It is also helpful to cut the banana into small slices or chunks before freezing for easy access. Frozen bananas can be used for smoothies and baking, making them easier to measure and mix. If you plan to use the bananas for other recipes such as ice cream, frozen desserts, or sauces, it is best to leave the skin on and mash it before adding it to the recipe.
Doing this will help provide a creamier texture while still preserving the bananas flavor. If you choose to freeze the banana with the skin on, it is important to wrap it properly in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container to avoid freezer burn.
All The Ways To Use Frozen Bananas
There are so many ways to put frozen bananas to work. I like to use them straight from the freezer for smoothies. They adds an extra-thick and creamy texture and a slightly sweeter taste than fresh bananas. You can also use them to make banana ice cream, stir them into a batch of baked oatmeal cups, or toss a couple pieces straight from the freezer into a pot of oatmeal. To use frozen bananas in baked goods, like quick bread, muffins, cake, and cookies, be sure to first thaw the bananas completely.
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Recipe Tips & Substitutions
- You can freeze as many as several bunches of bananas at a time, assuming you have enough room in your freezer.
- Bananas are ripe when they are soft to the touch, have brown spots on them, have a mild or strong odor of bananas, or have turned brown around the edges. Some types of bananas may not have obvious signs of ripening, so you do need to keep an eye on them.
- Frozen bananas will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To use your frozen banana chunks for smoothies, just take out as many bananas as you need for each smoothie .
The Right Blender For Smoothies
There is no wrong blender for smoothies. Youll want a blender that has a fairly strong motor and can easily break down ice or frozen fruit. Depending on the other uses and frequency of use, a blender may or may not be an item youd like to splurge on.
My favorite picks
Over $100
- I have a BlendTec blender which I love. I use it frequently for everything from smoothies, soups and hummus to caesar salad dressing.
Under $100
- The Ninja Blender is a great price for a blender and perfect if youre looking for a solid blender under $100! This blender has great reviews with great reviews!
Under $30
- If you dont blend a ton, it wouldnt make sense to invest in an expensive appliance. Consider a simple hand blender I use mine to blend soups like my 20 Minute Broccoli Cheese Soup.
- I also have a magic bullet blender thats perfect for smoothies, blending spices and I even use it to make fresh bread crumbs.
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For Freezing Ripe Bananas
Steps 1-2:
1. Let your bananas ripen until they are just past the point where you would want to eat them fresh out of the peel. The skin will be soft and covered all over with dark brown or black spots, indicating that the starches have turned to simple sugars.
2. To freeze bananas, simply peel them and freeze them whole. This keeps them from sticking together. They are fairly easy to slice even when frozen. Put them in glass or other freezer-friendly containers, labeling the quantity of bananas on the top. I usually freeze them in containers of 2, for smoothie bowls, or 4, for nice cream.
Step 3:
3. When you are ready to use your frozen bananas, pull the amount needed from the freezer and let them thaw just a little bit. They should still be frozen but just soft enough to dent slightly if squeezed. This gives the blender something to grab onto, making the creamiest soft-serve style smoothie bowls or nice cream ever.
There are so many ways to use frozen ripe bananas. My two favorite ways are in:
How Long Will Bananas Last In The Freezer
Bananas can last in the freezer for up to three months if they are stored in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. It is also important to make sure that the banana is peeled before it is stored since the peel can become tough and leathery if frozen.
Bananas can be used straight from the freezer in smoothies, baking, and sauces. If frozen bananas are thawed, they should be consumed within a few days of thawing, as the texture and flavor will not be the same as the original banana.
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How To Thaw Frozen Bananas
If you want to use a frozen banana in a baking recipe, like my vegan banana bread, remove the banana from the freezer and let it thaw in a bowl at room temperature for about 2 hours.
Keep in mind that bananas look pretty unappealing when they thaw from the freezer! The banana will be mushy, and will release a lot of liquid but you want to use ALL of that in the recipe, since its the natural moisture found in a fresh banana.
Dont be tempted to drain the liquid, or it might affect your final baked goods.
Can You Freeze Bananas In A Ziploc Bag
Yes, you can freeze bananas in a Ziploc bag. Bananas can be frozen whole, peeled, sliced, mashed, or pureedall in a Ziploc bag. To freeze, place the bananas in a freezer-safe bag, removing as much air as possible before sealing.
For whole, unpeeled bananas, theres no need to pre-treat the fruit with anything else. For pre-sliced bananas, lay them flat in the bag . Spread out mashed bananas or purees in an even layer.
When youre ready to use the bananas, thaw them in the fridge overnight or for a few days. Alternatively, you can thaw them on the kitchen counter, but it may take a few hours. Be sure to thaw bananas out of the bag to prevent them from becoming mushy.
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How Do I Thaw Frozen Bananas
To make things extra easy on your blender, you can thaw your bananas . So for banana slices or chunks, all you need to do is take the amount that you need and thaw them at room temperature.
*A half an hour should do the trick. Although, for a complete thaw it takes 1-2 hours.
If your bananas are mashed and in a Ziploc bag, simply place the bag under running water. Just make sure its sealed well!
**Some people will also defrost frozen bananas with a microwavefor a few minutes.
Nicely frozen bananas are ready to smoothie, will make your life easierand your drinks way creamier!
Also, heres A Sweet Pea Chef shopping hack: keep an eye out for reduced-price bananas! Most likely they are fully ripe, which most people would avoid.
But because you now know the banana freeze techniquetheyre perfect!
Freeze Them In Large Pieces
If youre working on a baking project where you mash your bananas before using, but you dont want to bother mashing them before you freeze them, you can leave them in larger pieces.
These top-rated Mocha Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins are easy to blend together with frozen, defrosted banana chunks.
Try these recipes:
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How To Freeze Brown Bananas
Peel your bananas and mash them. Wed recommend portioning them out in labelled resealable freezer bags, for example, two mashed bananas per freezer bag is a handy portion to have at the ready. Remove any excess air before sealing, then freeze flat. Be sure to label how many bananas are in each bag. Frozen bananas are best used within six months.
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How To Keep Frozen Bananas From Turning Brown
To prevent frozen banana slices from turning brown, store them in an airtight container. If the banana chunks are exposed to air in the freezer, they will turn brown. The same goes for frozen whole peeled bananas.
When whole unpeeled bananas are frozen, the skin will turn brown. But this wont affect the banana flesh. This part will stay yellow, given there are no breaks in the skin before the banana is frozen.
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Pull Apart The Bananas Into Strips
Heres the trick for the best frozen bananas for smoothies and frozen treats. First, break the bananas in half or into thirds. Then pull apart these pieces lengthwise into strips.
Thats it.
These long, thin strips wont stick to the pan in the freezer. Theyre easier to separate when you need them, and they blend into a smoothie or nice cream with little effort required.
Plus, they make a fun shape for kids to dip at snack time.
How To Freeze Mashed Bananas
Mashing bananas before you freeze them is a quick and easy way to prep overripe bananas, especially if you’re going to use them in recipes that call for mashed bananas, such as banana bread or muffins.
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How To Use Frozen Bananas
If using frozen bananas for smoothies or banana ice cream, you can add them to the blender directly from the freezer.
On the other hand, if youre planning to use the frozen bananas in recipes like muffins, banana bread, or other baked goods, you should thaw them first.
There are several ways to thaw bananas. A simple method is to place them in a bowl or plate and let them defrost at room temperature for about 2 hours.
You can also microwave them using the defrost setting for 24 minutes, or place them in a bag and submerge them in warm water for 1015 minutes.
Ideally, use frozen bananas within about 6 months. If you leave them in the freezer any longer, they may develop freezer burn. Fortunately, while freezer burned bananas may be of lower quality, theyre still safe to eat.
summary
For recipes like smoothies or ice cream, you can use frozen bananas straight from the freezer. For most baked goods, you should thaw the bananas first. Generally, try to use frozen bananas within about 6 months.
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The Best Way To Freeze Bananas: My Top 3 Tricks
1. FREEZE BANANAS IN SLICES Bananas cut into slices freeze faster, thaw faster, store more neatly, and blend better. This makes them ideal for using frozen in smoothies, blending into banana nice cream, or thawing to mash for banana bread, banana muffins, pancakes, etc.
2. CUT YOUR BANANAS INTO EVEN AMOUNTS I cut all my bananas into 8 slices. That way I always know grabbing 8 slices = 1 banana, or 4 slices = 1/2 a banana, etc. It makes for easy measuring for recipes!
3. FREEZE BANANA SLICES IN A SINGLE LAYER BEFORE PUTTING THEM IN A BAG. By flash-freezing your banana slices before transferring them to a bag, they wont stick together in a large clump. Itll be easier to pull out exactly what you need and easier to use them when you need them!
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Can You Freeze Bananas
First things first can you actually freeze bananas? As it turns out, yes: you can! Well, at least as long as you do it properly.
Bananas are almost 75% water. This large amount of water means that they can fare badly if they arent frozen properly, leading to issues like freezer burn .
To prevent problems like these, you need to make sure that the bananas are kept in an airtight container.
Cold air permeating food is one of the biggest causes of freezer burn, so keeping freezing air out will make sure that the bananas stay in good condition.
While there can be some issues with freezing bananas, as long as you do it properly, you shouldnt have any problems.
So lets take a look at the right way to freeze bananas!
This Is The Best Meal Prep Hack
Ive been freezing bananas for ages now, especially since Im a big smoothie fanatic. But theres actually so many things, in addition to smoothies, I find myself using frozen bananas for. Theres my paleo banana bread thats always on repeat or these extra chewy banana oatmeal cookies. But, Ill go over more options below.
Needless to say, it never hurts to prep some frozen bananas. Its quick, easy, and wont take up that much space in your freezer! And hey, it may even encourage you to make more healthy recipes. Thats always a bonus right?
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Freezing Bananas For Baking Or Smoothies:
Lets say you cant commit to having a dedicated stash of whole bananas in peel for baking, plus a freezer bag of slices for smoothies, you can meet in the middle.
Peel bananas and leave them whole.
Place them on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.
Place whole frozen bananas in a large freezer bag and freeze up to 6 months.
When you want to bake, you just pull out a few bananas and let them thaw.
When you want a smoothie, you can grab a frozen banana and throw it in.
The downside to this method is that your blender might have more trouble blending a whole frozen banana than chunks.
How To Freeze Bananas For The Perfect Smoothie
by GwenJun 8
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Ok. So maybe you know this already, but when I first started making my breakfast shakes, I wasnt sure how to freeze bananas.
So after some trial and error, Ive perfected it to an art form.
But I figured if I didnt really know the best way at first, I should go ahead and share this little tip.
Supplies? All you need other than your bananas is a ziploc bag.
First, peel your bananas. This is the secret. If you dont peel them before hand, youll have a big mess and its not fun. Get the fun out of the way first and peel like a hungry chimpanzee.
Next, and second most importantly, break your bananas in half. I break them in half because then they fit perfectly into my awesome Ninja Blender Single Serve containers.
If you dont have a Ninja, I LOVE mine! Im serious as a 19th century, one room school teacher in a car of clowns. The personal sized containers blend ice and frozen fruit like nobodys bidness.
Then, just plop your bananas in the bag. Make sure they are flat and in one layer. If you want, you can suck all the air to sort of vacuum pack them.
Freeze for several hours.
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