How Do You Freeze Bananas For Smoothies

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How Do You Freeze Them Without Turning Brown

How To Cut And Freeze Bananas For Smoothies & Banana Nice cream

If youve had frozen bananas turn brown before, that probably means that they have been exposed to too much air in the freezer. This can happen when the container that they are stored in doesnt get sealed properly.

To prevent your bananas from browning, make sure they are stored in a securely sealed airtight container, and use them within 3 months for the best flavor and texture.

Technically, frozen bananas should be safe to eat for 6 months or more, as long as they are stored properly, but thats usually when they start to turn darker and more unappealing, in my experience.

If you cut your banana into 1-inch pieces before freezing, Ive found that 1 cup of thick banana slices is roughly equivalent to 1 large banana. If you cut your bananas thinner than 1-inch, it may be closer to 3/4 cup of slices, since they will fit more compactly into a measuring cup.

Step 1 Peel And Slice

Yes, you have to peel your bananas you probably figured that out. BUT the best way to prep bananas for being frozen is NOT to just throw them in the freezer and call it a day. You want to slice them into coins that are about ½ and inch thick.

Highly recommend using a good, sharp ceramic knife to do this to make it quick and easy!

Why Freeze Bananas For Smoothies

There are several reasons why you may want to freeze a banana. I will just quickly go through some of the top reasons and any downsides to freezing them.

The first point is obvious but nonetheless an important one. By freezing your bananas correctly, you will extend their lifespan by up to six months. This is pretty important if you enjoy having bananas all year round and love to stock up while theyre cheap.

If youre going to use them for a smoothie, then you will be happy to know that you will end up with a creamier and thicker drink once blended. You can use these in delicious banana smoothie combinations or other types of smoothies where banana isnt the main ingredient.

If youre like me, then you can also just eat frozen bananas as is. Eating them frozen is like an all-natural icy pole, and I highly recommend giving it a try.

You can also use frozen bananas for more than just smoothies. Theyre even great for baking, such as making delicious banana bread and so much more.

Now lets talk about the best process of freezing this fantastic fruit.

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How Do I Freeze Bananas Without Them Turning Brown

By storing bananas in an airtight container, you can maintain their light yellow color. The brown discoloration is a sign that theyve been exposed to air in the freezer, so if you see this happening youll know that your container has leaks!

A smart technique I like to use involves flash freezing the banana slices for about 2 hours before securing them in a glass mason jar or another freezer-safe container.

Frozen bananas can last in your container for up to 3 months after that.

Banana Oatmeal Pancakes Faq

Banana Freezing 101

Read more: ice milk tea how to make

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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Freeze Them In Large 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.

  • Again, start by peeling your bananas, which will make defrosting them a breeze.
  • Cut the bananas in half or large chunks, and throw them in a resealable plastic bag for later use.
  • These top-rated Mocha Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins are easy to blend together with frozen, defrosted banana chunks.

    Try these recipes:

    Step 2 Prepare For Freezing

    Once you have them sliced its time to spread them onto a baking sheet in ONE even layer. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper first and fill the sheet with your banana coins, making sure to not stack them. If you stack them it will be hard to break them apart once frozen!

    Freezing them like this ensures that you have frozen bananas that are separate and not one big mushy mess when you go to take them from the freezer!

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    How To Thaw Frozen Bananas

    Youll want to thaw frozen bananas if youre using them to bake with.

    • Remove the amount of frozen bananas youll be using.
    • Place the frozen bananas in a bowl to thaw on their own or keep frozen banana slices in baggie and soak baggie is a bowl filled with warm water.
    • Mash the frozen bananas with a fork or potato masher before they are fully thawed

    How To Freeze Bananas For Smoothies:

    How to FREEZE Bananas

    Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Cut the bananas into approximately 1/2 inch slices and place them on the baking sheet.

    Place in the freezer for 30 minutes until the bananas are frozen. Then remove the bananas from the baking sheet. Place them in a freezer bag, remove air, seal tightly and freeze for 3-6 months.

    I like to also freeze banana slices to use for yogurt parfaits or to snack on. Flash freezing is the way to go and just pop them into baggies. If you are making smoothies, it is so easy to just take the amount of frozen bananas you need out of the bag.

    The entire family loves Peanut Butter Banana Smoothies and this is so handy to have frozen bananas ready to go.

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    How To Freeze Bananas For Banana Bread:

    I like to freeze bananas wholes for banana bread. I freeze 3-4 in a baggie.

    You can also mash your bananas prior to freezing as another option. Just place them in the baggy and mash thoroughly. Once they were nice and mushy, I just smoothed it out flat and laid it in my freezer.

    Since it is freezing flat, they thaw very quickly. You cans simply lay it in some hot water and they will thaw in no time. Or you can thaw it in your fridge or on your counter.

    Why You Need This Recipe

    • 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.
    • Youll know when a banana is not ripe when it is hard, green, or has no odor. Sometimes it can take up to several days for a banana to ripen on the countertop. If you want to help a banana ripe faster, you can always place them in a paper bag for a few days.
    • The problem is that when a banana ripens, it can go bad pretty quickly. A banana is over-ripe when the skin turns black or it becomes mushy.
    • But, dont worry! You can use frozen ripe bananas in so many ways, including in smoothies, ice creams, dairy-free soft serves, oatmeal, and in baked goods.

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    Can You Freeze Bananas At Home

    Absolutely! Learn how to freeze bananas in this article to help save you money, time, and food waste. Frozen bananas are a great ingredient for many different types of recipes. From baby food, smoothies, to baking, frozen bananas are a win-win.

    You will never waste another ripe, or semi ripe banana again once you discover how easy it is to freeze bananas.

    Tips And Tricks For Perfect Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

    Have You Been Freezing Bananas All Wrong?

    Ripe Bananas: the riper your bananas, the sweeter your pancakes will be.

    Cook Low and Slow: the key to making sure these pancakes cook fully is cooking them low and slow. So, make sure to set your burner to low and be patient!

    Flip When Bubbling: you know your pancakes are ready to flip when little bubbles begin to form on the outsides.

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    How To Freeze Whole Bananas

    Freezing whole bananas couldn’t be easier simply peel them, place them into an airtight container, and stick them in the freezer. It is important that the container really is airtight, or they’ll turn brown. If the bananas are too large for your container, simply break them up in half. This is the best method for freezing bananas if you need to know how many bananas you’re using for your recipes.

    How To Freeze Bananas For Smoothies

    Heres an easy hack on How to Freeze Bananas for Smoothies. Adding frozen organic bananas to your smoothies makes them deliciously rich and creamy.

    Freezing bananas is super easy and its so convenient to have frozen sliced bananas stashed in the freezer for adding to smoothies oatmeal and banana bread.

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    Faq + Tips & Tricks For Freezing Bananas

    CUT THE BANANAS INTO EVEN SLICES. I know I mentioned this above, but in case you missed it, I suggest cutting all your bananas into 8 slices. That way, you know how many to grab for a recipe. Its an easy way to keep things simple later!

    FREEZE THE BANANA SLICES A BIT BEFORE TRANSFERRING TO A BAG. I recommend not skipping the initial freezing steppartially freezing them on the baking sheet before transferring to a bag, keeps the bananas from freezing in one giant clump makes it easy to blend or thaw them later!

    TRY A SILICONE BAKING MAT! To cut down on kitchen waste, you can use a silicone baking mat instead of parchment paper. These reusable nonstick mats are also great for making cookies, making focaccia, and so much more!

    GREAT REUSABLE FREEZER BAGS. Another way to reduce kitchen waste is to use reusable silicone bags instead of plastic ones. We LOVE silicone bags because theyre freezer, dishwasher, oven, refrigerator, microwave, and boiling water safe. They can handle it all! I *will* say that if using the bags for frozen bananas, I typically dont keep bananas in there longer than 2 months.

    HOW LONG WILL FROZEN BANANAS STAY FRESH? This comprehensive guide from the FDA says frozen bananas are safe for at least 2-3 months in an airtight bag. Technically, the bananas wont go *bad* longer than that, but they will likely be susceptible to freezer burn, which can impact the flavor.

    Freezing Method: Mashed And Frozen In A Single Layer

    How To Freeze Bananas For Smoothies (DIY)
    • Timing: 15 minutes
    • Rating: 3/10

    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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    Smoothie making might be the easiest thing youve ever done. It takes less than 5 minutes and you only need one kitchen tool- a blender!

  • Place all of your ingredients into a high-speed blender.
  • Blend on high until smooth.
  • Add more almond milk as needed to thin out your smoothie to your liking.
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    Can You Pre Make Smoothies

    How to make a smoothie to cook with Take several resealable bags with you. Take the time on Sunday afternoon to tailor-make smoothie packs. Load fresh food. Then load up your favorite fruits and vegetables. To freeze. Place each carefully labeled bag in the freezer and pat yourself on the back. Add liquid and stir.

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    How To Make A Smoothie

    Instructions Step one Place the strawberries, banana and yogurt in the blender jar. Whisk until the fruit is well blended, scrubbing the sides of the bowl if necessary. Step two Add ice cubes until the ice is blended. Step three. Fill glasses and top with each serving of Reddiwip. Use it immediately.

    For Freezing Ripe Bananas

    Banana Split with Nice Cream

    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:

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    How To Freeze Bananas

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    Are bananas a staple for you when it comes to smoothies and baking? Me too! Check out this post on how to freeze bananas for an easy step by step tutorial on how to slice bananas and save them in the freezer for later.

    What Makes A Smoothie Creamy

    Zucchini makes this creamy super creamy. And it adds lots of fiber, antioxidants, B vitamins and vitamin C! Then add hemp seeds for healthy fats, amino acids and proteins, cinnamon for blood sugar stabilization and anti-inflammatory effects, and coconut milk for creamy and antibacterial properties.

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    What Is A Healthy Smoothie Recipe

    COMBINE avocado, orange juice, red grapefruit juice, strawberries, bananas, ice and maple syrup in blender. BLEND until smooth, pour between 2 glasses. Mix equal parts skim milk, light vanilla yogurt, and fruit. 1/2 cup of each shake is a healthy 150-calorie shake. The fruit can be fresh, canned or frozen.

    How To Freeze Fruit For Smoothies

    How to Freeze Bananas for Smoothies | Best Way to Freeze Bananas to Save Money

    To make smoothies even easier, freeze fresh fruit into portions. You can even prepare smoothie packs and freeze them for a grab-and-blend smoothie option.

    To freeze fruit for smoothies, rinse and chop fresh fruit into small pieces. Pat them dry then arrange, in one layer, on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Slide the baking sheet into the freezer and freeze until hard .

    When the fruit is hard, divide it between freezer-safe bags and keep it in the freezer for your next smoothie.

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    Can You Freeze Smoothies

    First things first, can you freeze your smoothies? Yes, you can. In fact, freezing smoothies can be a great way to cut down on preparation time. By opting to freeze, say, a weeks work of smoothies, you can save the time it would take you to make a smoothie every day.

    There are two ways to go about freezing smoothies: the pre-made, pre-packaged method and the ice tray method. Both of these methods yield the same results. The difference comes down to freezer storage and space.

    Freezing Method: Torn Into Strips

    • Timing: 10 minutes prep time, 1 hour freezing time.
    • Rating: 9/10

    About this method: This method for freezing bananas is popular with meal prepping smoothie makers who stock their freezer for daily smoothie making. We first saw it in Catherine McCords The Smoothie Project book. The bananas are peeled and then torn, not cut, into baton-like pieces. Freeze these pieces on parchment paper lined trays and then move to a bag or container for longer term storage.

    Results: This seemingly fussy method actually proved to be the best. While it wasnt any faster than the sliced and individually frozen method, it made measuring each for baking, but it also blended the fastest in smoothie and ice cream making and made for a creamier finished smoothie. Something about the narrow shape of the batons made them thaw faster with less weeping, and perhaps gently tearing the bananas, instead of cutting them with a knife, made for a less starchy smoothie and cookie. Despite any misgivings we had about the work required for this method, it just proved to have the very best results.

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