Five ways to repurpose overripe bananas

With the year winding down, many of us are struggling to care for ourselves. As I’m sure most of you have encountered some moldy food this semester, it’s important to keep an eye on perishable foods. But before tossing out a common food that you think is about to go bad, reconsider.

Bananas are a staple in my diet, but once they brown faster than I can eat them, the brownish and squishy bananas all of a sudden become all too unappealing. But instead of throwing away the overly ripened bananas, try to repurpose them.

1. Banana breads and muffins. These sweet treats usually call for overripe bananas to make the texture better and the banana flavor stronger. If you’re looking to enjoy a slice of banana bread with your coffee in the morning, try out this super easy recipe:

Ingredients:

Yellow Cake Mix

2 eggs

3­4 overripe bananas

1/2 – ­1 cup chocolate chips, nuts, etc. (optional)

Simply mash the bananas first, and then add your cake mix, eggs, and any additional ingredients. Stir until well combined. Spray either two small or one large loaf pan and pour the mixture into the pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes if using smaller pans, and longer for the larger pan. It’s as easy as that.

2. Breakfast. If you’re craving some pancakes for breakfast instead, mashed bananas can be an egg replacement in pancake batters. They will give your pancakes not only more flavor, but also more nutrition.

One of the easiest ways to use up a browned banana is by throwing it into the blender. Bananas are the base of a majority of smoothies due to the creamy texture and flavor they give to a smoothie. For a classic peanut butter and banana smoothie, blend a ripened banana or two with some yogurt or milk, ice, peanut butter and/or vanilla and honey.

3. Smoothie. Another classic is a strawberry-banana smoothie in case you’ve got some strawberries lying around that are going to go bad soon too.

4. Popsicles.If you’ve got some Nutella lying around, you could easily indulge in a sweet and creamy treat. Blend six overripe bananas into a puree and add a half cup of Nutella to the mixture and blend. Pour the chocolatey liquid into popsicle molds and freeze until firm for about three or four hours.

5. Ice cream. If you don’t have a popsicle mold, no worries! You can still indulge in guilt­free “ice cream” by freezing your ripened bananas first. Blend (I use a food processor) frozen chunks of bananas until smooth. You can stop here and enjoy a creamy, sweet “ice cream” or continue on by adding some of my favorites like peanut butter or cocoa powder or even both. These additions will give your banana ice cream richer flavor.

So, back away from the garbage and pull out some baking or blending equipment. Your bananas might look bad on the outside, but they can still make for a delicious treat regardless of looks. Try some of these easy recipes to save your money spent on bananas and to enjoy them in a different, non-­traditional way!

Natalie Laczewski is a freshman majoring in communication. Her column, “Food for Thought,” runs Wednesdays.