UPDATED October 16, 2017:
This is from the archives but it’s true as it ever was…AND I created lots more recipes using bananas since, some of them where they are hidden and you don’t even know they are there!!… Read on!
Creamy, rich, sweet, pure yummy-in-the-tummy…what’s not to love about bananas? They are just delicious in the raw, plain and simple and make a wonderful addition to cereal, oatmeal, granola, pancakes, yogurt, sandwiches, paninis ….the list is endless!
Add sliced bananas to yogurt or just most anything! I love them on my simply oatmeal!
It’s a good thing too, because bananas are so good for you!
Click here for a nice article about everything you wanted to know about bananas, from their history and interesting facts to their health benefits!
They are filled with potassium and vitamin B6 and in spite of their high natural sugar content, they have a low Glycemic load, in part because of their good fiber content. This combination of attributes makes them a perfect fruit for endurance athletes. So whether you need to boost your workout, or just to boost your day, remember to throw this nutritious natural snack in your bag!
On the culinary side, there are many reasons I love to use bananas in my baking.
They naturally sweeten a dessert, that would otherwise need more added sugar –My Almond Oat Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies and Chewy Granola Squares are perfect examples– AND they sometimes just do that while “disappearing” into the flavor! You’ll taste what I mean in this decadent tasting rich dark chocolate vegan shake I just created….WOW!!!
They also create creaminess to those smoothies and shakes. Oh my goodness, I have so many others for you to choose from: Power Chocolate Banana Milkshake , Power Strawberry Banana Milkshake, Banana Date Almond Shake , Carrot Banana Almond Smoothie, to name a few.
…PERFECT after a great workout!
They provide a moist and rich texture in batters such as in my Soft Wheat Banana Muffins, and Banana Hazelnut Pancakes, and of course they give it that assertive wonderful rich yummy-in-the-tummy taste! If you haven’t tried it yet, you must check out my Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Panini or Strawberry Banana Panini-YUM!
I also love the wonderful aroma that fills the house when they are baking in a bread in the oven. It just warms my heart and says welcome home!
In fact, now that the kids are older, whenever they come home, I invariably have my Welcome Home Banana Bread in the oven for them! I have also created a vegan version of this recipe (Vegan Banana Walnut Bread), basically by replacing the eggs with an extra banana, and more recently my vegan Banana Date bread with NO added sugar- NONE!
Banana-Date-Bread Vegan
There are also simple ways to “dress them up” They are great dipped in dark chocolate, or natural unsweetened nut butters and you can whip those up with the kids at a moment’s notice, if your sweet tooth calls!
So, no matter what, give those bananas some loving! Make sure to have a bunch of bananas ready to grab on your counter —I always do–and don’t hesitate to make them part of your daily routine. In fact, I love them so much that when they get to the perfect ripeness, I peel them and put them in a tupperware container in the freezer so I always have some ready to go for my son’s breakfast shakes!!
Bon appétit!
So many deliciosities here!!!
I know you love’e all my Corinda!!! 🙂
Hi Catherine,
Your welcome home banana bread is so good, I made it twice in one week. Also, if it wasn’t for the fact that I read your husband’s newspaper column I would have never known about your cuisinicity website. I’m so thankful that he mentioned it in his column. I love everything about it. I love all the nutritional information you give us. I love all the variety of recipes and the pictures of your dishes are awesome. I love your cooking videos and I love your family photos. It’s my favorite website.
Thank you so much Marion for such wonderful comments!! They really touch me! I am delighted to have you at the Cuisinicity table! A BIG WELCOME TO YOU!!! 🙂
Thank you for all your wonderful suggestions. I love your site because it is basic good nutrition !
You are so very welcome Dianne!! It is literally my pleasure! 🙂
Hi Catherine,
I am so enjoying your site. I have been trying to eat healthier and more whole foods and your recipes are wonderful! I have a vitamix and actually grind my own flour and make cashew butter (I might be one of the only people who do not like peanut butter!) so I am enjoying the added nutrition! I am going to try your smoothie with lentils and bananas. Being just me, do you think I could freeze the lentils and the fruit? Maybe I could/should then reduce the ice? Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful knowledge and recipes!
Hi Cathy!
THANK YOU so much for your lovely comment! It means a lot to me! 🙂 Homemade flour and cashew butter– WOW I am jealous!!! In answer to your question about freezing the lentils and bananas, i don’t see why not, I bet it will just as yummy and maybe even creamier!
Cathy, that is actually what I do mostly. I make one batch of lentils on the weekend and freeze them in shake portions. I let them start to defrost over night in the fridge and heat the milk one minute in the microwave. Otherwise the lentils are one huge frozen block too hard for my handheld processor. I also add frozen strawberries (and raspberries). Made this way, you do not need extra ice in my opion.
Thanks Catherine, my little girl and I will have some bananas and peanut butter for breakfasr, or maybe one of the delicious shakes….
That’s wonderful Sibylle! Lucky girls!!!
I just must tell you this: I made your strawberry banana power shake this morning. When my picky eater saw me holding the glass she gave a happy squeal, put her book away, raced to her high chair and climbed in. Happily drank her shake laughing and even said shake for the first time 😉
Overall great success and a happy healthy toddler and mom.
OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!! 🙂 This has got to be THE BEST COMMENT EVER!!!! Cuuuuuuuuuutie, racing to her high chair! I can just picture the whole scene!! The 2 of you are just the sweetest!!!!!
Love those banana recipes!! One of my favorites this past summer has been an “instant” ice cream made with bananas and black cherries (which I call “Cereza Garcia” since it resembles that infamous Cherry Garcia). Easy recipe: 8 oz frozen banana chunks, 6 oz frozen pitted black cherries, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1/4 to 1/3 of an 8 oz container of Cool Whip (I know, I know, but it works really well to keep the ice cream from crystallizing in the freezer!). Pulse the frozen fruit and vanilla extract in a food processor until it forms pea-sized meal. Add in the softened Cool Whip in several dollops and process until it all incorporates and forms a puree of soft ice cream (takes about 2 minutes), mixing stuff down from the sides as needed with a spatula.
It’s ready to eat right out of the food processor – it is like soft-serve ice cream at this point – or put in freezer for a few hours or overnight to firm up. I usually swirl in a couple of spoons of chocolate ice cream topping to make it more “decadent”.
Make other flavors by subbing strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, et al. for the cherries.
Yikes with the Cool Whip!!!Definitely won’t be seeing any of that on Cuisinicity but I love all your other ingredients!
I know but it gives the ice cream the right texture and mouth feel as well as preventing ice crystals on storage in freezer. The original recipe, which I modified, used almond milk (about 1-2 oz.) instead of Cool Whip but that recipe yields ice cream that freezes hard and forms ice crystals in the freezer.
I use plain yogurt and any frozen fruit or berry and a squeeze of lemon. Banana gives it extra sweetness and more creaminess. Yummy but not mandatory. Since it is so fast and easy to make, I do not see why you need to freeze it. Freshly made it is very creamy. Works also with soft silken tofu, but here you need to process your tofu to a creamy consistency before adding your frozen fruit/berries. If you need to add sweetness, you should add the soft dates and process with tofu before frozen goods too. We usually do not need extra sweetness…