Lots of frozen banana, no blender

April 8, 2022 12:34 AM

I froze a load of banana thinking I would use it in smoothies or something. Turns out I don’t have a blender at home. Is there much I can do with all this frozen banana without resorting to buying/borrowing a blender? Was thinking defrost and use in banana bread, any other ideas?
posted by iamsuper to Food & Drink (12 answers total)

You can eat it as a treat as-is, it goes a bit like ice cream
posted by McNulty at 12:52 AM on April 8, 2022 [4 favorites]

Yes, you can make a fancy frozen banana sundae by peeling it and slicing it up and then topping with a variety of sauces and nuts. You can plate it so it’s like each slice is a different flavor combination, or just make a big mess and gobble it down. If you only want a bit, you can cut the unpeeled banana in half and then just peel one half and stash the other back in the freezer.
posted by Mizu at 2:34 AM on April 8, 2022

Oh, thought of another one which can trend more savory if you like. You can use it in cooking oatmeal or other porridges that take a while. Chop the banana up and toss it in the pot with a little water and let it unfreeze, then mash it up with a wooden spoon or potato masher. Add your oats, a pinch of salt, and liquid of choice - I like to cut milk with some water, but also coconut milk is really good. You can add no additional flavors at all, and let the banana be the only sweetener, in which case you can go more savory with your other flavors if that’s your thing. I like cheese and avocado topping my savory porridge, or you could do some lovely gingery curry flavors. But of course you can also go sweet and add cinnamon, walnuts, vanilla, other frozen berries, maple syrup, etc.
posted by Mizu at 2:41 AM on April 8, 2022 [1 favorite]

I was trying to find a previous Ask I remember about using frozen bananas in baking (as I recall, someone said it was totally fine). It turns out there are several previous questions about using up bananas. Here's one that has links to some recipes.
posted by FencingGal at 4:45 AM on April 8, 2022

Slice them up into little coins and dip them into chocolate.
posted by kevinbelt at 7:25 AM on April 8, 2022 [2 favorites]

Frozen bananas make superior banana bread. Thaw them in a sieve. You can catch the liquid that escapes and boil it down to a glaze or just let it go, but once thawed you will be able to get about twice as many bananas into the cup or so called for. More banana-y banana bread.
posted by Sybil Stockwell Oop at 7:40 AM on April 8, 2022 [4 favorites]

I have bananas frozen specifically to make banana bread.
posted by kathrynm at 9:29 AM on April 8, 2022 [1 favorite]

LOL, my recommendation would be buy a cheap blender - but then, I have at least one banana-and-spinach-base smoothie a day, due to my need for extra potassium thanks to a med.

Banana mushes nicely with a fork once it thaws a little bit. So, anything in baking that you'd like to throw it in.

Also, one banana + one egg makes an excellent pancake mix. I keep forgetting to try it in the waffle maker, but I'm sure it would work.
posted by stormyteal at 9:47 AM on April 8, 2022 [1 favorite]

Dip in/spread on peanut butter or Nutella for a treat- tastes q bit like ice cream
posted by bearette at 10:13 AM on April 8, 2022

Great in oatmeal or overnight oats
posted by radioamy at 10:37 AM on April 8, 2022

i second running out to goodwill for a cheap blender.
posted by j_curiouser at 2:57 PM on April 8, 2022

I have not done this with frozen bananas, but it should work: defrost banana and mash into lumpy goop with a fork, spread on buttered bread, add a sprinkle of sugar to taste (you can also mix it in, but the crunchiness is part of the charm), top with another slice of buttered bread. This is a banana sandwich. I haven't had one for years and now I want one...
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 5:10 PM on April 8, 2022 [2 favorites]