Learn how to freeze & thaw bananas for baking so that you can easily prepare any of your favorite baked goods whenever you like! I'm going to walk you through how to freeze your bananas, how to properly thaw them, and even give you some yummy banana recipes! No more waiting around for your bananas to ripen, as you'll already have a whole stash in the freezer!
Guide To Freezing & Thawing Bananas
Ripe bananas are a tasty ingredient used in baking that can make so many moist and sweet treats! The thing is, though, that bananas need to be super ripe (even black!) in order to make these recipes.
Waiting around for bananas to become overly ripe can take a few days, or they may already be ripe, and you don't have time to bake right now. Don't feel pressured to use your ripe bananas sitting on the counter right away because you can easily store them in the freezer for when you're ready to use them!
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Once you've popped your bananas into the freezer, make sure you check out all of these amazing banana recipes that you can make with them!
Different Ways To Freeze Bananas
You can freeze bananas in a few different ways: whole, in chunks, or mashed. Each of these methods serves a different purpose.
If you are freezing your bananas to be used in smoothies or other drinks, you'll want to freeze them in chunks, as the blender can't handle a full frozen banana (and you don't need to defrost your bananas for smoothies).
Mashed bananas and whole bananas can be frozen for use in baked goods. When baking, the bananas have to be defrosted in order to incorporate them into the recipe (typically mashed). You can choose to either mash them before or after freezing.
How To Freeze Bananas Whole
Leaving your bananas whole is definitely the best way to freeze them if you are intending to use them in baking. This is because most recipes typically call for a specific number of bananas (such as 2 large bananas). Bananas can vary in size, so if you chop them or mash them before freezing, it will be harder to tell exactly how much you need.
You can choose whether you want to leave the peel on your bananas when freezing or take it off beforehand. Peeled bananas will take up less room in the freezer, and they thaw slightly quicker. Of course, you can leave the peel on as well if you prefer!
Simply place your whole bananas onto a baking sheet and place them into the freezer. Then, once frozen, transfer them into either a zip-top storage bag or a sealed container and pop them into the freezer!
*If you want to prevent your peeled bananas from browning, you can coat them in a mixture of equal parts lemon juice and water.
How To Freeze Mashed Bananas
Most baked goods that use bananas typically want them mashed. You can save yourself some prep work later by mashing the bananas before you pop them into the freezer.
This method works best if you already know the exact measurements you will be needing for your recipe (such as ½ cup of mashed bananas).
Peel and mash your bananas and then pour them into either a muffin pan lined with plastic wrap or a silicone muffin pan. Make sure you use a common measurement (such as ¼ cup or ½ cup so that you know exactly how much mashed banana you have in each portion).
Cover the muffin pan and then place it into the freezer to freeze overnight. Once solid, remove the mashed banana portion from the pan (and discard the plastic wrap) and transfer them to a zip-top storage bag. Label the bag with the portion size and the date and return it to the freezer.
How To Freeze Banana Chunks
While banana chunks do freeze and thaw faster than whole bananas, I feel like this method is really only ideal if you are using the bananas for blending into smoothies. With chunks, it is hard to measure how much banana you have and is therefore hard to use for baking.
Peel and slice your banana into chunks and then place the pieces onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Move the sheet to the freezer for a few hours or until the pieces are solid. Then, transfer the frozen banana chunks to a freezer bag or container and return them to the freezer.
How To Defrost Bananas For Baking
Unlike smoothies, bananas need to be thawed before using them in baking. There are a few different ways you can do this, with each being super simple!
- Remove your bananas from the freezer and thaw them at room temperature for 2 hours or in the refrigerator overnight.
- Alternatively, you can thaw your bananas in the microwave at 50% power. The time can vary, so start at a small amount and increase from there. *4-5 whole bananas will take approximately 3 minutes.
Once your bananas are thawed, you'll notice that they are mushy and sitting in brown liquid, which brings me to my best tip for using frozen bananas successfully.
Strain The Liquid
You may see online that people recommend keeping the brown liquid that is released from the bananas and just mashing it all together. However, I've found that this extra liquid can make your baked goods become dense due to the added moisture (which throws off the ratio of wet-to-dry ingredients).
Instead, I recommend straining out the liquid! I've noticed that, when strained, you will get a consistency that is really close to mashed fresh bananas (which is what we want!)
How Long Can Bananas Be Frozen
Your bananas can easily be frozen for 3-6 months. I'd recommend using them within the first 3 months for the best consistency and taste, but they can definitely last up to 6 months if needed.
>>>>See all of my recipes here<<<<
Now you know exactly how to freeze and thaw bananas for baking! What are you going to make first? Leave a comment down below and let me know!
🍌 Best Banana Recipes
- Apple Banana Muffins - Tender muffins loaded with apples, bananas, and warm spices.
- Peanut Butter Banana Brownies - Chewy and rich banana brownies are swirled with peanut butter and then baked.
- Banana Nut Muffins - Classic muffins packed with bananas and walnuts.
- Moist Banana Bread - Everyone's favorite banana bread that can be enjoyed all year long!
- Banana Cake - Sweet banana-flavored cake is coated in homemade cream cheese frosting.
- Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies - Mashed bananas, oatmeal, and rich chocolate chips make up these addicting cookies!
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📖 Recipe Card
How To Freeze Bananas
Ingredients
- 3 large ripe bananas
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
How To Freeze Whole Bananas
- Peel the bananas, if desired.
- Place onto a baking sheet and brush with a mixture of equal parts of lemon juice and water (if desired, to prevent browning on unpeeled bananas).
- Transfer to the freezer and let the bananas freeze until solid.
- Move the frozen bananas to a zip-top bag or storage container and return them to the freezer.
How To Freeze Mashed Bananas
- Peel and mash the bananas.
- Line a muffin pan with plastic wrap (or use a silicone muffin pan).
- Pour the mashed bananas into the muffin pan, using a ¼ cup or ½ cup measuring cup.
- Cover the muffin pan and freeze for 2 hours.
- Remove the mashed banana from the pan and discard the plastic wrap.
- Transfer the frozen banana to a zip-top bag or storage container and return them to the freezer.
How To Freeze Banana Chunks
- Peel and slice the bananas into chunks.
- Place the chunks onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and move it to the freezer for 2 hours.
- Once solid, transfer the frozen chunks to a storage bag or container and return to the freezer.
Notes
- Thaw at room temperature for 2 hours or in the fridge overnight.
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