Food and Recipes Fruits Banana Our 36 Best-Ever Banana Recipes: Cakes, Breads, Pies, Pudding, and More Let's get slicing and baking. By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on December 13, 2022 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis We're very aware that bananas are just fine and tasty to eat as they come—peel and reap the potassium-packed health rewards, right? But it's also true that they taste great with vanilla, and chocolate, coconut, caramel, and so many other flavors. We've rounded up 36 delicious ways to use up all your bunches of ripe bananas before they spoil, including Nutella-swirled banana bread, strawberry-banana smoothies, banana fritters, Bananas Foster, rich and creamy peanut butter-banana pie, and more. And because you can find the fruit in grocery stores year-round, it's easy to try out a new recipe. Of course we didn't forget the most Southern banana dessert of them all: banana pudding. From banana pudding-inspired cheesecake to classic banana pudding with whipped cream, we've got so many tasty options, it will be hard to choose a favorite. So you might want to grab an extra bunch or two—because these best-ever banana recipes will have you craving more. 01 of 36 Peanut Butter-Banana Icebox Pie Photo: Jennifer Davick Elvis would definitely approve, and that's all we need to know. This cool, creamy dessert combines a chocolate-lined graham cracker crust, smooth cream cheese-peanut butter filling, and bananas, whipped cream, and more chocolate to top it all off. 02 of 36 Banana Pudding Poke Cake Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Banana fans rejoice: This tender banana poke cake is topped with banana pudding, a layer of the fruit, and whipped cream topped with buttery vanilla wafer crumbles. The recipe calls for homemade pudding, which is definitely worth the effort, but if you're short on time, you can use an instant pudding mix. 03 of 36 Skillet Baked Almond-and-Banana Oatmeal Photographer: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Spruce up your morning oatmeal with this skillet-baked version. This protein-packed breakfast, loaded with bananas and almond butter, is as delicious as it is nutritious. Like any bowl of oatmeal, this recipe is all about the toppings: cinnamon, honey, or fresh fruit. 04 of 36 Banana Cake Micah A. Leal If you have a banana bread lover in your life, make them this cake and you'll receive their unending devotion. Well-spiced and frosted with a heavy layer of cream cheese frosting, it's lighter than a quick bread and a little bit sweeter. 05 of 36 Banana Bread French Toast Casserole Jennifer Causey If you're looking to impress your brunch crowd, it doesn't get much better than this recipe. A cross between banana bread and French toast, this breakfast casserole starts with homemade banana bread, which you can bake a day in advance. A Honey-Banana Topping and toasty pecans are the perfect finishing touch. 06 of 36 Mini Bananas Foster Sticky Buns Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos Saturday morning coffee pairs perfectly with these adorably miniature caramelized sticky buns. Bananas just starting to show signs of ripeness—small brown dots—are the best for this recipe. 07 of 36 Chocolate-Banana Custard Pie Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis An ultra-rich chocolate custard and a layer of fresh bananas transforms a store-bought pie crust into into an instant dessert classic. As one Test Kitchen professional said: "I could eat this every single day of my life and never get tired of it." 08 of 36 Banana Pudding Cheesecake Jennifer Davick You probably never knew you needed this heavenly hybrid. Banana pudding gets an even creamier, more decadent twist thanks to a rich cheesecake filling. The crust, made from vanilla wafers, chopped pecans, and butter is the perfect base for the smooth cheesecake filling, which is topped with sliced bananas and homemade whipped cream. 09 of 36 Nutella Banana Bread Micah A. Leal After one slice, you won't be able to stop dreaming about those swirls of Nutella. With a bake time that's just a little over an hour, this nine-ingredient bread will be your family's new favorite. 10 of 36 Banana Pudding Pie Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Enjoy banana pudding by the slice with a brown butter vanilla wafer crust and a thick, creamy custard filling. Substitute vanilla paste if you can't find a whole vanilla bean. 11 of 36 Banana Fritters Banana Challah Fritters. Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Daley These quick and easy banana "beignets" are the ultimate brunch treat. The puffy, cinnamon-infused fritters pair easily with a scoop of ice cream or fresh fruit. Top with caramel drizzle or a light dusting of powdered sugar. 12 of 36 Strawberry-Banana-Peanut Butter Smoothie Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall You already know that peanut butter and banana make a dynamite duo. Add some strawberries, honey, and almond milk and you'll be ready to start your day. 13 of 36 Coconut-Banana Pudding Hector M. Sanchez This time-honored treat gets a flavorful new twist with an irresistible hit of coconut. The recipe feeds a crowd, family-style, but can be halved and served in individual bowls, as shown. 14 of 36 Banana Ice Cream Greg DuPree; Prop Stylist: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey Homemade ice cream is a real treat, no matter the flavor. This recipe is extra creamy, custard-based, and packed with fresh bananas. Make a fabulous sundae by topping it with banana slices, roasted peanuts, crushed vanilla wafers, and caramel sauce. 15 of 36 Banana Pancakes Micah A. Leal Lightly spiced with cinnamon, these banana pancakes are guaranteed to take lazy Saturday morning breakfasts up a notch. The naturally sweetened breakfast staple (honey is the only sweetener) is fluffy and tender from buttermilk. 16 of 36 Banana Nut Cake Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Emily Hall; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas An even fluffier, slightly sweeter version of banana bread, this cake shifts decidedly into the dessert category. With just 15 minutes of active cooking time, this nutty, sweet loaf will go into your regular baking rotation. 17 of 36 No-Bake Banana Split Pie Photographer and props: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Transform the ultimate ice cream dessert into a cake that's just as sweet. Start by using your food processor to chop chocolate cookies to form the pie's base. Then add layers of pudding, strawberries, and bananas, topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and pecans. 18 of 36 Banana Cream Pie Southern Living Learn how to make this old-school diner dessert with almost as much panache as those waitresses in roller skates. While the total recipe time is long, the active cooking time is only slightly more than 20 minutes. Fresh bananas and a crisp vanilla wafer crust will leave you wanting more. 19 of 36 New-Fashioned Banana Pudding Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Are you tired of the same old banana pudding over and over again? Homemade vanilla custard, vanilla bean whipped cream, and a hint of nutmeg liven up this classic. It's so good it might just rival your Mama's traditional recipe. 20 of 36 Amy Grant's Banana Nut Bread Southern Living This classic banana bread recipe hits the spot every time. Plus, only 20 minutes of hands-on time makes it quick and easy enough to whip together on the fly. (If Amy Grant has time to make this, so do you.) 21 of 36 Brennan's Bananas Foster Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Karin Olsen Brennan's in New Orleans perfected this warm, caramelized classic treat—and now you can, too. No travel is required. It only takes six ingredients to create this masterpiece, served with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. 22 of 36 Caramelized Banana Pudding Photo: Jennifer Davick, Prop Styling: Annette Joseph, Food Styling: William Smith This toasted version of banana pudding almost tops Nana's famous recipe. (We said almost.) Caramelized bananas and meringue make banana pudding feel even more special. 23 of 36 Bananas Foster Coffee Cake with Vanilla-Rum Sauce Alison Miksch This coffee cake is ideal for a special occasion. It takes a lesson from Brennan's famous Bananas Foster and tops it off with a sweetened rum glaze. Substitute extra cream for the rum in the sauce if you prefer. 24 of 36 Strawberry-Banana Pudding Icebox Cake Iain Bagwell; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Hadas Smirnoff You won't meet a fruit dessert as show-stopping as this warm-weather icebox cake. Strawberries and bananas make a refreshing duo in the beloved graham cracker-layered dessert. 25 of 36 Quick & Tasty Banana Pudding Van Chaplin, Charles Walton IV Ready in just 10 minutes and made with only four ingredients, this super easy banana pudding recipe will save you in a pinch. Layers of bananas, whipped topping, vanilla pudding, and wafers make this dessert come together quickly. 26 of 36 Hummingbird Bundt Cake Photo: Jennifer Davick We couldn't leave this Southern delicacy off the list. Make the classic Hummingbird Cake—or go with this fuss-free Bundt cake version instead. Either way, pineapple-studded, nutty heaven awaits with just a hint of extra moistness from your ripe bananas. 27 of 36 Banana Daiquiri Antonis Achilleos If you like piña coladas, then you'll love these banana daiquiris. One sip, and we can practically hear the ocean breeze. Best of all, you are just five minutes away from a taste of the tropics. 28 of 36 Nutter Butter®-Banana Pudding Trifle Jennifer Davick We combined two classics into one delicious dessert, then brought in Nutter Butter® sandwich cookies to replace the traditional vanilla wafers. 29 of 36 Banana Cream Donuts Micah A. Leal While frying donuts may take some time, these brioche dough treats are worth the wait. Instant pudding makes this donut's filling easy to assemble. After frying, lightly coat each donut with a dusting of powdered sugar. 30 of 36 Cream Cheese-Banana-Nut Bread Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas This recipe makes two loaves of delicious bread, so it's perfect for enjoying one now and freezing one for later. Cream cheese adds extra richness and a slight tang to classic banana bread. Let the bread cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. 31 of 36 Nana's Banana Bread Recipe Robbie Caponetto This banana bread takes 30 minutes of hands-on time to create a delicious and moist treat. The pillowy-soft quick bread uses banana chunks and a hint of lemon juice to enhance the fresh, fruity flavoring. Wrapping the bread after it cools, but is still warm, will help keep it moist. 32 of 36 Old-Fashioned Banana Pudding Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Old-fashioned meringue is the star to this classic banana pudding. This dessert is smooth, creamy, and decadent. Enjoy it warm or cold. 33 of 36 Sour Cream Banana Bread With Pecan Streusel Topping Victor Protasio You'll love the smell of this banana bread baking in your oven. The sweet pecan-streusal topping adds the perfect amount of crunchy texture on top of this delicious loaf. Adding tangy sour cream to the batter enhances this cake's moisture. 34 of 36 Peanut Butter-Banana Bites Micah A. Leal This no-bake recipe is reminiscent of cookie dough without the raw eggs. The peanut butter and banana mixture combines with quick oat flour, graham cracker crumbs, and flaxseed. Enjoy a sweet treat without a ton of added sugar. 35 of 36 Salted Caramel Banana Pudding Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Tami Hardeman This indulgent rendition, layered with slightly spiced Biscoff cookies, adds a shortcut salted caramel drizzle for extra sweetness. Scatter crumbled cookies on top of the whipped topping for some crunchy texture. 36 of 36 Banana Bread Cobbler Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas Create this banana bread cobbler with only six ingredients. Self-rising flour mixes with sugar and milk before combing with the melted butter to form the cobbler's light and sweet texture. Sliced bananas and streusel toppings elevate this quick bread into a dessert. For more fruit-infused flavors, check out these 38 Sweet Strawberry Dessert Recipes. 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