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    Home » Article

    How to freeze bananas

    Published: Jan 16, 2023 by Lisa Killian · This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my  disclosure policy.

    ↓ Jump to Instructions

    Everything you need to know on how to freeze bananas! Whether it's for smoothies, baking, or you just don’t want them to go to waste, here are all the tips and tricks.

    sliced bananas on baking sheet
    I love having frozen bananas on hand!

    If you find you have a surplus of bananas on hand, freezing them before they go bad is a great way to preserve them.

    You can freeze them whole, in chunks, or even mashed!

    What you need to freeze bananas?

    • Bananas
    • Baking Sheet
    • Parchment Paper
    • Freezer Bags
    bananas ranging from overripe to green
    I don't recommend freezing green bananas.

    How to freeze bananas?

    • Peel the banana and place on parchment lined baking sheet. You can cut the bananas into slices, halves, or leave whole.
    • Flash freeze the bananas by placing the banana filled baking sheet in the freezer for 2-3 hours.
    • After a few hours place bananas in a freezer safe bag, label and return to freezer.
    3 brown bananas with peel on
    sliced bananas on baking sheet
    frozen banana chuncks in freezer bag
    Freezing bananas is really simple and easy to do!

    What is flash freezing?

    Flash freezing food is a quick freeze of an object in a few hours, typically done by freezing small pieces individually. Flash freezing doesn’t diminish quality, color, or flavor of the food.

    What if you don’t have enough space to flash freeze?

    Although flash freezing is ideal, I have frozen halved bananas without flash freezing. They might clump together in the bag a bit but they do break apart easily enough.

    If it’s between tossing the bananas directly into the freezer or throwing them away- I will just peel and freeze without flash freezing.

    hold frozen half banana
    Halved bananas are great for smoothies!

    How to freeze bananas for smoothies?

    I recommend freezing your bananas in chunks or halves for smoothies. Keep in mind what size fruit your blender can handle and how much banana you typically use in a smoothie.

    I typically use half a banana in a smoothie and so it’s nice to have that premeasured and frozen so I can quickly grab the right amount.

    How to freeze bananas without turning brown?

    Based off of my research bananas turn brown for three reasons. The first is for not flash freezing, the second is not storing frozen bananas in an air tight container (so too much air exposure), and the third is keeping them in the freezer for too long.

    My personal experience is I get brown bananas when they are in the freezer too long or if I freeze a banana that was way over ripe.

    Are brown frozen bananas still okay to eat?

    Yes. Use them in smoothies or baking.

    3 brown bananas with peel on
    Yellow or brown bananas are what I recommend freezing.

    How long to freeze bananas?

    For freshness and quality frozen bananas should be eaten within 6 months. After 6 months they can still be eaten but may suffer from freezer burn.

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    How to freeze bananas for banana bread?

    You can mash bananas and then freeze the mash. I like to mash 2-3 bananas to make 1 cup, then freeze that mash in a cube or a freezer safe container (amazon affiliate links).

    When you are ready to bake with the frozen mashed banana, remove the mash the day before and allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

    mashed banana in Souper cube freezer tray
    mashed banana frozen

    Is it best to freeze ripe or over ripened bananas?

    You can freeze bananas at any stage in their ripeness but beware that the banana will not get any more ripe once frozen. For example, if you freeze a banana when it’s green it will not continue to soften and sweeten.

    I like to freeze yellow/ripe bananas for smoothies and brown/over ripe bananas for banana bread.

    yellow whole banana with peel on
    I use yellow bananas for most of my freezing.

    Can you freeze bananas with the peel on?

    If you are going to use the banana for bread or other baked goods then this method is fine. Just be sure to put the banana on a plate or bowl since it will get watery as it thaws.

    To freeze a banana with the peel on just stick the entire banana in a freezer safe container.

    If you are freezing them for smoothies I do not recommend freezing with the peel on. The peel is difficult to remove when frozen.

    How to thaw frozen bananas?

    If you are using bananas for baking, place frozen bananas in a bowl and let sit overnight in the refrigerate. Then mash and use as if they were fresh.

    ice cream made with bananas
    Pop frozen bananas in a food processor to make "ice cream"!

    What to use frozen bananas for?

    • Banana Ice Cream- so good and easy to make!
    • Chocolate Dipped Bananas- dip frozen banana slices in melted candy melts and then refreeze for a tasty snack.
    • Smoothies- these are my favorite way to use them!
    • Pancakes- whip up some tasty banana pancakes with thawed mashed bananas.
    • Bread- use the thawed from frozen mashed bananas as a 1:1 in your favorite Banana bread recipes.

    How to make a frozen fruit mix?

    Add cut strawberries, blueberries, or other fruit to the baking sheet and flash freeze in order to a make a fruit medley.

    Then use this premade mix in smoothies!

    banana strawberry mix
    frozen banana strawberry mix in freezer bag
    Yes you can eat the green tops on strawberries!

    If you like this article check out how to tell if potatoes, sweet potatoes, buttermilk, brussel sprouts, or broccoli is bad!

    Also, check out how to freeze strawberries, corn, and broccoli!

    how to freeze bananas Pinterest image
    Don't forget to pin this article!
    freeze banana slices featured image
    Print Pin
    5 from 1 vote

    How to freeze bananas?

    Everything you need to know on how to freeze bananas! Whether it’s for smoothies, baking, or you just don’t want them to go to waste, here are all the tips and tricks.
    Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
    Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
    Flash freeze time 2 hours hours
    Total Time 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes
    Servings 1 frozen banana
    Author Lisa Killian
    Cost 0.00

    Equipment

    • Baking Sheet
    • parchment paper
    • freezer bag

    Ingredients

    • 1 bunch bananas

    Instructions

    • Peel the banana and place on parchment lined baking sheet. You can cut the bananas into slices, halves, leave whole, or mash.
      1 bunch bananas
      sliced bananas on baking sheet
    • Flash freeze the bananas by placing the banana filled bakingsheet in the freezer for 2-3 hours.
      mashed banana frozen
    • After a few hours place bananas in a freezer safe bag, label and return to freezer.
      frozen banana chuncks in freezer bag

    Notes

    Tips and Tricks
    • *If you are using bananas for baking, place frozen bananas in a bowl and let sit overnight in the refrigerate. Then mash and use as if they were fresh.

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    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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