Banana Blondies: A Delicious Use for Overripe Bananas
If you have a lot of overripe bananas on your kitchen counter and are tired of making banana bread, it’s time to make something really special out of them. Banana blondies are a rich, chewy, and tasty dessert that turns simple bananas into one of the easiest banana dessert recipes you’ll ever make. The middle of these bars is soft, the top is perfectly golden, and they are full of banana flavor that goes great with vanilla, cinnamon, and brown sugar. They’re easy to make, everyone loves them, and they’re just different enough from the usual banana bakes that you’ll want to make them all the time.
Why Banana Blondies Are Great for a Group or Just You
Banana blondies are the perfect dessert for a big group or just for yourself. They’re also the best thing to do with overripe bananas if you don’t want to make muffins or loaf cake. They are great for potlucks, casual get-togethers, school bake sales, or just as a weeknight dessert that doesn’t need a mixer or a lot of steps. This recipe is very flexible and works just as well with two bananas as it does with three bananas. You can use whatever you have on hand.
These blondies taste great and have a chewy texture, and you can make them any way you want. This recipe can be changed to fit your tastes, whether you want to add nuts, chocolate chips, or even a Mexican banana dessert vibe with cinnamon and spice. If you change a few things and use whole grains or natural sweeteners, they can even be one of the healthier banana dessert recipes. Let’s get into everything you need to know to make banana blondies your new favorite banana dessert.
Using just 2 or 3 ripe bananas, brown sugar, and vanilla, you can make these chewy banana blondies. Great for quick baking, feeding a lot of people, or adding healthy and cultural twists.
- Time to get ready: 10 minutes
- Time to cook: 30 minutes
- Time to cool: 20 minutes
- One hour total time
- Makes: 12 blondies
Ingredients Needed for Banana Blondies
The things you need to make banana blondies are simple, and you probably already have most of them in your kitchen. You can easily change this recipe to fit your needs based on how many bananas you have. Here’s the basic list of things you’ll need to make a simple pan of blondies with ripe bananas:
- ½ cup (113g) of melted unsalted butter
- 1 cup (200g) of brown sugar, packed
- 1 big egg
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed (or 3 for more banana flavor)
- 1 cup (125g) of all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon of baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon of baking soda
- ½ teaspoon of cinnamon (optional, but recommended)
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
You can add ½ cup of chopped walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips if you want.
Things You’ll Need to Make Delicious Banana Blondies
You don’t need a stand mixer or any other fancy kitchen tools to make banana blondies. Here is a quick list of the basic tools you will need for the best results:
- Bowls for mixing
- Spatula and whisk
- Spoons and cups for measuring
- Baking pan that is 8 by 8 or 9 by 9 inches
- Cooking spray or parchment paper
- Rack for cooling
You can use a fork or a potato masher to mash bananas.
With these tools, you’ll be able to make this recipe in no time and have one of the best desserts for a crowd ready in less than an hour.
Simple Recipes with Ripe Bananas: Step-by-Step Instructions
One of the best easy recipes with ripe bananas is banana blondies because they are so easy to make. Follow these simple steps to make sure your blondies are always perfectly baked.
- Set your oven to 350°F (175°C). To keep the food from sticking, line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper or grease it lightly.
- Put the melted butter and brown sugar in a big bowl. Whisk until there are no lumps. Add the egg and vanilla extract, then stir in the mashed bananas until everything is well mixed.
- In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together with a whisk. Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ones until they are just mixed. Don’t mix too much.
- Fold in the chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or even cinnamon sugar topping at this point if you’re using them.
- Evenly spread the batter in the pan you prepared. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
- Before cutting the blondies into squares, let them cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes. This lets them harden and get their chewy texture.
That’s all there is to it. These blondies show that easy banana baking recipes can make tasty, bakery-worthy treats without any trouble.
How to Always Make the Best Banana Blondies
The recipe is very forgiving, but a few tips can make your blondies even better. First, pick bananas that are ripe and have a lot of brown spots. These are sweeter and easier to mash, which gives the batter a richer flavor. You can roast your bananas in the oven at 300°F for 15 minutes to bring out their sweetness if they aren’t quite ripe yet.
Second, don’t forget the salt. It makes the bananas and brown sugar taste better. And if you want the top to be a little crunchy, sprinkle some raw sugar over the batter before you bake it.
Lastly, for an extra treat, you could drizzle cream cheese glaze or melted chocolate over your blondies after they have cooled. This makes the taste and look even better, making them perfect Mexican banana desserts for special occasions or parties.
Sourdough banana bars and Mexican banana dessert ideas
Once you know how to make the basic recipe, you can be very creative. If you have sourdough starter on hand, you can make these into sourdough banana bars by adding ½ cup of unfed sourdough starter to the batter. This gives the bars a slight sourness that goes perfectly with the sweetness of the bananas and sugar.
You can also make a Mexican banana dessert version by adding cinnamon, nutmeg, and a little chili powder to the batter. Add dulce de leche or cinnamon whipped cream to the top of the blondies for a taste that is both new and familiar.
There are almost too many options to count. When you start to look into these different versions, you’ll find new and fun ways to make banana blondies over and over again.
Besides banana bread, what else can you make with overripe bananas?
If you’ve ever looked up what to do with overripe bananas, you’ve probably seen the usual suspects: banana bread, muffins, and pancakes. But banana blondies are different from the rest because they are new.
They bake faster than bread, cool down faster, and have a chewy texture that makes them different from regular loaf cake. Also, they are easier and faster to make for everyday baking because you only need one bowl.
Don’t throw away two or three soft bananas on your counter or make another loaf of banana bread the next time you see them. Instead, try this creative and tasty recipe. You’ll finally get to enjoy three banana recipes that give those fruits the attention they deserve.
How to Keep and Serve Healthy Banana Dessert Recipes
One of the best things about banana blondies is that they last a long time. After they cool, put them in a container that won’t let air in and store them at room temperature for up to three days. You can keep them in the fridge for up to a week or freeze them one at a time for up to two months if you want to keep them longer.
You can make this recipe a little healthier by using whole wheat flour, cutting back on the sugar, or replacing some of the butter with applesauce. The final product is still rich and satisfying, even with changes. The bananas add natural sweetness and moisture, which makes them a great choice for healthy baking changes.
You can serve these bars with tea or coffee, or you can put them in lunch boxes for a snack at work. When you add oats and nuts, they also make a great snack after school or an energy bar before a workout.
Things to Avoid When Making Banana-Based Desserts
Even though this recipe is very easy, a few mistakes can make the results less than perfect. First, don’t use bananas that aren’t fully ripe yet because they won’t have the sweetness and flavor you need. Second, don’t mix the batter too much after adding the flour, as this can make the blondies tough.
Another common mistake is to bake something too long. When you take the blondies out of the oven, they should be just set in the middle. They will keep cooking a little bit as they cool. Finally, make sure they cool all the way down before cutting them so they keep their shape and texture.
If you remember these tips, your easy recipes with ripe bananas will always turn out well.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is it possible to make banana blondies without gluten?
Yes! Instead of all-purpose flour, use a gluten-free flour blend that is 1:1. Almond flour can also work, but it might change the texture a little. - How ripe do my bananas need to be?
A lot of brown spots and a soft texture mean it’s very ripe. The flavor gets better as the banana gets riper. - Is it okay to double the recipe?
Yes, of course. Use a 9×13-inch pan and change the baking time as needed, checking for doneness after about 35 minutes. - Can you freeze banana blondies?
Yes. Put each one in its own piece of plastic wrap and put them in a bag that can go in the freezer. Let it thaw at room temperature before serving. - What kinds of mix-ins work best?
Chopped nuts, chocolate chips (white or dark), toffee bits, and dried fruit are all great things to add.
Conclusion and a Call to Action
These banana blondies are the perfect mix of easy to make, rich banana flavor, and chewy, satisfying texture. This recipe works every time, whether you need simple recipes with ripe bananas, want to make tasty desserts for a lot of people, or just want to try something new with bananas. It’s quick, easy to change, and full of flavor, which makes it one of the best answers to the age-old question: what to do with overripe bananas?
If you see a bunch of spotted bananas on your counter next time, don’t throw them away. Make something great out of them. If you like this recipe, please share it with your friends and sign up for the blog to get more easy banana dessert recipes and ideas for seasonal baking.