Follow along and learn How to Freeze Bananas (whole + sliced) the right way so they are ready for smoothies or banana bread (or whatever else you are making)! After you see how easy it is, you will also always have bananas on hand just like us!
How To Easily Freeze Bananas
Freezing bananas is a simple and convenient way to always have bananas on hand! We always have leftover bananas in the house and I always try to buy a few more than we usually eat so that I can freeze some of them to have in the freezer for some of our favorite recipes. We love to add them to banana bread or pop some into our favorite smoothie recipes. The kids also love helping with this whole process which is so simple! Plus, they can be enjoyed as a simple snack!
Looking for freeze more fresh fruit for later? Checkout our easy tutorial on how to freeze blueberries. Great for blueberry season!
What You Will Need
- fresh bananas – no matter if it is a banana is just barely ripe or if it is an over-ripe banana with brown spots, this process will work to store them for months to come.
- baking sheet – make sure it is large enough to hold all of your bananas in a single layer.
- parchment paper – place one large sheet on the bottom of the cookie sheet to prevent sticking during the freezing process.
How To Freeze Bananas
To start this simple method, pick a bunch of bananas that are at your desired ripeness.
Carefully remove the peel from the entire banana.
How to freeze whole bananas: place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place in the freezer overnight and then skip to Step 5 of the recipe card. If you want to freeze them in sliced pieces skip to the next step.
How to freeze sliced bananas: use a cutting board and sharp knife to carefully cut ripe bananas into individual slices.
Place sliced banana pieces in a single layer on a parchment-lined tray making sure that they are not too close together and place the pan in the freezer for 1-2 hours or overnight.
After they have completely frozen, use a spatula to lift up the frozen banana chunks.
Now you can place the whole frozen banana or pieces of banana in an airtight container.
When you are ready to use your frozen bananas pull them out of the freezer and pop them into your favorite recipe.
Best Ways To Use Frozen Bananas
There are so many great ways to use these frozen bananas. Here are a few of our favorites:
- smoothies – they are a great way to add flavor and texture to so many great smoothies, like a blueberry banana smoothie, strawberry banana smoothie, or chocolate banana smoothie.
- breakfast – you can simply toss these frozen slices in pancake batter, waffles, or use mashed bananas when baking a banana bread!
- baking recipes – we also love to make blueberry banana muffins or any other banana recipe.
- homemade ice cream – option to whip these up in a food processor or high-powered blender to make a homemade banana ice cream or “nice cream”.
- snacks – our kiddos love to get creative and spread some peanut butter in between banana slices and freeze like that or dip them in some melted chocolate before freezing for some sweet treats.
Recipe FAQ
- overripe bananas: this is such a great way to use those overripe bananas that everyone always has on the counter!
- ripeness: you will want to freeze bananas at the desired ripeness you prefer for smoothies, banana bread, or another recipe you prefer because once frozen they stop the ripening process.
- Is it better to freeze bananas with or without the peel: the best way to freeze bananas is to remove the banana peels before freezing! If you leave the peel on, it will turn black and slimy.
- storage: if frozen bananas are kept in a deep freeze (around 0 degrees F), they are good indefinitely but probably taste best when used in the first 2-3 months.
- how to thaw bananas: it is so simple and for easy reference checkout 5 Easy Steps to Defrosting Bananas.
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Other Recipes You Might Like
How to Freeze Bananas
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 frozen banana 1x
- Category: How to
- Method: Freezer
- Cuisine: American
Description
How to Freeze Bananas (whole + sliced) – learn how to freeze your bananas the right way so they are ready for smoothies, banana bread, or any other banana recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 banana (or more – you can use this for as many bananas as you need to freeze)
Instructions
Whole Bananas:
- Peel banana, leaving it whole.
- Place on parchment-lined baking sheet and place in freezer overnight.
- Take frozen whole bananas and place in a freezer-safe storage bag.
- Use as needed for recipes such as smoothies and banana bread.
Sliced Bananas:
- Peel banana and place on cutting board.
- Cut into 1/4 inch slices.
- Place slices flat on parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer, trying not to have them touch too much.
- Place in freezer overnight.
- Use a spatula to lift up frozen banana slices and place in freezer-safe bag.
- Use as needed in recipes such as smoothies and banana bread.
Notes
- Over-Ripe Bananas: For the whole bananas feel free to use your super-ripe, brown bananas for freezing – they make the best banana bread!
- How long will they last: When kept at 0 degrees frozen bananas are good indefinitely; for best quality I would recommend using within 2-3 months, but they will be just fine beyond that.
Jason Peterson says
Banana slices freeze well, and can be bitten into cold because of their slimy consistency. Fully defrosted, they turn to mush like other plant matter.
I don’t know about the freezer “safe” materials. I used disposable polyethylene bags for lining of the ice tray and storage (tied shut).
Could mashed/blended bananas be frozen in a scoopable state? Like ice-cream, but with minimal effort.
Erin says
I think you could definitely freeze bananas in a scoopable state!