We’re going bananas! For April 20th, National Banana Day, we’ve rounded up more than 50 banana recipes for every meal of the day, plus snacks*. and if that’s not enough banana for you, August 27th is National Banana Lover’s Day. It will take a banana lover more time than that to go through all of the delicious banana recipes below. But first, some tips:
> How to speed up the ripening of bananas—and avocados, too.
> How to stop apples, bananas, and pears from browning.
BANANA RECIPES: DIG IN!
BANANAS AT BREAKFAST
- Banana Split Sushi
- Banana Split Waffles
- Banana Stuffed French Toast
- Banana Stuffed French Toast 2
- Breakfast Banana Split
- Corn Flakes Pancake Sundae With Blueberry Banana Smoothie Ice Cream
- Hummingbird Coffee Cake
- Pumpkin-Banana Waffles
- Strawberry Banana Pancake Stack
BANANAS AT LUNCH
- Bananas Foster Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Peanut Butter & Banana Naan Panini
- Chilled Blueberry Banana Soup
- Elvis Sandwich: Fried Peanut Butter & Bananas
- Garlic Chips
- Peanut Butter, Bacon & Banana Sandwich
- Peanut Butter & Banana Quesadilla/li>
- Spéculoos & Banana Sandwich
BANANAS IN DESSERTS & SNACKS
- Banana Bread
- Banana Cake Blast Off (A La Mode)
- Banana Coconut Cream Pie
- Banana Cream Moussse
- Banana Cream Pie
- Banana Cupcakes With Peanut Butter & Bacon
- Bananas Foster
- Bananas Foster Bars
- Bananas Foster Dulce de Leche Crepe Cake
- Bananas Foster Ice Cream With Irish Whiskey
- Banana Pudding #2
- Bananas Foster Sundae
- Banana Pudding
- Banana Split Ice Pops
- Banana Split Party Bar
- Banana Sushi
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread #2
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread With Cocoa Glaze
- Deconstructed Banana Split
- Grilled Banana Split
- Heavenly Hash
- Peanut Butter Banana Ice Pops
- Peanut Butter & Jelly Pizza With Banana Pepperoni
- Red, White & Blue Cheesecake
- Salted Peanut Gelato With Caramelized Bananas
- Sautéed Bananas
- Spicy Banana Dip
BANANAS IN BEVERAGES
BANANAS IN ALCOHOLIC DRINKS
- Banana Chocolate Rum Cocktail
- Banana Daiquiri (see the footnote† below)
- Banana Rum Float
- Peanut Butter Banana Dessert Cocktail
- Spiced Banana Cream Cocktail & Flavored Shots
BANANA TRIVIA
- Wise. The scientific name for banana is Musa sapientum, which means “fruit of the wise men.”
- Plant. Bananas do not grow on trees. While they look like trees, they are actually the world’s largest herbaceous flowering plants.
- Float. Bananas float in water, as do apples and watermelons.
- Hawaii. Hawaii is the only place in the U.S. where bananas are grown commercially, although at one time they were also grown in southern California and Florida.
- Latin America. The overwhelming majority of the bananas consumed by Americans come from Latin America: Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama.
________________
*A snack is generally defined as any food eaten between main meals. Snacks don’t qualify as a meal because they typically don’t meet all the macronutrient requirements the way a meal does. Macronutrients are the nutrients the body needs in larger quantities that provide us with energy. These are carbohydrates, fat, and protein. Micronutrients, which include, mostly, vitamins and minerals, are equally important but are consumed in very small quantities.
BANANA DAIQUIRI RECIPE: Here’s our own recipe per drink, from a bartender we met in the Caribbean way back during Spring Break: Toss in the blender 1 very ripe banana, 3 tablespoons ounces white rum, 2 tablespoons banana liqueur (it delivers a richer banana flavor), 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice. Some people toss cracked ice into the blender to make it a frozen drink. Either way, it’s delicious.
[1] Banana bread a la mode. Here’s the recipe (photo © Good Food On Montford).
[2] Peanut butter banana pops. Here’s the recipe (photo © Peanut Butter Lovers).
[3] Bananas Foster grilled cheese sandwich. Here’s the recipe (photo © Like Mother Like Daughter).
[4] Deconstructed banana split. Here’s the recipe (photo © Sushi Samba).
[5] Spiced Banana Cream cocktail. Here’s the recipe (photo © The Blond Cook).
[6] Bananas Foster. Here’s the recipe (photo © Bonefish Grill).