It’s hard to argue with the enduring appeal of banana bread. Provided you have a few ageing bananas hanging around, it’s easy to throw together with other ingredients you’re likely to have. What’s more, it’s perfectly acceptable to eat at any time of day and, thanks to those ageing bananas, it stays moist and toothsome for days longer than most other cakes.
In spite of its timelessness, however, banana bread has had a serious moment during lockdown. Not only is everyone baking, but, if my fruit bowl is anything to go by, everyone has found themselves in possession of many more bananas than they can get through with their morning cereal. Little wonder banana bread makes so much sense.
But, like Ariel the mermaid gazing up towards the ocean’s surface and dreaming of land, I want more. There’s only so much BB the self-isolated cake gannet can eat before wondering how else to use up bananas on the turn. Here’s some inspiration for you.
Banana curry
The Guardian’s Waste Not columnist, Tom Hunt, writes – horrifyingly – of how we throw away 1.4m bananas per day in the UK – “If we could acquire a taste for brown bananas, things would be different,” he says. One idea is his banana katsu curry, the over-ripe fruit bringing sweetness to the sauce alongside sharp green apple, spices, soy sauce and ketchup.
Banana porridge
An over-ripe banana is a parent’s best friend, its concentrated natural sugars sweetening everything from breakfast to pudding. It’s time to learn from the babies, folks. This recipe from Jamie Oliver is a good template – feel free to add other fruit, seeds, grains, nut butters and milks as you see fit, safe in the knowledge that ripe bananas and rolled oats have deliciousness covered for a very good start to the day.
Banana pancakes
Kick off the weekend with these pancakes which, thanks to the walnut flour and oats, happen to be gluten-free. Although, says their inventor, Sarah Britton, of food blog My New Roots, the banana and walnut combo makes the texture of these a bit more like that of an under-baked cookie than the pillowy lightness of a more traditional breakfast pancake.
Banana jam
While we’re at the breakfast table, why not try a banana jam? This very simple recipe is just 15 minutes in the making – much quicker than your average fruit jam – and flavoured with vanilla, lime and dark rum. With flavours like that, you could almost be on a Caribbean island. And we could all do with a bit of that right now.
Banana flapjacks
Over-ripe bananas are a gift to plant-based bakers, the fruit’s sticky, creamy texture when mashed is perfect when standing in for eggs (to bind) and butter (to enrich) – and let’s not forget that aforementioned sweetness. With that in mind, these flapjacks are vegan: decadently gooey, chocolate-flecked, flaxseed-studded, oat-filled bars of healthy-ish goodness.
Baked bananas
A joy all too easily forgotten. Now that grill season is upon us, why not stuff your ripe bananas with chocolate and cook them – still in their skins, wrapped in foil – on the barbecue? A British answer, perhaps, to the all-American s’more. Or, take them to the next level with Tamal Ray’s baked banana meringue recipe.
Banana ice-cream
This ultra-easy recipe from Claire Ptak – enhanced with honey, sea salt and good olive oil – brings good news for ice-cream lovers without an ice-cream machine. Hallelujah.
Banana ketchup
Nigel Slater recommends this ginger and chilli-laced, sweet and sour condiment (the sour from rice vinegar, the sweet from the eponymous ’nanas) alongside sea bass fillets. But, like any ketchup, it would work in numerous contexts calling for a piquant sauce.
Banana and chocolate pots
Anybody moved by the marriage of chocolate and banana will find the image of this Liam Charles number quite devastating. Caramelised ripe bananas, chocolate mousse, a crunchy orange biscuit ... A rollercoaster of emotions, overwhelmingly positive.
Banana and cardamom buns
Meera Sodha’s healthier take on deep-fried Mangalorean banana puris are a treat for any time of day. Light, spiced and not too sweet – although if upping the sweetness is in order, they’d make a good bedfellow for that banana jam ...
