Today, it seems like everyone in the country rediscovered banana bread. And it’s no wonder. Banana desserts are not just delicious, but they also pack a lot of nutrients.
Bananas are the most popular fruit in the U.S., but they weren’t originally grown here. See, bananas are a tropical fruit that is quite delicate, and it has to be picked by hand and carefully packed. Then, the bananas are refrigerated and shipped for many miles before they arrive at the grocery store.
The nutrients and vitamins in bananas are good for your skin, hair, digestive health, and have even been linked to vision health.
But that’s not all. Bananas are incredibly versatile. There is fried banana, baked banana, mashed banana, frozen banana, and bananas can even be used to replace oil in some baked goods.
Banana desserts have been delighting taste buds all over the world for centuries. With a naturally sweet, creamy, and versatile flavor profile, bananas easily lend themselves to a myriad of scrumptious dessert creations. From simple classics to innovative delights, there’s a banana dessert fit for every taste and occasion.
As you explore the enticing world of banana desserts, you’ll discover how the fruit’s natural sweetness pairs harmoniously with a wide range of ingredients and textures. Whether it’s the silky smoothness of a traditional banana pudding or the satisfying crunch of a well-crafted banoffee pie, there’s no shortage of ways to indulge your cravings and expand your culinary repertoire with banana-based treats.
Moreover, bananas are not only delicious but also packed with essential nutrients like potassium, vitamins, and dietary fiber. So, when crafting your next dessert, consider the simple, yet delightful possibilities that bananas have to offer – amplifying the taste and health factor of your sweet creations.
Of course, who can forget the classic banana split, one of America’s most iconic banana desserts?
Moreover, there are scores of easy banana desserts that you can make with a bunch of bananas and whatever you happen to have in your pantry.
Banana bread and a banana split are easy to make, but there is so much more you can do with the humble banana. Let’s dive into 25 mouthwatering banana dessert recipes.
Banana pudding may be one of the best banana desserts ever.
Most of us grew up enjoying this classic banana dessert, and as health standards have evolved, banana pudding has stood the test of time.
The traditional banana pudding recipe has a few more steps than this quick and easy banana pudding, but you would never know it.
This banana pudding is a no-bake banana dessert that has only five ingredients. Prep time is only 15 minutes and this pudding is great for make-head banana desserts.
If you have all of the ingredients except banana cream pudding, you can make this with vanilla pudding.
Banana cookies are cake-like and soft, and this banana recipe is great for using up some overripe bananas.
These banana cookies aren’t crispy like many cookies are, but we love that they’re so different.
The spices are what make these delicious banana cookies shine. How can you go wrong with nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves? The pecans add a delightful crunch and a serving of healthy protein.
To dress these delicious little golden gems up a bit, try them with some chocolate or caramel ganache between two cookies.
Want to make these even more interesting? Add some peanut butter.
In fact, the first recipe for this classic cake was published in 1978 by Southern Living magazine when a reader from Greensboro, North Carolina submitted it.
In the history of the magazine, this recipe has been the most requested.
The flavoring in hummingbird cake comes from pineapple, bananas, and cinnamon. But the star of the show is the delectable cream cheese frosting that’s sprinkled with toasted pecans.
Imagine if carrot cake and banana bread got married and had a baby. Yum.
With this recipe, you start with a yellow cake mix and add banana cream flavored pudding mix. Honestly, it’s like bananas and peanut butter were made to go together.
Here’s an idea. You can also make this with almond butter.
This recipe for Elvis’ pudding cake is cooked in a slow cooker. Serve it warm or cold. It’s delicious both ways!
Frozen dark chocolate banana pops are a guilt-free pleasure, especially when you use antioxidant-rich dark chocolate.
Seriously, is there anything creamier than a frozen banana?
If you love frozen desserts, these tasty pops offer up a healthy alternative that is easy to make.
To make these dark chocolate banana nut pops, be sure to use a firm fresh banana. Overripe bananas will slip off the stick and you will have a mess instead of some fun chocolate banana pops.
You can even cut your bananas in half to make them go further.
Here’s an idea. Experiment with shredded coconut or white chocolate.
When you have a donut craving, it’s a train that can’t be stopped.
However, instead of heading to the nearest Krispy Kreme, how about baking up some healthier banana donuts?
These baked banana donuts have a chocolate glaze, but you can make whatever flavor glaze you want. For example, try a salted caramel glaze.
Alternatively, you can serve these without glaze and sprinkle spiced sugar on top. Make sure to sprinkle the sugar on top while the donuts are still warm. This will ensure that it sticks to the entire donut.
This traditional sweet snack can be baked or fried.
The seasonings in this banana recipe are incredible. With cumin seeds, garam masala, green chilis, red chili powder, coriander seeds, and a pinch of asafoetida, you’ve got a gourmet dessert to rival those of the top chefs.
This banana samosa recipe is completely from scratch, but you can always make yours with spring roll wrappers that are store-bought.
You can customize your banana samosa any way you like. Consider blueberries, peanut butter, or chopped nuts.
Sometimes we see it called monkey munch or puppy chow, and it’s common to see these tasty little morsels at holiday parties.
This is the classic sweet snack that’s made from Rice Chex-Mix and it’s super simple to make. No baking is required!
The flavor comes from Banana Cream Jello pudding, powdered sugar, and crumbled vanilla wafers. Add candy melts in pretty colors to make it more fun and sweeter.
Want to add a unique twist to this sweet treat? When you serve it, drizzle it with dark chocolate syrup.
If you’re looking for comfort food that is nearly guilt-free, give banana pancakes a look.
This recipe is vegan and it contains no flour. Just good wholesome ingredients that are blended to perfection.
Because the ingredients are mixed up in the blender, it takes just a few minutes to prepare this rich banana dessert.
For toppings, you can make these healthy banana pancakes as decadent or simple as you want. Consider strawberry chia jam, non-dairy chocolate chips, whipped topping, caramel sauce, unsweetened shredded coconut, or fresh fruit.
These double chocolate banana bars have such many wholesome ingredients, you would think it’s a health food instead of a banana dessert.
Made with almond flour, coconut flour, coconut oil, coconut milk, and eggs, there is a lot to love about these brownies.
We love that these brownie bars are grain-free and dairy-free because it’s a delicious treat that nearly everyone can enjoy.
You can customize this recipe to suit your family’s tastes. For example, you can use any flavor of chocolate chips or even stir in some peanut butter chips.
Send these banana bars over the top with some drizzled caramel sauce.
For a banana dessert that is comforting on a chilly afternoon or evening, this sticky toffee banana cake is just what you need.
This classic banana dessert has a sticky toffee glaze that is absolutely sublime.
Made with brown sugar, vanilla extract, and cake flour, a banana dessert like this is beautiful enough for company.
To make the most of the flavors, poke some holes in the coke before you pour the toffee sauce over it. By doing that, you will ensure your cake is fully saturated.
Are you looking for a made-from-scratch banana ice cream that is like the old-fashioned banana ice cream you grew up eating?
Here it is.
In recent years, people have been loving simple one-ingredient banana ice cream, but if you’re wanting something special and comforting, you and yours will love this recipe.
Just like your grandmother used to make, this banana ice cream is creamy and luscious.
Also, it’s not as difficult to make as you would imagine.
This banana ice cream recipe has a surprise for you: a tablespoon of dark rum.
Cheesecake and bananas. Does it get any better, seriously?
These decadent cheesecake bars are like a banana blondie that has cheesecake on top, with banana pudding as an added bonus.
The chew base is full of wonderful banana flavor.
The filling is made from heavy whipping cream, brown sugar, cream cheese, and banana cream pudding. The almond extra adds a nice surprise flavor.
As if this banana dessert recipe could get any better, you can actually use no-bake cheesecake filling if you don’t want to make the filling from scratch.
It would be unthinkable to compile a list of banana dessert recipes and not include one of the best banana bread recipes ever.
When you follow this recipe, it will come out perfect every single time.
The best part is that you probably already have all of these ingredients in your fridge or pantry.
One thing we like to do is to keep some chopped pecans and walnuts in half-cup portions in the freezer. That makes it really easy to pull them out for banana bread.
Also, you can make this banana bread into a decadent dessert by adding chocolate chips. After all, chocolate and bananas were born to be with each other.
In the U.K., classic banoffee pie is made with the beloved digestive biscuits. However, in American kitchens, it’s common to use the ubiquitous graham cracker.
A little sweeter, graham crackers add some extra sass to this recipe.
To make banoffee pie, be sure to use condensed milk so that it’s a little more stable. In fact, if you can find a can of dulce de leche at the grocery store, grab it and use it to make your banoffee pie.
You can double the number of bananas this recipe calls for.
Have you ever heard of a magic cake? Magic cakes separate into three layers when they’re baked.
It’s fascinating, honestly. Somehow, during the baking process, the flour and egg whites make their way to the top of the cake, forming a golden-brown crust that’s delectable.
To make this magic cake extra special, serve it with sliced banana and whipped cream. We won’t be mad at you if you use vanilla ice cream as a topping instead.
Do you know how to make brown butter? You simply cook your butter until it becomes a golden brown color.
Brown butter has a nutty, rich flavor and it’s perfect for these easy monkey squares.
The taste is pretty close to banana bread, and the sour cream makes these dessert bars deliciously moist.
You can eat these monkey bars by themselves without frosting. However, adding some brown sugar frosting will delight you and the people who help you gobble these sweet banana treats.
We’ve already shared a quick and easy banana pudding recipe, but any list of banana dessert recipes would be remiss without a classic banana pudding like your grandmother used to make.
Banana pudding with made-from-scratch pudding is just a little more work, but not much.
The richness of this banana pudding recipe comes from egg yolks, whole milk, unsalted butter, powdered sugar, and heavy cream.
Of course, it has plenty of vanilla wafers, just like Grandma used to make her classic banana pudding.
Here is a video with some delicious banana desserts. Also, don’t forget, you can always make a banana split.
Our 25+ BEST Banana Desserts (+Dark Chocolate Banana Nut Pops)
These recipes are sure to please. So, gather your family and friends and enjoy. Let us know your thoughts!
Cassie brings decades of experience to the Kitchen Community. She is a noted chef and avid gardener. Her new book "Healthy Eating Through the Garden" will be released shortly. When not writing or speaking about food and gardens Cassie can be found puttering around farmer's markets and greenhouses looking for the next great idea.
