I have to admit I get a little excited when my bananas are overripe. A slightly brown, soft banana with a peel that almost falls off is perfect for baking. The natural sweetness of the banana really shines, and they are easy to mash for a bread or pastry recipe. This list of my favorite banana desserts includes everything from banana pudding to banana cream pie to variations on the banana bread. If you’re stuck on what to try first, I would steer you toward the classic banana bread or the banana pudding, but you can’t go wrong with any of them!
Looking for more fruit dessert recipes? Might I suggest strawberry desserts, blueberry desserts, and pear desserts next? Enjoy!
Banana Desserts
The flavor of this banana bread depends on the sweetness of the fruit. The riper the banana the sweeter the bread. Pecans add nice texture.
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It's funny how rather retro American desserts, like the Banana Cream Pie bring back memories of grandmothers and childhoods. I am happy to report this version, inspired by Sarabeth's Bakery, does not disappoint. You have to make one to see how beautifully it cuts and how fantastic it tastes.
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Make your own vanilla wafers, or use a box from the store—either way you will love this quintessential southern recipe. You can top it with perfectly whipped cream or torched Swiss meringue (optional).
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This Honeycomb Banana Layer Cake is inspired by Cadbury Crunchie Bar candy my husband ate as a child growing up in Montreal. He’s been asking me to recreate the chocolate covered honeycomb (sponge toffee) candy and now that I’ve had it, I regret not making it decades ago. I made this banana cake with a coffee flavored honey meringue buttercream, the honeycomb candy seemed just the right garnish for the top.
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This banoffee pie is a combination of butterscotch pudding, banana cream pie and topped with a “mile-high” meringue, which you should know by now, is one of my weaknesses. It is sweet, it is rich, it is bliss.
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I've spread Nutella on just about everything, but one of my favorites is freshly baked banana bread. In an "aha! moment" I decided to swirl the nutella right into the batter and bake them together. I'm not claiming to have discovered this combo, but I believe this may be the tastiest pairing ever there was.
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This cake is made of layers of banana cake, topped with honey buttercream, walnut praline for crunch and marzipan bees. This is an updated recipe from my book Zoë Bakes Cakes!
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The gorgeous decoration is the star of this cake featuring layers of my banana and devil’s food cakes, separated by a layer of a chocolate icing as the foundation.
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Classic bananas Foster takes traditional crepes to a decadent new level.
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Butterscotch pudding is an absolute classic, and this version features coffee-caramel bananas that balance the flavors beautifully. The coffee cuts through the sweetness just the right amount so you get a sweet, rich bite that isn't overwhelming.
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This was the most popular recipe at a restaurant where I was a pastry chef. It's a blend of comforting banana bread and decadent chocolate ganache, all baked together in a warm pudding.
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This banana bread roll is filled with a cream cheese frosting and it is delicious. The recipe is from one of my favorite bloggers and cookbook authors, Deb Perelman from the Smitten Kitchen.
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As my beautiful pears ripened, the texture was as soft as an overly ripe banana, so I got the idea of making my banana bread recipe with chunks of the ripe pears. I added a bit of homemade granola, instead of the toasted coconut I usually put in banana bread.
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