Bananas are one of the most versatile fruits in the kitchen - naturally sweet, nutritious and perfect for baking. Whether you're using ripe or overripe bananas, they transform simple recipes into soft, moist cakes, muffins and desserts with less added sugar.
Here you'll find everything you need to know about bananas, plus my favourite banana bread, muffins and healthy recipes to use them at their best.
Where Do Bananas Come From?
Bananas are originally from Southeast Asia but are now grown in tropical regions around the world. In France, many come from French overseas territories like Guadeloupe and Martinique. These locally grown bananes are often labelled "Origine France" or Label Rouge, ensuring high quality.
For bananas imported from further afield, look for Fair Trade organic labels ('bio' in France) to support more ethical and sustainable farming practices - better for the environment and for growers.
Types of Bananas (With Uses)
Not all bananas behave the same in baking - here are the most common types and how to use them.
- Cavendish - the most popular banana variety found in supermarkets.
- Baby Bananas (Nino or Lady Fingers) - smaller and sweeter than Cavendish.
- Manzano (Apple Bananas) are small, chubby and sweet.
- Red Bananas - shorter, plumper with red-purple skin and creamy. High in vitamin C and beta-carotene.
- Plantains (bananes plantains) - large, starchy and never eaten raw. Cooked like a vegetable: fried, baked or boiled.
Are Bananas Healthy?
The following benefits are thanks to further reading from Le Meilleur Façon de Manger Végétal (best way to eat Vegan) by Dr Badariotti and Léa Lebrun, dietician.
Ripe bananas are rich in:
- Potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure and support heart health.
For one portion, bananas have 480mg, the highest amount of potassium, followed by apricots (390mg) and figs (345mg). - Magnesium, important for muscles, nerve function and helps reduce stress.
At 42mg per portion, followed by figs (33mg) and oranges (22.5mg). - Vitamin B6, which supports brain function and helps convert food into energy.
- Fibre, especially pectin, which supports gut health and helps you feel fuller for longer - so supports weight loss.
- Contains about 1.3 grams of protein.
- Bananas don't contain probiotics, but they're rich in prebiotics - natural fibres that help feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut.
- Improve your mood! Contains tryptophan, which converts into serotonin, which can make you more relaxed and happy.
So, eat them at breakfast, as a healthy snack and great for a workout.
5 Bonus Facts about Bananas
- Botanically it's a berry as, unlike a strawberry with seeds outside, a berry must contain seeds inside.
- Banana's Latin name, 'musa sapientum' means fruit of the wise men.
- Bananas ripen faster in a bunch - so separate them to slow it down.
- Bananas (and apples) release ethylene, a natural gas (plant hormone) that helps fruit ripen. So ripen avocados or pears faster by placing them together in a bag, although this doesn't work below 5°C, so do it out of the fridge.
- Overripe bananas freeze well (peeled, chopped) for smoothies or banana bread.
Is a Brown Banana Good for You?
Brown or speckled bananas are good for you - so don't throw yours away! However, the riper and heavier speckled they are, the less vitamins are stored, but they contain more antioxidants and are easier to digest.
This means this can strengthen our immune system, increasing the white cell count, enabling our body to fight off infections. Heavily speckled, brown bananas are best for baking due to their highest sugar content and softer texture.
Can Bananas Cause Constipation?
It depends on the ripeness!
- Unripe (green) bananas can bloat, as they're higher in starch and lower in soluble fibre. This may lead to constipation in some people and best to avoid for babies.
- Ripe bananas, on the other hand, are easier to digest and contain more soluble fibre, which can actually help promote regularity.
Tip: if constipation is an issue, pair ripe bananas with plenty of water and fibre-rich foods like oats, flaxseeds or whole grains.
How to Store Bananas and Avoid Fruit Flies
Ripe bananas attract fruit flies, especially in warm weather. I've tested many hacks but placing corks next to them doesn't work. Instead try these better tips:
- Store bananas in the fridge once ripe. The peel may darken, but it stays fresh.
- Keep them away from other ripening fruits as they release their particular gases that ripen fruits quickly - or cover plastic wrap around the stalks.
- Trap fruit flies using a small dish of apple cider vinegar with a few drops of washing-up liquid. It works well. So does pouring boiling water down the sink, as that's where they breed.
Banana Recipes (Bread, Muffins and Healthy Ideas)
Looking for ways to use ripe bananas? These are my go-to banana recipes - all lower in sugar and designed to bring out the natural flavour of the fruit.
Healthy Banana Bread with Coffee - a soft, moist banana bread with reduced sugar and a subtle depth of flavour.
Healthy Banana Oat Muffins (no added sugar) - my most popular recipe, naturally sweet and perfect for breakfast.
Gluten-free Banana Muffins (vegan, no-sugar) - ideal for restrictive diets, yet still soft and bakery-style.
Chocolate Banana Marble Cake - a rich, swirled cake that's a family favourite.
Banana Nut Bread with Chestnut Flour - extra moist with a rustic flavour inspired by Corsica.
Add banana to chocolate chia pudding for a quick, magnesium-rich dessert or snack.
Don't forget to slice bananas on French pancakes (crêpes) and dribble over some chocolate sauce - so popular in crêperies!
In France, bananas are often sliced over fromage blanc with honey or folded into chocolate crêpes for an easy treat. For ripe and firm bananas, try this banoffee pie.
