Whether bananas are your favorite fruit or you just have a bunch going brown on your kitchen counter, we have the recipes you need to branch out beyond classic banana nut bread. We take the beloved yellow fruit to a new level of deliciousness with these easy banana desserts, ranging from cake to pudding to ice cream. Scroll through our collection of banana-flavored indulgences to find your sweet spot.
Banana Ice Cream With Peanut Butter, Chocolate, or Berries
This delicious yet simple ice cream recipe is made extra special with the right toppings. Mashed bananas add a hint of fresh fruit to the ice cream without masking other flavors like chocolate, berry, or peanut butter. Top with freshly sliced bananas, coconut shavings, or fresh berries for a dessert that's hard to resist!
Banana Bars with Butter-Rum Frosting
Perfect for potlucks, this easy banana dessert is super moist and dense thanks to the addition of sour cream (yet rings in at only 111 calories per serving!). Rum mixed into the buttery frosting enhances the fruity flavor profile. Top these bars with toasted banana chips for extra texture.
Test Kitchen Tip: For a family-friendly take on this delicious banana dessert, simply skip the rum.
Banana Nut Pound Cake
Perk up your next pound cake with the flavors of banana nut bread, courtesy of toasted pecans and mashed bananas. This dessert hybrid gets its pretty finish from a fluted tube pan and powdered sugar topping. To achieve the perfect cake texture and rise every time, be sure to follow the timing of the beating steps.
Bananas Foster Crisp
When you think of fruit crisp recipes, berries or apples might be the first ingredients that come to mind. Now you can add bananas to the rotation. Butter, brown sugar, and a bit of rum work together to yield a caramelized finish in this take on bananas foster. Serve it warm with a scoop of ice cream to complement the crumbly topping perfectly.
Banana Pudding with Shaved Dark Chocolate
This gluten-free banana pudding is so rich and creamy, you won't believe it's hiding a secret healthy ingredient: tofu! Agave nectar brings natural sweetness, while the tofu gives this delicious banana dessert protein and creaminess. Spring for high-quality dark chocolate to accent the banana flavor and provide an extra dose of antioxidants.
Hummingbird Cake with Caramel Frosting
Hummingbird cake—the delightfully moist layered cake known for its amalgam of tropical ingredients—sheds its layers with this easy-to-make version. All the classic flavors are here: Bananas star alongside pineapple and coconut, while cream cheese frosting infused with caramel and a hint of a salt provides a sweet yet tangy finish.
Banana-Butterscotch Cream Pie
Silky smooth thanks to a butterscotch custard filling, this classic banana cream pie recipe is filled with flavor and made especially indulgent with a chocolaty drizzle. If you're short on time, use a refrigerated unbaked piecrust.
Dark Chocolate-Raspberry Banana Bread
If banana bread makes a list of five-star desserts, you know it's going to be good. Chopped walnuts, raspberry preserves, and dark chocolate pieces transform traditional banana bread into a fancy-looking indulgence. Swirl the decadent ingredients into the cake, then drizzle melted chocolate and preserves on top.
Chocolate-Banana Snack Cake
Ditch the packaged snack cakes and try our delicious homemade banana cake, which uses cocoa power instead of chocolate chips. This recipe is easily made vegan by swapping in flaxseed for eggs, and coconut oil can be used in lieu of canola oil.
Banana-Dark Chocolate Smoothie Bowls
Silken tofu gives this smoothie bowl a luxurious texture. Blend it with bananas, honey, vanilla, and dark chocolate for a smoothie bowl that's equal parts breakfast and dessert. Top the bowl with sliced bananas and chopped dark chocolate.
Banana Cake
Buttermilk in the batter ensures this cake is extra-moist. A rich cream cheese frosting adds the perfect tangy balance to the sweet cake. Recipe reviewers have shared that they often add chocolate chips or nuts to the cake batter.
Chocolate-Banana Donuts
For us, these banana doughnuts are the perfect vehicle for a rich chocolate glaze. Once you've fried them, it's important to let the donuts cool completely before glazing them. This banana dessert recipe is best served the day it's made.
Hummingbird Dump Cake
Hummingbird cake is often made with bananas, pineapple, and pecans. We've made it easy as can be with this dump cake recipe. Rather than the traditional cream cheese frosting, we're serving the cake warm with ice cream.
