The Best Banana Recipes Ever

While apples may be known as the most storied fruit in the history of America, bananas are now the most popular fruit in the United States. It's estimated that three out of four American consumers buy bananas. In fact, of the thousands of products on Walmart's shelves, they sell more bananas than anything else.

Although bananas are undeniably delicious, this fruit is more than simply a tasty snack that your sweet tooth adores. Bananas can give you an energy boost, can help you shed unwanted pounds, and can even curtail annoying and painful muscle cramps due to the fact that this fruit contains potassium, magnesium, and calcium.

Sure, you can just peel a banana (make sure you do it the correct way) and gobble it down with an ear-to-ear grin. However, bananas also play a starring role in scrumptious recipes. From breakfast options to glorious desserts, you owe it to yourself to give these banana recipes on Mashed a whirl.

If you start each and every day with the same stack of yawn-inducing pancakes, your taste buds will inevitably grow bored — no matter how much you drench the pancakes in maple syrup. To stop that from happening, mix things up with this quick banana pancakes recipe. It won't take you much longer to make than traditional pancakes, and the result is oh-so-worth the extra effort. These banana-powered pancakes feature brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract. The result is so delectable that adding syrup on top is completely optional.

Another banana recipe that makes for an unforgettable breakfast is this easy banana muffins recipe. These muffins don't take any longer to make than the banana pancakes, so don't think you need to do any extra legwork the night before. Thanks to the addition of Greek yogurt, the muffins end up with the perfect amount of moisture. You'll enjoy the pleasant texture with each bite you take, and the overflowing banana goodness will brighten your morning in even the gloomiest of times.

When you crave simplicity and a straightforward recipe that you couldn't mess up even if you were distracted, turn to this recipe for 3-ingredient banana bread. All you need is self-rising flour, sweetened condensed milk, and bananas, and you'll be ready to rock your world. The only thing you really need to keep in mind is that the bananas need to be extra ripe. If your bananas seem to be taking forever to ripen, you can take these steps to speed up that process.

If you have a fancy chef's hat on top of your head and you want to show off your culinary skills, following this recipe for cookie butter banana bread will lead you to a magical destination. Make sure you have bananas that are sufficiently ripe and yummy cookie butter (Speculoos Cookie Butter from Trader Joe's is an outstanding pick). After 15 minutes of prep time and an hour of cook time, you'll be ready to show off your sweet creation that everyone in your household will love.

When you're pondering cake flavors, banana is unlikely to be a flavor that pops into your mind right away. However, after you try this banana cake recipe, that will change forever. This banana-flavored sheet cake is surprisingly easy to make, and it tastes so good that you shouldn't be surprised if you end up baking this cake once a week even if you have nothing to celebrate. The banana cake is sweet, but there's enough flavor diversity to keep you coming back again and again.

If you're not in the baking mood and you want to stay far away from your oven, this recipe for no-bake banana pudding is still fully capable of scratching your itch for a memorable banana dessert. After mixing the ingredients on your countertop, this pudding takes a trip to your refrigerator for 20 minutes in order to set. Then, you simply assemble the layers, garnish the final product, and it's ready to eat. This no-bake banana pudding recipe will serve six happy individuals.

What's a better way to end your night than enjoying a banana split? With a history dating back to 1904 or 1907, depending on who you believe, the banana split has been dazzling American taste buds for more than 110 years. To make sure you don't skip any steps or overlook any ingredients, Mashed has a banana split recipe that you can reference right before you whip up this classic dessert. From the banana sliced lengthwise to the maraschino cherry on top, you'll love every last drop.