How to Freeze Bananas for Smoothies

How to freeze bananas to use in smoothies. Bananas are a great fruit to freeze and have on hand to throw into that breakfast smoothie. And it's easy to do!

Bananas are that one produce item that are either gone in days or we have tons sitting around starting to go bad.

Luckily, they are really easy to freeze to use for later.

In fact, I love to make breakfast smoothies! Having frozen bananas on hand is a perfect fruit to throw into a blender.

Jump to:

• Frozen Bananas in Smoothies
• Prepare Banana For Freezing
• Best Way to Freeze Bananas
• How to Use Frozen Banana Slices
• Tips for Freezing Bananas
• Recipe

Frozen Bananas in Smoothies

Using frozen bananas in smoothies is a great way to give your smoothie a more creamy texture and consistency without using yogurt.

It also helps keep it cold, so there is no need to add ice which prevents your smoothie from getting watered down.

Here are some of my favorite smoothie recipes for those frozen bananas.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Blueberry Banana Smoothie

Beet and Blueberry Smoothie

Peach Banana Smoothie Bowl

Prepare Banana For Freezing

Bananas can be frozen at any level of ripeness. Freeze right away while they are still yellow or freeze once they start to turn brown.

While a banana can be frozen with the peel on, I would highly recommend that they are peeled first.

Especially if you want to toss it right into a smoothie, the peel will be very difficult to remove when it's frozen.

If you are planning on using your frozen bananas for baked goods like my sourdough banana bread, the peel can be left on. Since the banana would need to be thawed anyway, it will be easier to peel.

For smoothies, peel the banana first and follow the instructions below.

Best Way to Freeze Bananas

When freezing bananas, they have to go through two rounds of freezing. If the banana slices are just tossed into a freezer bag, you will end up with a brick of siced bananas.

Here is how to avoid that:

Start off by peeling all the bananas and cutting them into ½"-1" slices.

The thickness will depend on your blender. If using a high powered blender such as a BlendTec, they can handle larger chunks.

Do not worry too much about how uniform they are.

If freezing for baked goods they can be cut in half or left whole.

Take a baking sheet and line with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Arrange the banana slices in a single layer. If they overlap they will just get frozen together.

Place in the freezer for 2-3 hours or until the slices are completely frozen.

Transfer to a freezer safe bag, remove as much air as possible, put the date on the bag and store in the freezer.

How to Use Frozen Banana Slices

When you are ready to make a smoothie take out the amount of banana slices you need and place them on top of the smoothie ingredients.

For one banana it will be about ¾ cup to 1 cup, depending on the size.

When filling a blender it's best to have the heavier ingredients on top. This helps push everything down toward the blades.

Tips for Freezing Bananas

1. Try to freeze banana slices before they start to turn brown. You can freeze them when they are brown, it's just easier when they are not as mushy.
2. Allow them to completely freeze on the baking sheet first. If placed in the bag before they are frozen it will result in them just getting stuck together.
3. Date the storage bag so you can use up older ones first.
4. If you have a high power blender you can cut them a little bigger.

Recipes using Frozen Bananas

Recipe