A different use for extra ripe bananas: Oven Dried Bananas

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Bananas are a regular purchase during our weekly grocery shopping trip. However, for us the window of opportunity for eating them is very short, so we end up with too many that weren't chosen and have now become too ripe for our taste. I usually do one of two things - make banana bread with them or freeze them for another use later (usually banana bread). Although I love banana bread, especially the recipe I posted two summers ago, I wanted to try something a little healthier. The recipe only uses one stick of butter which isn't bad when you eat 1/16 of the loaf like most recipes say is the serving size. But when you're like me, one serving is about 1/8 of the loaf and I usually eat a couple servings a day. Did I really say "only one stick of butter"? I might have a problem... Anyway, here is recipe for dried bananas that is exactly what it sounds like - just dried bananas. No sugar added. Much better for you than those sugary banana chips you can buy at the grocery store. The only thing that is helpful to add is lemon juice, just a light brushing over the tops to help prevent the bananas from turning too brown. 

Next time you have bananas that are a little too ripe, try drying them. I'm planning to make more tomorrow!


Oven Dried Bananas
*Update: I had said you need to brush the slices with lemon juice, but I discovered it doesn't make a difference whether you do or not! Also, if you want your bananas crunchier, leave them in for 4-5 hours.

Ingredient: Ripe bananas that are firm enough to slice

Preheat oven to the lowest temperature possible, mine was about 170-180 degrees F. Slice bananas no more than 1/4 inch thick. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat, arrange the bananas as close to one another as possible without letting them touch.

Bake for 2-3 hours or until dried. They will be soft when you remove them from the oven, but will stiffen up a little as they cool. To determine whether they're done, you may want to take one off the sheet  while it's still in the oven and test it by letting it cool to see if it is dried enough for your liking.

Mine cooked longer than I wanted because the plumber was here for an hour and a half and my kitchen is so small that I couldn't get them out of the oven! They turned out great though. The temperature is low enough that they really can't overcook unless you forget about them and leave the house or something.

Store in an airtight container.