Over-Ripe Bananas Give Your Pancakes And Waffles A Hint Of Natural Sweetness

Banana bread holds a soft spot in our hearts as a tried-and-true comfort food. It's a recipe that uses a heap of soft, nearly black bananas in a simple method that even a novice baker can master for a tender, perfectly sweet snack, treat, or breakfast. But over-ripe bananas are good for more than just banana bread, especially if you want to add some sweetness to your morning breakfast in the form of pancakes or waffles.

The magic of an over-ripe banana is that as the skin darkens and the fruit goes from firm to barely holding its shape, it is transforming from starchy to silky soft with a taste reminiscent of brown sugar. Making banana muffins is like a quicker version of banana bread, but you can also add them to pancake or waffle batter for a boost of flavor, moisture, and sweetness, without turning it into an overly rich or sugary treat.

Over-ripe bananas are already extremely soft, so they quickly collapse with a fork or potato masher until either slightly lumpy, for more texture, or totally smooth and liquidy. The more you mash, the runnier the bananas become. Mix the bananas with wet ingredients, like milk or eggs, so they combine easily with the flour, preventing an overworked batter. Bananas also puree easily in a blender or food processor, which is perfect for making the batter in a machine like in this recipe for Banana and Maple Walnut Waffles.

When adding mashed banana to a recipe that doesn't already include it, keep in mind that the added moisture and sugar from the banana will change the structure of the recipe a little. Hold back slightly on the liquid and sugar in the recipe when mixing since the banana will give it back, knowing you can always adjust the consistency before cooking. The goal is to end up with fluffy banana pancakes (or whatever you are making) and not something wet and gummy.

One note of caution: It can take a while, but over-ripe bananas will reach a tipping point and start to rot or ferment. Before using the fruit, look for leaking juices or mold and give a sniff making sure it just smells deeply flavored and not sour.