Baking with bananas not only yield delicious breads, muffins, and cookies, but they offer a nutritious way to add moisture, volume and flavor while decreasing added sugar content. But did you know, depending on what you are baking, not any ripe banana will do? Here is your baking with bananas cheat sheet.
I actually like to eat underripe bananas raw. They contain more dietary fiber in the form of resistant starch, and are therefore better for digestion. Maybe it’s a texture thing too? If I am going to slice bananas on top of my breakfast bowl, I like them more firm than soft. This is obviously such a personal preference. And if you are someone who doesn’t metabolize fructose well, perhaps you could tolerate underripe bananas. The fructose content in bananas increases with the ripening process. This is why overripe bananas are the best in breads and can even provide the majority of sweetness. Some recipes (like this buckwheat banana bread) even use only bananas and no added sugar at all. If you like a natural sweetness, this could be a great baking strategy for you.
