I found a bunch of red bananas on the reduced rack at Zehrs, and I’ll admit I had never bought them before.

In fact, I didn’t even know red bananas existed until I saw them sitting beside the regular yellow bananas.

Naturally, they came home with Mrs. CBB and me, as we wanted to taste them. We also couldn’t resist the $0.99 price tag. Regular price to buy red bananas at Zehrs is $5.05 per kilogram ($2.29 per pound)

The first thing I did was cut one open and taste it. The inside looked very similar to a regular banana, although the fruit was creamy, sweet, and slightly different in flavour.

Since the bananas were already ripe and needed to be used, I decided to do what I usually do with ripe bananas: bake something.

And that’s how this Red Banana Bread Recipe ended up in the CBB kitchen. I wanted to start with a basic banana recipe that, in my humble opinion, I have perfected over the years.

The loaf turned out nicely browned on the outside with a soft, dense banana crumb inside.

It wasn’t overly sweet, which we liked, and after tasting the finished loaf, I decided I would use just a little more banana next time for slightly more moisture.

If you happen to spot red bananas reduced at the grocery store and have no idea what to do with them, banana bread is an easy place to start.

What Are Red Bananas?

Red bananas are varieties of banana with reddish-purple or deep maroon skin.

Depending on the variety, they can be smaller and plumper than the common yellow Cavendish banana, although some grow quite large. Their flesh is generally creamy to pale in colour when ripe. Red bananas are grown in tropical regions, including parts of Asia, East Africa, and South America.

They can be eaten raw, just like yellow bananas, and used in baking, smoothies, desserts, and other recipes.

What Do Red Bananas Taste Like?

The red bananas we bought were sweet, creamy, and pleasant to eat on their own.

Red bananas are often described as having a sweeter, creamier flavour than the common Cavendish banana, and some varieties can have a subtle berry-like flavour.

For baking, though, they behave much like the ripe bananas most of us already use in banana bread.

That makes them easy to experiment with because you don’t need an entirely new way of baking.

Red Bananas vs. Yellow Bananas

If you’ve never seen a red banana before, the biggest surprise is obviously the peel.

Yellow bananas ripen from green to yellow and eventually develop brown or black spots.

Red bananas develop a deeper reddish, burgundy or maroon colour as they ripen, and their peel can become very dark without necessarily meaning the fruit inside has spoiled.

The inside, however, still looks very much like a banana.

How To Tell When Red Bananas Are Ripe

This can be confusing the first time you buy them because you’re probably used to judging bananas by a yellow peel.

Look for a deep red or maroon peel and fruit that gives slightly when gently pressed. Ripe red bananas may also develop darker patches on the skin.

For baking, you want ripe fruit that is soft enough to mash easily but not spoiled or fermented.

The bananas I used looked extremely dark on the outside, but the fruit inside was perfectly usable.

Why Make Red Banana Bread?

For us, the answer was simple: we had food that needed to be used.

Reduced produce can be a fantastic deal, but only if you actually eat or preserve it before it spoils.

Banana bread is one of those flexible recipes that turns fruit nearing the end of its fresh-eating life into something the family can eat for breakfast, as a snack, or for dessert.

You can also slice and freeze the loaf so you’re not forced to eat the entire thing immediately.

That’s exactly the type of cooking I like — use what you have and avoid unnecessary food waste.

I already have a traditional Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe on Canadian Budget Binder, along with my Maple Bourbon Banana Nut Loaf, so this red banana version gives readers another way to use ripe bananas.

Our Red Banana Bread Test

For this loaf, I used about 1½ cups of mashed red bananas, from roughly four of the red bananas I purchased.

The loaf was baked for 55 minutes at 350°F.

After letting it cool completely overnight, I sliced it the next morning.

The flavour was good, and it wasn’t overly sweet.

My only change for the next loaf would be adding a little more banana for slightly more moisture.

That doesn’t mean doubling the banana.

Just a small increase.

If your red bananas are smaller, aim for roughly 1¾ cups mashed banana rather than relying entirely on the number of bananas.

That’s much more accurate because banana sizes vary.

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Easy Red Banana Bread

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: About 1 hour 10 minutes, plus cooling
Yield: 1 loaf
Pan: 9 × 5-inch loaf pan
Oven: 350°F / 175°C

Ingredients

• 1¾ cups mashed very ripe red bananas
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional

Optional Add-Ins

• ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• ½ cup chocolate chips
• A light sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on top

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Grease a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
3. Peel the ripe red bananas and mash them well. Measure 1¾ cups mashed banana.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the mashed banana, melted butter, and sugar.
5. Mix in the eggs, vanilla, and Greek yogurt or sour cream until combined.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
7. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
8. Fold everything together just until no dry flour remains. Do not overmix.
9. Fold in nuts or chocolate chips if using.
10. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
11. Bake for approximately 55 minutes.
12. Insert a toothpick or thin knife into the centre of the loaf. If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, the loaf is ready. If wet batter remains, bake for another 5 minutes and check again.
13. Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for approximately 10–15 minutes before removing it.
14. Cool completely before slicing.

Mr. CBB’s Recipe Notes

The first loaf I made used approximately 1½ cups mashed red banana.

It tasted good and wasn’t too sweet, but after eating it, I felt it needed just a tad more moisture.

For that reason, I’m increasing the recipe to 1¾ cups mashed red banana.

If you prefer a slightly firmer banana loaf, you can stay closer to 1½ cups.

Also, don’t overmix the batter. Once the flour goes in, gently fold everything together just until combined.

Can I Use Yellow Bananas Instead?

Yes.

If you can’t find red bananas, ripe yellow bananas should work in this recipe.

Measure the banana by volume rather than simply substituting a fixed number, as banana sizes vary considerably.

Use approximately 1¾ cups mashed ripe banana.

The finished flavour won’t be the same, but you’ll still have banana bread.

Can I Add Chocolate Chips Or Nuts?

Absolutely.

Banana bread is one of those recipes that’s easy to customize.

Try chopped walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips.

You could also leave the loaf completely plain, which is how I would make it if I wanted the red banana flavour to be the focus.

Should Red Banana Bread Have A Glaze?

I don’t think it needs one.

We considered adding a glaze, but after tasting the loaf, I preferred to keep it simple.

A glaze would push it closer to dessert, whereas without one, it works well as banana bread for breakfast, coffee, snacks, or lunchboxes.

If you really want one, a drizzle of vanilla or maple would work.

How To Store Red Banana Bread

Allow the loaf to cool completely before storing it.

Once cool, place it in an airtight container or wrap it well.

For short-term storage, keep it at room temperature for a couple of days. For longer storage, refrigerate it.

Banana bread also freezes very well.

I prefer freezing individual slices because you can remove exactly what you need without thawing the entire loaf.

Can You Freeze Red Banana Bread?

Yes.

Slice the completely cooled loaf and separate individual slices with parchment paper.

Place the slices in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag.

Then remove a slice whenever you need one for breakfast, a snack, or a packed lunch.

This also helps prevent homemade baking from going to waste.

More Ways To Use Ripe Red Bananas

If you find a discounted bunch as I did, don’t feel you have to make eight loaves of banana bread.

You can peel and freeze ripe bananas for later baking or smoothies.

I’ve been freezing ripe bananas for years because it’s one of the easiest ways to keep a bargain from turning into food waste. My existing chocolate chip banana bread article also includes tips for freezing bananas.

Other ideas include:

• smoothies
• pancakes
• muffins
• oatmeal
• banana snack cake
• homemade frozen treats
• yogurt bowls
• fruit smoothies

A Reduced-Rack Experiment That Worked

This recipe started because I saw something unfamiliar marked down at the grocery store.

That’s one of the fun parts of shopping the reduced rack or by using the Flashfood App for deeper discounts.

Sometimes you find the foods you already buy at a lower price.

Other times, you find something you’ve never cooked with before.

In this case, a bunch of red bananas turned into a new recipe for Canadian Budget Binder.

Would I buy them again?

Yes.

They’re good on their own, taste unique and I’d absolutely bake with them again.

Next time, I’ll add that little bit of extra banana to get the moisture level I prefer.

Discussion

Have you ever tried a red banana?

If you saw these sitting beside regular yellow bananas at the grocery store, would you know what they were?

Let me know in the comments.

— Mr. CBB

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