If you’re wondering how to freeze bananas for smoothies, or how long frozen bananas last in the freezer, you’ve come to the right place!

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Freezing bananas is quite a quick and simple process, and it is super useful to have a stash of frozen bananas in your freezer…especially for making smoothies!

Many smoothie recipes call for frozen bananas because they are an excellent way to make a smoothie thick, creamy, cold, and sweet. They are particularly good for smoothie bowls!

Banana is one of my go-to frozen fruits because they freeze really well and it is so convenient to keep frozen bananas on hand in your freezer at all times.

More often than not, the bananas sitting on my counter surpass the cute spotty stage, and enter the full on we’re-turning-to-mush-unless-you-eat-all-of-us-right-now stage. I have saved a number of bananas from the compost bin by simply popping them in the freezer before they get overly ripe.

Even over-ripened bananas are worth freezing – they can be very delicious in smoothies as they add a lot of sweetness.

Let’s take a look at how, when, and why to freeze bananas…

How to Freeze Bananas For Smoothies

There are two quick and simple methods to freezing bananas, especially to use in smoothies:

Method 1:

Peel bananas and chop in half, quarters, or eighths.
Put in a resealable ziplock bag or airtight plastic container.
Put in the freezer for 2+ hours.
Store in freezer and use as needed.

place bananas in sealable bag before putting in the freezer

You can also chop your banana into buttons, but it is convenient to have pieces that are a known fraction of the whole banana so that it’s easier to keep track of how much banana you are adding, especially when following recipes.

The size of the pieces should also depend on what you are using them for. For smoothies, consider the strength of your blender. Most blenders will have a much harder time getting through a whole or half frozen banana, than eighths or buttons.

Alternatively, freeze your bananas at whatever size pieces you want, and then chop the frozen pieces up before use, as needed. This is always an option, just keep in mind it is much easier to chop bananas when they are fresh and soft.

Method 2:

Peel bananas and chop into eighths or buttons.
Lay pieces out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Put baking sheet in the freezer for 2+ hours.
Once frozen, gather the pieces together in a resealable ziplock bag or airtight plastic container.
Store in freezer and use as needed.

place banana slices on a lined tray before freezing

The benefit of Method 1 is that it is extremely quick and easy, however the pieces may stick together in the bag as they freeze.

The benefit of Method 2 is that the pieces of banana do not stick together when stored.

When to Freeze Bananas

Bananas are best frozen when they are ripe or bordering on over-ripe.

Once you put the banana in the freezer, the ripening stops. Hence, you want to make sure the banana has no more green on the peel at the time of freezing; the peel should be all yellow with some brown spots forming. At this point of ripeness, the banana is at its sweetest without tasting overly sweet/ripe.

If your bananas have already surpassed the ripe yellow-and-spotty stage and entered the over-ripe turning-black-quick stage, do not fear! You can still freeze bananas past their peak. Over-ripe bananas can have that familiar too ripe/sweet taste, but can still easily be used in smoothies as a lovely natural sweetener and thickener.

When to Not Freeze Bananas

While freezing bananas is a great way to save overly ripened bananas, there is a point at which a banana should probably just be tossed.

If the fresh banana has completely liquified, has shrivelled to nothing, or has grown mold, please toss it. Freezing can only do so much.

How Long do Frozen Bananas Last?

Now that you’ve got your bananas frozen and ready to blend in a cold and creamy smoothie, you might be wondering, do frozen bananas go bad?

Exactly how long do bananas last in the freezer?

Frozen bananas are good for a long time, indefinitely really. I’ve stored frozen bananas in the freezer for months and it’s never got to the point where I’ve noticed anything funky going on.

If you start with ripe but not rotten bananas, and maintain them at a freezing temperature, frozen bananas should never really go bad.

You can freeze bananas for a long time – nothing is going to happen to them.

That being said, frozen bananas will get a little frosty/icy after being in the freezer for a while (i.e. months), and will lose some of their “freshness” (if that makes any sense). While there’s nothing wrong with them, they will look less appetizing as time goes on.

Can Frozen Bananas Make You Sick?

Freezing bananas prevents the growth of the microbes that forms molds and carry out the process of rotting.

However, if you start out with a fresh banana that has gone bad, freezing it will only temporarily halt the rotting process, not remove it or reverse it. Once thawed, the banana will continue to rot, grow mold, etc. In these cases, you don’t want to eat the banana because it has the potential to make you sick, as with any other rotting food.

Why do Bananas Turn Brown in the Freezer?

You might notice that your frozen bananas begin to turn brown over time in the freezer. This is due to oxidation which occurs when the banana flesh is exposed to air.

Oxidation will change the colour of the surface of the banana, but it does not mean that the banana is rotting. It’s just like how apple slices or avocado flesh turns brown after a while of being exposed – still safe to eat, it just looks less appealing.

To prevent your frozen bananas from turning brown in the freezer, make sure you are storing them in an airtight container or sealable bag.

Another trick is to squeeze some lemon juice on them before freezing, as soon as the peel is off. This is a tried and true way to reduce the oxidation occurring on the surface of the fruit, and adds a nice zesty flavour as well! (I do this all the time with apple slices)

Conclusion

So there you have it! Freezing bananas is super quick and practically effortless, but is an excellent way to prep for smoothie-making and prevent food waste!

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to also check out: How to Freeze Apples for Smoothies

Now that you have your freezer stocked with frozen bananas, go ahead and blend up some tasty smoothies!

How to Freeze Bananas

Freezing bananas is an excellent way to prep for smoothie-making and to save those spotty bananas on your counter from the compost bin!

Materials

Bananas
Knife
Cutting board
Resealable bag or airtight container
Parchment paper (for Method 2)
Baking sheet (for Method 2)

Instructions

Method 1:

Peel bananas and chop in half, quarters, or eighths.
Put in a resealable ziplock bag or airtight plastic container.
Put in the freezer for 2+ hours.
Store in freezer and use as needed.

Method 2:

Peel bananas and chop into eighths or buttons.
Lay pieces out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Put baking sheet in the freezer for 2+ hours.
Once frozen, gather the pieces together in a resealable ziplock bag or airtight plastic container.
Store in freezer and use as needed.