How to Freeze Dry Bananas
Freeze drying bananas has become a cherished practice in our home, thanks to our Harvest Right freeze dryer. This advanced appliance enables us to preserve the natural sweetness and nutrients of bananas by removing moisture, resulting in a fine powder that enhances our baking ventures. We utilize this banana powder to create flavorful banana bread, moist muffins, and to enrich smoothies or yogurt with its concentrated flavor and nutritional benefits. Whether as a versatile baking ingredient or a nutritious addition to beverages, freeze dried banana powder ensures we can enjoy the essence of ripe bananas throughout the year.
I’m excited to share our straightforward process for how to freeze dry bananas, complete with a printable recipe and an in-depth YouTube tutorial. From selecting perfectly ripe bananas to preparing them for the freeze dryer and transforming them into powder, I’ll walk you through each step for how to freeze dry bananas to successful preservation and utilization. Join us as we explore the convenience and versatility of freeze-dried banana powder, empowering you to enhance your culinary creations and enjoy the taste of fresh bananas anytime.
3 Ways to Use Freeze Dried Banana Powder
Bananas take up so much freezer space. You need 3-4 bananas per batch of muffins or a loaf of banana bread. With a freeze dryer, you can store at least 32 (probably more) bananas in a 1/2 gallon mason jar! Once you learn how to freeze dry bananas, you can also use this banana powder for smoothies and yogurt!
Banana Bread or Muffins: We love using freeze-dried bananas to add natural sweetness and intense banana flavor to our favorite recipes for banana bread and muffins. The powder blends seamlessly with water to add into the batter, resulting in moist, flavorful baked goods that everyone enjoys.
Smoothies: Adding freeze-dried banana powder to smoothies is a game-changer! It boosts the banana flavor without altering the texture, making it easy to enjoy the taste of fresh bananas year-round. Check out our video tutorial on how to make delicious smoothies using freeze-dried banana powder here.
Homemade Yogurt: Transform plain homemade yogurt into a delightful treat by stirring in freeze-dried banana powder. It adds a burst of banana flavor and a hint of sweetness, elevating your yogurt to a whole new level. Learn how to make your own yogurt and incorporate banana powder with our helpful video guide here.
We have the medium freeze dryer from Harvest Right, and you can find our affiliate link here. Reach out with any questions to chapelhillforge@gmail.com.
How to Freeze Dry Bananas
Equipment
- 1 Freeze Dryer with Trays (We love our Harvest Right brand freeze dryer.)
- 1 Blender (We love our Vitamix.)
- 1 Jar for Storage (1/2 gallon jar usually works for 4 tray units.)
- 1 Canning Funnel (Makes filling the jars easier once powdered.)
Materials
- 48 Bananas (This can vary. Basically, you want to put as many whole bananas on a tray as you can.)
Instructions
- Peel bananas, lay on trays, and pre-freeze to save time in the freeze dryer.
- After they're done in the freeze dryer, powder in the blender till a smooth powder. Store in jar for 1-2 years. An oxygen absorber is optional (I personally never use them for short term storage.
