20+ Banana Peel Recipes You Need to Try

Did you know that you can eat banana peels and use them in numerous delicious recipes? Like orange peels, banana skins are edible and can be used in all sorts of creative ways in recipes. Find out how with the creative banana peel recipes below.

I’m always fascinated to discover that something I had no idea was edible or useful in any way in fact is. As with orange peels, squash seeds, strawberry tops, and so many common wild plants, banana peels have loads of beneficial compounds, including polyphenols, minerals, and fiber.

Since bananas are 30% peel by weight, anyone who uses bananas with any regularity (banana ice cream recipes, anyone?) will be able to get a whole lot more out of their grocery purchases by using the peel.

You Can Eat Banana Peels?

Yep, along with all sorts of other things people don’t realize are edible and nutritious (broccoli leaves, people!), banana peels are not only perfectly safe to eat, they’re actually quite good for you.

They’re a good source of fiber (so important for gut health) and magnesium. They also contain some iron, potassium, and polyphenols.

Since they contain tryptophan, a precursor to serotonin, they’re often considered helpful for supporting mood and sleep.

Research has shown that banana peels are rich in phenolic compounds that have antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. 

Creative Banana Peel Recipes

While you probably don’t want to just chomp on a plain banana peel, they’re surprisingly versatile and work well in numerous recipes. I’ve scoured the interwebs for you to collect the most diverse collections of banana peel recipes you’ll find.

It’s always a good idea to choose organic produce when possible to avoid ingesting pesticides, but it’s a good idea even if you’re using organic bananas to rinse them well in order to remove any residue.

Note that anyone with a latex allergy ought to be cautious about consuming bananas or their peels, as a protein in bananas is similar in structure to one in latex.

Whether you’d like to have the banana peel disappear into something like a smoothie, or be a star in a spicy curry, there are a number of tasty ways to use banana peels in the kitchen. Check out the ingenious banana peel recipes below to discover brilliant ways to stop wasting your banana peels!

Add Banana Peel to Smoothies

Adding banana peel to your smoothie gives it a boost of fiber and nutrients. Wash and chop the peel and add it to your favorite healthy smoothie recipe. Depending on how ripe your bananas are, you can toss them in raw or steam them quickly if they’re less ripe and a little crunchy.

Or use whole chopped bananas, dropping sliced unpeeled bananas into your blender along with your other favorite smoothie ingredients.

Make a Whole-Banana Bread

Make your banana bread zero waste by freezing then defrosting ripe whole bananas and blending them. People who’ve tried it highly recommend it, even the New York Times! I’m curious to try this whole-grain, whole-banana bread recipe from Simply Recipes.

Vegan Meat Substitutes

Did you know you can use banana peels to make meat substitutes in vegan dishes? Creative recipe developers have used them to make vegan versions of bacon, pulled pork, and lots more.

Banana Peel Bacon

I’m eager to try this vegan bacon recipe made with banana peels from It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken.

Banana Peel Bolognese, Meatballs and Hamburger

Chef Jana makes vegan bolognese and Swedish meatballs with banana peels. She’s even got a vegan hamburger patty and a vegan fish filet made from banana peels!

Vegan Carnitas with Banana Peel

Here’s a tempting recipe for vegan carnitas with banana peel from Sweet Potato Soul. They look SO good!

Or try this vegan pulled pork sandwich recipe from The Stingy Vegan.

Banana Peel Stir Fry

Banana peels are often added to stir fries in Southeast Asia. This banana peel stir-fry recipe from Honestly Modern is full of veggies and Southeast Asian flavors.

Banana Peel Curry

Banana peels can be turned into flavorful curries. Try this yummy-looking vegan banana peel curry from Create Mindfully.

This green banana skin bahji from Mamta’s Kitchen is a traditional Indian dry curry recipe.

The Greedy Gourmet makes a banana peel chutney that would be wonderful with all sorts of savory dishes.

Spring Roll Filling

Yummy Kitchen makes a spring roll filled with veggies and banana peels. Check out their recipe for banana peel shanghai.

Banana Peel Tea

Made with fresh or dried banana peels, banana peel tea is considered helpful for supporting sleep. Check out our banana peel tea recipe with nutmeg for extra sleep support.

Banana Peel Chips

Chopped banana peels can be dipped in cornstarch and spices and fried to make chips. Tutorial here.

Banana Peel Candy

I’m a fan of dried bananas, which taste like a chewy banana candy. You can also use the peels to make a homemade candy by boiling chopped banana peels in a 1:1 solution of sugar and water, then dehydrating.

Banana Peel Syrup

Banana peels can be used to make an indulgent banana-flavored syrup. Get the banana peel syrup recipe from The Conscious Plant Kitchen.

Banana Peel Cake

This intriguing banana peel cake from Food 52 uses only the peel, no banana!

Banana Peel Vinegar

Like apple scrap vinegar, you can use banana peels to make a homemade vinegar from scratch. Here’s how from Moscow Food Coop.

Banana Peel Flour

Dried banana peels can be powdered and used as a flour, which a 2022 study showed made baked goods more nutritious.

If you love zero-waste cooking, be sure to check out our collection of root-to-stem recipes!

You might also be interested in these waste-busting ideas:

• Crunchy roasted squash seeds
• Uses for used coffee grounds
• Orange peel tea
• How to use eggshells in the garden

There are plenty of other ways to use banana peels if you don’t want to eat them. Check out this post on making banana peel fertilizer for the garden, and stay tuned for an upcoming post on additional ways to use banana peels.

Have you ever tried banana peel recipes? If you have a favorite, please leave it in the comments!

Save these banana peel recipes for later!

Susannah

Susannah is a health and environmental writer focusing on gardening, foraging, medicinal plants, and sustainability. Her work has appeared in Mother Earth Living, Ensia, Northern Gardener, Sierra, and on numerous websites. Her first book, Everything Elderberry, released in September 2020 and was a #1 new release in holistic medicine, naturopathy, herb gardening, and other categories. Find out more and grab your copy here.