19 Delicious Banana Desserts to Make Instead of the Classic Bread

Mocha-Filled Banana Cupcakes

Mashed bananas and shortening make these petite banana cupcakes extra moist and flavorful. Each bite includes buttery banana frosting, warm banana cake, and rich espresso cream cheese filling. For a bit of crunch, top with baked banana chips.

Banana Ice Cream With Peanut Butter, Chocolate, or Berries

This delicious yet simple ice cream recipe is made extra special with the right toppings. Mashed bananas add a hint of fresh fruit to the ice cream without masking other flavors like chocolate, berry, or peanut butter. Top with freshly sliced bananas, coconut shavings, or fresh berries for a dessert that's hard to resist!

Banana Bars with Butter-Rum Frosting

Perfect for potlucks, this easy banana dessert is super moist and dense thanks to the addition of sour cream (yet rings in at only 111 calories per serving!). Rum mixed into the buttery frosting enhances the fruity flavor profile. Top these bars with toasted banana chips for extra texture.

Test Kitchen Tip: For a family-friendly take on this delicious banana dessert, simply skip the rum.

Banana Nut Pound Cake

Perk up your next pound cake with the flavors of banana nut bread, courtesy of toasted pecans and mashed bananas. This dessert hybrid gets its pretty finish from a fluted tube pan and powdered sugar topping. To achieve the perfect cake texture and rise every time, be sure to follow the timing of the beating steps.

Buy It: Nordic Ware Party Bundt Cake Pan ($45, Williams Sonoma)

Peanut Butter and Banana Drops

Here's an easy banana dessert to satisfy your sweet tooth: Add crunch to packaged peanut butter cookie dough with crushed banana chips and coarse sugar. This tasty twist on chocolate chip cookies is easy enough for kids to make and can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Bananas Foster Crisp

When you think of fruit crisp recipes, berries or apples might be the first ingredients that come to mind. Now you can add bananas to the rotation. Butter, brown sugar, and a bit of rum work together to yield a caramelized finish in this take on bananas foster. Serve it warm with a scoop of ice cream to complement the crumbly topping perfectly.

Banana Pudding with Shaved Dark Chocolate

This gluten-free banana pudding is so rich and creamy, you won't believe it's hiding a secret healthy ingredient: tofu! Agave nectar brings natural sweetness, while the tofu gives this delicious banana dessert protein and creaminess. Spring for high-quality dark chocolate to accent the banana flavor and provide an extra dose of antioxidants.

Bananas Foster Gelato

Combine the flavors of traditional bananas foster—cinnamon, brown sugar, dark rum, and banana—into a cool and creamy gelato. Serve with sliced bananas and a drizzle of warm caramel topping. Don't go wild with the rum, though: Too much alcohol will interfere with the dessert's ability to freeze.

Chocolate Banana Air-Fryer Empanadas

These adorable mini banana pies pack rich flavor without going overboard on the oil. We used pre-made empanada dough to whip up these pretty pies in less than half an hour. While your banana-stuffed empanadas are in the air-fryer, make some homemade cinnamon-infused whipped cream to go on top.

Buy It: NuWave Brio 4.5-Quart Air Fryer ($80, Bed Bath & Beyond)

Hummingbird Cake with Caramel Frosting

Hummingbird cake—the delightfully moist layered cake known for its amalgam of tropical ingredients—sheds its layers with this easy-to-make version. All the classic flavors are here: Bananas star alongside pineapple and coconut, while cream cheese frosting infused with caramel and a hint of a salt provides a sweet yet tangy finish.

Zucchini-Banana Snack Cake

For a quick banana dessert, look no further than this simple chocolate snack cake—they're almost like banana bread brownies! The combination of shredded zucchini and mashed banana promises super moist texture, while miniature chocolate pieces deliver sweetness. To keep this dessert on the healthier side, we use whole wheat flour and flaxseed meal.

Banana Crunch Pops

With just four inexpensive ingredients, this healthy banana dessert is easy to make and one the kids will love. Banana halves rolled in cinnamony yogurt are skewered on wooden crafts sticks, then coated in rice cereal and frozen. You'll definitely want to keep this quick banana dessert stocked for warm summer days.

Banana-Butterscotch Cream Pie

Silky smooth thanks to a butterscotch custard filling, this classic banana cream pie recipe is filled with flavor and made especially indulgent with a chocolaty drizzle. If you're short on time, use a refrigerated unbaked piecrust.

Island Bananas Foster Cupcakes

The pile of elaborate toppings signals that these aren't just any cupcakes. Wait until you taste them! Inspired by bananas foster, these tropical treats stay moist thanks to a shot of unsweetened coconut milk and rum. Toast some shredded coconut for a pretty, crunchy topper.

Dark Chocolate-Raspberry Banana Bread

If banana bread makes a list of five-star desserts, you know it's going to be good. Chopped walnuts, raspberry preserves, and dark chocolate pieces transform traditional banana bread into a fancy-looking indulgence. Swirl the decadent ingredients into the cake, then drizzle melted chocolate and preserves on top.

Buy It: Wilton 9x5-Inch Loaf Pan ($9, Target)

Peanut Butter Banana Bonbons

This easy banana dessert is perfect for snacking. Simply sandwich a dollop of creamy peanut butter between two banana slices, dip in chocolate, and freeze. It's a quick, anytime treat that won't last long in the freezer.

Chocolate-Banana Snack Cake

Ditch the packaged snack cakes and try our delicious homemade banana cake, which uses cocoa power instead of chocolate chips. This recipe is easily made vegan by swapping in flaxseed for eggs, and coconut oil can be used in lieu of canola oil.

Banana Bread Pudding and a Kiss

Leftover banana bread? Don't let it go to waste! Cube it and toss it into a bowl with egg yolks, sugar, and half-and-half for a quick-and-easy banana bread pudding. Once baked, top the dessert with chocolate kisses for the ultimate sweet bite.

Dark Chocolate Banana Nut Pops

Stack banana slices with creamy almond butter as the glue, skewer with a lollipop stick, and dip in dark chocolate for a frozen banana treat everyone will love. For added crunch, roll the pops in chopped roasted almonds, peanuts, or your favorite crushed candy.

Buy It: 4-Inch Lollipop Sticks By Celebrate It ($3 for 50, Michaels)