Bananas are a great fruit for using in desserts. They're available year round in most areas and are usually fairly inexpensive. Even bananas that have become so ripe that they're covered in dark spots and too soft to eat can still be used in baked goods as long as they're not moldy. However, some banana desserts, such as banana cream pies, call for fruit that is just barely ripe.
Bananas and chocolate are a favorite combination of many people and even something as easy as placing banana slices on the top of bowls of chocolate pudding creates a tasty and appealing dessert. You can also make a quick, excellent dessert with only a banana and chocolate syrup. All you have to do is peel a fairly firm banana and slice it lengthwise. Then, place it into an individual baking dish and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius) for about ten minutes or just until heated through. After baking, drizzle on a few teaspoons of chocolate syrup.
If you're making dessert for several people, you can also make baked bananas in a pie plate. The bananas can be baked with dots of butter and a sprinkling of brown sugar or a drizzling of honey or maple syrup. Some people like to add mixtures of oats and sweetener on the top. Shredded coconut may also be used, or you may want to add a little lemon juice and or/cinnamon.
The bananas can be baked in a regular oven or microwave oven. You can serve baked bananas with yogurt or ice cream. Toasted nuts such as pecan halves or slivered almonds also compliment a baked banana dessert well. Toast nuts in a thin layer on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius) for five minutes or less. They should be golden rather than brown as you don't want to burn them.
Banana bread, or banana cake, is a classic and delicious way to use up very ripe bananas. These breads or cakes have many variations, but are usually baked in a loaf pan. Walnuts are often added to banana breads or cakes.
