13 Ways To Make The Most Out Of Banana Peels

Did you know that banana peels are edible?! Not only that, but they also have a wide range of health benefits. Banana peels are packed with nutrients, including protein, fiber, calcium, iron, vitamins A and C, essential amino acids, and, of course, potassium (via Forbes). Plus, they can also support your digestive health and ease symptoms of mental health issues like stress and depression, according to WebMD. Banana peels are also rich in antioxidants, which can help reduce your risk of developing cancer.

If you're obsessed with bananas, then you already know they can create a lot of waste. The peel actually makes up about 30% to 40% of the weight of a banana, and almost 3.5 million tons of banana peels get thrown into the trash each year, per Forbes. Not only are banana peels good for you, but keeping them out of landfills is good for the environment, too. Banana peels can take up to two years to decompose — releasing greenhouse gas emissions that have been linked with climate change in the process. But you could be doing so much more with your banana peel than simply throwing it in the garbage can. Let's explore the many ways you can be utilizing and eating banana peels — some of which may surprise you!

Banana peels are actually a new popular ingredient in vegan "meat." While banana peel mock meat started trending in the vegan world in 2019, using the peels as meat alternatives is old news for other countries. In India, all parts of the banana plant are traditionally used in dishes, according to Lathika George, author of "The Kerala Kitchen" (via The New York Times). British chef and "The Great British Bake Off​​" star Nadiya Hussain made waves when she appeared on "Good Morning Britain" to cook a recipe involving banana peels. She shares that her Bangladeshi father inspired her to make the dish. "Don't chuck the peel away," she told The New York Times. "Cook it up with some garlic and onions and barbecue sauce, stick it in a burger, and you've got, like, pulled pork, pulled chicken."

In Venezuela, vegans shred up banana peels with a fork, season them, and cook them up to make mock shredded beef, via The New York Times. In Brazil, they call it carne louca, which translates to "crazy meat." AYA Comfort Food, a Brazilian food company, makes a delicious banana peel bacon with peppers, onions, and tomatoes, according to Forbes. Maybe it's time to try a vegan BLT: banana peel, lettuce, and tomato.

If you're craving more of an adult-style beverage, you might want to try banana peel infused rum. The U.K.-based company Discarded Spirits Co. crafts a delicious Discarded Banana Peel Rum that is made by infusing banana peels in rum inside old whiskey barrels for about two weeks, according to Forbes. With flavor profiles of toffee, fudge, and cinnamon, this mouth-watering, dessert-like rum would be a great addition to any piña colada. Or it could be the star ingredient in a banana daiquiri or banana old fashioned. Another alcoholic banana beverage you could try is Giffard Banane du Brésil, a banana liqueur with "buttery" and "roasted caramel notes," bartender Robert Krueger told The Daily Meal. 

You could also try making your own banana peel infused simple syrup to mix into cocktails. The process is actually quite simple: just place a banana peel in a glass mason jar, add an equal amount of cane sugar, put the lid on, and give it a shake. Let this mixture sit for at least 24 hours, and you'll find that the sugar has extracted the water in the peels and then dissolved, leaving behind a sweet syrup (per Discarded Spirits Co.). Strain out your banana peels — or blend it all together for a thicker, fiber-rich syrup — and it's ready to use. 

What is chutney, you might wonder? Chutney is a condiment that is sort of, but not quite really, a jelly or a relish. Originating from India, this savory sauce is usually a mixture of fruits, vegetables, sugar, vinegar, and a variety of herbs — there are countless combinations of these ingredients you can use to make a chutney. For a banana peel chutney, Our Table for Seven recommends adding some chilies, cumin, and tamarind paste. Onions and garlic are always a good go-to as well.

To make your banana peel chutney, first you'll want to get your ingredients ready by slicing them up into small pieces, per Preserve and Pickle. Add the banana peels and any other fruits and vegetables you want to a large saucepan, cook them for several minutes, then add your vinegar, herbs, and any other spices. Bring this to a boil, then simmer and add sugar. You'll want to simmer the chutney for about one hour or until you reach the consistency you're going for. Chutney can be a great addition as a side dish or condiment to many meals, or a topping or dip for a classic charcuterie board.

Move over wheat. There's a new type of flour in town. While you probably won't want to entirely switch to banana peel flour just yet — it can be quite bitter — it's still a great alternative flour to have around. That's because a 2022 scientific study on banana peel flour found that it significantly increased the nutritional value of food with the dietary fiber and phenolic compounds it brings. The study suggests that substituting 10% of the flour content in a recipe with banana peel flour did not drastically change the flavor, but it did dramatically boost the health benefits. Eating more banana peel flour and less whole wheat flour may even help ease symptoms in long-term health conditions like diabetes and heart disease, the study suggests.

You can make your own banana peel flour by dicing and drying the peels in a dehydrator or placing them in the oven on a low temperature. Then, grind the dried peels with a mortar and pestle or in a food processor until you get a fine powder. Remember, a little goes a long way — adding too much banana peel flour can make your dish taste bitter (via Wellness Mama).

If you are a curry fan, why not add banana peels as an ingredient in your next meal? While it may sound like an odd addition, you wouldn't be the first one to do it. British chef Nigella Lawson says the flavor and texture of banana peels in curry is similar to "aubergine," the British word for eggplant (per Daily Mail). She said the same thing when she prepared a banana peel and cauliflower curry recipe from her cookbook, "Cook, Eat, Repeat," on television. "If you had to guess what the cut up banana peels were, without knowing, you'd be much more likely to think them related to eggplant," she told The New York Times.

When cooked in a curry, Lawson reports that the banana peels have a "luscious velvety texture" and are not too bitter, with a modest floral aftertaste. "I don't think I've received one negative comment from anyone who's cooked it themselves," she shared with The New York Times. "Some, certainly, said that they had doubts before they tasted it, but felt that they just had to try for themselves and were universally delighted." She goes on to compare banana peels to potatoes — you wouldn't eat a potato raw, nor a raw banana peel — but cooked up and seasoned, the peels taste exceptionally good.

Have you ever heard that mosquitoes swarm around people who eat bananas? Well, it's not just an urban myth. A 2018 study published in Insects found that mosquitoes were more likely to buzz around and bite individuals after they consumed a banana. The study also found another substance that instantly draws salivating mosquitoes to your skin — beer. What a buzz kill. 

Luckily, if you love bananas and eat a lot of them, that means you will have a whole lot of banana peels lying around. They are actually a great tool for soothing bug bites. The next time you get an insect bite, massage the inside of a banana peel on your itchy, irritated skin. The inner layer of the peel contains polysaccharides, which are anti-inflammatories known to help soothe swelling (per Prevention). Alternatively, you could strip off the inside layer of the banana peel and mix it with other natural soothing ingredients, like rose water or cucumber, according to Only My Health.