The banana is having a moment in 2026. Multiple food brands have released banana-themed product varieties, and beauty companies are incorporating banana scents and flavors into high-end items as well.
And why not? Bananas are amazing. I love a banana with peanut butter, or if I eat one plain, I like it a little green. A press release I received this week from the folks at Dole referred to bananas as “the pumpkin spice of the year,” and I wholeheartedly agree, since pumpkin spice is nasty. (Don’t @ me. I’m right, and I know it.)
Lest you think that bananas are only good for summertime, Melanie Marcus, MA, RD, Dole’s Nutrition, Wellness and Communications Manager, has released some fall and winter banana-centric recipes that I’ll be sharing over the next three weeks. Chances are there’s at least one you’ll want to try, and we’ll start with fall and Halloween-themed ideas.
Roasted Peach-Mango Dole Whip
Now, y’all, I love me a good Dole Whip, but I’m not crazy about mangoes, so I’d probably make this one with just peaches.
Ingredients
- 3 large DOLE® Peaches, peeled, halved, pitted, and chopped
- 2 DOLE® Mangoes, peeled, pitted, and chopped
- 1 large DOLE® Banana, peeled and quartered crosswise
- 1 cup refrigerated original coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon lime zest (from 1 DOLE® Lime) plus additional for garnish (optional)
Tips & Tricks
- Freeze peach mixture, uncovered, 1 hour and pipe into bowls using a piping bag fitted with a star tip for the classic DOLE Whip® look.
Halloween Choco-Banana Graveyard Puddings
This one sounds like fun for the kiddos.
Ingredients
- 2 large ripe DOLE® Avocados, peeled and pitted
- 2 large ripe DOLE® Bananas, peeled and halved crosswise
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup refrigerated unsweetened oat milk
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 full sheets chocolate graham crackers, crushed
- ¼ teaspoon black gel icing
- 1 full sheet cinnamon graham crackers, separated into 4 pieces
- Black, green, orange, purple and/or white jimmies for garnish (optional)
Directions
- 1. Purée avocados, bananas, chocolate chips, milk, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, honey, vanilla extract and salt in a blender on high until smooth. Makes about 3 1/2 cups pudding.
- 2. Stir crushed chocolate graham crackers and remaining 1 tablespoon cocoa powder in a small bowl. Makes about 1/2 cup.
- 3. Fill 4 (8-ounce) glasses with pudding; top with crushed chocolate graham cracker mixture. Write “RIP” or draw crosses on cinnamon graham cracker pieces with black gel icing to resemble gravestones; insert into glasses and garnish with jimmies, if desired. Makes 4 puddings.
Spooky Halloween Fruit Platter
If you have an eye for design, this one sounds fun.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons gluten free white chocolate chips
- ½ pound DOLE® Green Grapes
- 2 teaspoons gluten free mini dark chocolate chips
- 6 whole DOLE® Mandarin Oranges
- Black edible marker
- 4 ripe DOLE® Bananas, peeled and halved crosswise
- 1 large DOLE® Red Apple, halved, cored and thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons caramel topping
- 2 tablespoons chopped roasted unsalted peanuts
Directions
- Heat white chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl in microwave oven on high 40 seconds or until melted, stirring every 20 seconds; transfer to small zip-top plastic bag and snip bottom corner with kitchen scissors.
- Pipe white chocolate onto grapes for white part of “eyeballs”; place mini chocolate chip in center of each for “pupils”. Dry completely.
- Draw jack-o’-lantern faces on oranges with marker; dry completely.
- Press chocolate chips, pointed side down, into bananas to make “ghost faces”.
- Arrange apple slices on a serving platter; drizzle with caramel and sprinkle with peanuts. Arrange “ghost bananas,” “eyeball grapes” and “jack-o’-lantern oranges” on serving platter.
Ghost Bananas
Another fun one for the little ones.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup vanilla lowfat yogurt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 3 DOLE® Bananas
- 6 lollipop sticks
- 18 semi-sweet chocolate chips, regular and/or mini chips
- Floral Foam or Styrofoam
Directions
- Place yogurt in shallow plate and place coconut on a piece of wax paper.
- Cut bananas in half, crosswise. Insert lollipop stick into the cut end of each banana.
- Roll bananas in yogurt until coated. Roll in coconut, picking up edges of wax paper to help coat each banana with coconut. Press chocolate chips at pointed end of bananas to make the face. Press sticks into Styrofoam to display.
Making Mummies: Unwrap fruit leather and cut crosswise in half. Wrap one piece of fruit leather around one banana leaving the top open for the eyes. Press chocolate chips for eyes. Press mummies into Styrofoam to display.
These all sound fun and delicious. I’ll be back the next two Fridays: next week with some Thanksgiving-themed banana recipes and in two weeks with banana recipes for the Christmas season.
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