Sometimes recipes are not as straightforward as they seem. When a recipe asks you to add in a cup of mashed or chopped bananas, it can be challenging to figure out how many bananas are necessary to produce this measurement. I did the work for you and can give you a concrete answer.
If a recipe calls for mashed bananas, 3 medium-sized peeled bananas, about 8 inches in length each, will produce about 1 cup. Put another way, approximately 24″ of peeled bananas will make 1 cup of mashed bananas. If the recipe calls for chopped bananas, 1.5 medium bananas will produce about 1 cup.
Conversion to Mashed or Chopped Bananas Chart:
Size | 1/2 Cup Mashed Bananas | 1/2 Cup Chopped Bananas |
---|---|---|
Small Bananas (6″) | 2 bananas | 1 banana |
Medium Bananas (8″) | 1.5 bananas | 3/4 of 1 banana |
Large Bananas (9″) | 1 1/3 bananas | 2/3 of 1 banana |
As you can see, the number of bananas necessary will be influenced by banana size and preparation. Read on for more details.
Banana Measurements
The provided measurements assume you are using a medium-sized banana, which is about 8 inches (20.32 cm) long. Just keep in mind that there will be a slight difference in measurements if you use a small, large, or extra-large-sized banana in your preparations.
Other sized bananas measurements:
- Small: 6 inches (15.24 cm)
- Large: 9 inches (22.86 cm)
- Extra-large: 10 inches (25.4 cm)
How Do You Measure Mashed Bananas?
These measurements assume that you are mashing up medium-sized bananas. For these measurements to be accurate, you need to make sure you have no banana chunks mixed in with the mashed part. A masher work works for squishing down this fruit.
- 1/2 cup of mashed banana (118 ml) = 1.5 medium banana = 12 inches (30.48 cm) long
- 1 cup of mashed banana (237 ml) = 3 medium bananas = 24 inches (60.96 cm) long
- 1 1/2 cup of mashed banana (355 ml) = 4.6 medium bananas = 36.8 inches (93.47 cm) long
A good rule of thumb is that 6 inches of peeled banana will make 1/4 cup of mashed bananas and 1/2 cup of chopped bananas.
How Do You Measure Sliced Bananas?
Chopped bananas will take up more room, so you will need less banana to fill a cup.
- 2/3 cup (159 ml) sliced banana = 1 medium banana = 8 inches (20.32 cm) long
- 1 cup (237 ml) of sliced banana = 1.5 medium banana = 12 inches (30.48 cm) long
- 1 1/3 cup (315 ml) sliced banana = 2 medium bananas =16 inches (40.64 cm) long
Pro Tip: It is important to remember to slice your banana into uniform sections to keep measurements consistent.
How Many Bananas Are There in a Quart?
You will need about twelve 8-inch bananas mashed up to fill an entire quart. This is because it takes about three medium 8″ peeled bananas to make a cup of mashed bananas, and there are 4 cups in a quart. Put another way, you need about 96 peeled inches of bananas to fill a quart.
The number of bananas that fit in a quart is entirely based on how your plan to prepare your bananas.
How Many Grams Are in 2 Bananas?
2 medium-sized 8″ bananas (20 cm) will weigh about 236 grams. To estimate the number of grams in 2 bananas, you need to determine the size of your bananas. An 8-inch long banana will weigh about 118 grams.
In contrast, 2 smaller bananas (7 inches long) will weigh 202 grams. A larger banana (9 inches long) weighs about 136 grams. This means 2 large bananas will weigh about 272 grams.
Pro Tip: 1 inch of peeled banana weighs about 15 grams.
How Many Bananas in a Kilogram?
There are approximately 7-9 bananas in a kilogram. This weight includes the banana and its peel.
What Is the Easiest Way to Mash a Banana?
Mashing a banana down for a recipe is a relatively simple task. You can use a masher to crush your banana, but a fork works great too.
The best way to mash a banana:
- Slice the banana lengthwise into two pieces.
- Place the banana on the plate.
- Use your fork to push down on the banana. It should only take a few seconds to mash half a banana.
- Scoop up the mashed banana into your container and carry on the process until you have smashed all the bananas needed for your recipe.
Can You Mash Bananas Ahead of Time?
If you have a recipe that calls for mashed bananas, you can prepare them ahead of time. This is also true for recipes that require sliced bananas. Make sure you store them in an airtight container either in the fridge if you plan on using them in a day or two or in the freezer if it will be longer than that.
I recommend that you store prepped bananas in an airtight container like the one that I recommend. Just click the link to see the Amazon listing.
- Prepping Ripe Bananas- Ripe bananas work well for mashing. Just take some bananas and mash them up. If you measure the contents as you go, be sure to label the container with its measurement. This will make it easier to use when needed.
- Prepping Sliced Bananas- For sliced bananas, you will need to start off with a parchment-lined pan. Place the sliced pieces onto the pan and freeze for a couple of hours. After this time, you can pull out the tray and pop the frozen slices into an airtight container. Store in the freezer until needed.
Cool Tip: Try throwing a few frozen banana slices into your next smoothie for a healthy boost of potassium and fiber.
Final Thoughts
I always get a little annoyed when recipes ask you to include mashed this or chopped that but don’t give you enough details to tell you how much to buy of a particular ingredient. Hopefully, this article has made it easier for you to know how many bananas you need to buy so you don’t end up with either too many or, worse yet, not enough.
Thanks for stoppin’ by!
Jelly Grandma
For more, don’t miss Can You Survive on Bananas? | The Nutritional Facts.
Anne James has a wealth of experience in a wide array of interests and is an expert in quilting, cooking, gardening, camping, mixing drinks (worked as a professional bartender), and making jelly.
Anne has a professional canning business, has been featured in the local newspaper as well as on the Hershey website, and has been her family canner for decades. Anyone growing up in the South knows that there is always a person in the family who has knowledge of the “old ways,” and this is exactly what Anne is.
With over 55 years of experience in these endeavors, she brings a level of hands-on knowledge that is hard to surpass. Amazingly, she doesn’t need to reference many resources due to her vast wealth of experience. She IS the source.
Anne wants nothing more than to pass on her extensive knowledge to the next generations, whether that be family or anyone visiting her website, her YouTube channel, or preservingsweetness.com.