Use ripe bananas (yellow with brown spots) for the best flavor when frozen. Peel before freezing — banana peels turn black in the freezer and become extremely difficult to remove.
For smoothies: slice bananas into 1-inch rounds. Flash freeze on a parchment-lined sheet pan for 1 to 2 hours, then transfer to freezer bags. Frozen banana slices blend more easily than whole frozen bananas.
For baking (banana bread, muffins): freeze whole peeled bananas in freezer bags. When thawed, they will be very soft and mushy — exactly what you want for baking. You can also mash before freezing and measure into portions (one cup per bag equals about three medium bananas).
For snacking: dip whole peeled bananas or slices in melted chocolate, place on a parchment-lined tray, and freeze. Store in freezer bags once solid.
2 to 3 months for best quality. Safe indefinitely but flavor dulls after 3 months.
For smoothies: use directly from frozen. For baking: thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter in a bowl (they will release liquid — include this liquid in your recipe for extra banana flavor). For snacking: eat frozen or let sit 5 minutes.