This Banana Pineapple Punch is the best party punch recipe ever! It’s slushy and fizzy and amazingly delicious! You’ll fall in love with it with the first sip!

My mom grew up in Star Valley, Wyoming in a little town called Freedom. This town probably had more cows than people. Her family had a farm, which my Uncle Kendall took over when their father died. As kids, we went to visit the farm for reunions with all the cousins. On time, my Aunt Eileen made some punch for our outdoor picnic, and my life was forever changed.

It was the most delicious punch I had ever had. It was frosty and slushy and full of banana and pineapple flavor. I could not get enough. Since that time, I have been on a life-long quest to find the recipe for this punch. (I don’t know WHY IN THE HECK I didn’t think to ask Aunt Eileen for the recipe! I swear, sometimes I don’t know about myself…. Actually, I think I did ask my mom to ask her, but Aunt Eileen claimed not to have any such recipe. Maybe her memory was just as faulty as mine).

Anyhoo, one day I was looking through my Savoring the Seasons with Our Best Bites cookbook, and I came across this recipe for Banana Slush Punch. I thought I would give it a try.

Once I did, I knew my life-long quest had finally come to an end. It tasted just like the punch I remembered from my childhood. “Eureka!” I exclaimed. “Now my life is complete.” Actually, I didn’t say either of those things. But I was uncommonly happy 🙂

Here’s the great thing about this recipe. It makes three batches of “slush” that you can freeze and just get out whenever you have a party! It’s perfect for picnics and baby showers and church socials, and any other event you could possibly think of.

I altered the recipe and am calling it Banana Pineapple Punch, because pineapple juice is a great part of this punch. Pineapple is also my favorite fruit, so I thought it deserved top billing. To further alter this recipe, I took out the lemonade concentrate, and I removed most of the added sugar, because I thought it was plenty sweet without it.

To make this punch, get out a large pot or bowl. Then put some bananas, sugar, and water in a blender and puree. Put some thawed orange juice concentrate and pineapple juice in the large pot. Then carefully add the banana mixture and stir until everything is well blended. Then mix and divide evenly into three airtight containers, or three gallon-size Ziploc bags. I used a ladle to scoop the punch into the bags. That way, I could count ladle scoops and make sure each bag was getting the same amount. (Oh sure, you could also pour it from the pan into a pitcher and then pour it into the bags. But of course, I didn’t think of that until just now, either). Before I poured the punch into the bags, I put them into a large plastic bowl and just held the bag open as I was pouring. This way, I didn’t have to hold the whole bag in one hand, suspending it above the counter, hoping I wouldn’t drop it. Because I would drop it.

I like putting the punch into the plastic bags, because then I can lay them flat in my freezer. This takes up minimal space, and also makes it much easier to thaw when you are ready to use it. If you put the punch in a square plastic container, for example, you will have a big block to thaw, and the center will take way longer to thaw than the outside.

When you are planning to serve the punch, just take your slushy base out of the freezer beforehand. Then let it thaw about half-way. You still want it to be icy–not liquid. (The amount of time it will thaw will vary depending on what shape it is in–either flat, or in a block).

Then put it in your punch bowl and pour 2 liters of ginger ale, or lemon-lime soda over it. Break up any chunks, add fruit for garnish if you like, and then watch it disappear before your very eyes! And be sure to offer the recipe to everyone so they won’t have to spend half their life searching for it like I did!

Banana Pineapple Punch

Author: Melissa Howell

Ingredients

5 cups water divided
4 very ripe bananas with brown spots on the outside, but not SUPER mushy on the inside
1/2 cup sugar
6 cups pineapple juice
2 12 oz. cans orange juice concentrate, thawed
6 liters ginger ale or lemon-lime soda
Berries frozen or fresh for garnish, optional

Instructions

Peel the bananas and blend with the 1/2 cup of sugar and 3 cups of water. Process until smooth.
In a separate large pan or bowl, add the pineapple juice and cans of orange juice concentrate, along with the other two cups of water.
Pour in the banana mixture and blend well.
Transfer the mixture into three separate airtight containers or gallon-sized Ziploc bags.
Freeze overnight.
When ready to serve, remove the frozen slush from the freezer and let thaw until slushy but not liquid.
Place in a punch bowl and pour two liters of soda over the top. Break up any large pieces of slush.
Add berries for garnish if desired.
Makes about 30 servings if you use all three bags of slush.

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