Transforming banana peel waste into functional cookies: a comprehensive evaluation

Banana peel flour (BPF) is rich in dietary fiber, antioxidants, and minerals, however, this resource remains underutilized. This study explored the use of BPF in making cookies. Banana peels were processed into flour and then incorporated into black cumin seeds-containing wheat-based flour in varying proportions. Functional characteristics and rheological analysis of flour samples were evaluated. Physiochemical, texture and sensory evaluation of cookies were performed. Functional evaluations showed that addition of BPF increased bulk density, swelling capacity, and water absorption. Physicochemical analysis revealed that BPF darkened the cookies (L* values dropped from 75.11 to 45.72). The incorporation of BPF altered the rheological behavior of the flour, resulting in a material that was thermally more stable but exhibited reduced viscosity and decreased starch swelling capacity. Moreover, in cookies prepared with 33.33% BPF, total phenolic content increased from 3.99 mg GAE/g to 8.13 mg GAE/g while total flavonoids increased from 14.10 mg catechin/g to 16.53 mg catechin/g. The breaking force of the control cookies was 25.73 N, which increased to 33.31 N with increasing amount of BPF. However, the breaking strength showed a decreasing trend from 7.71 kPa (control) to 6.42 kPa in 33.33% BPF containing cookies. Cookies with 33.33% BPF got the 8.15 overall acceptability. Moreover, SEM analysis showed the morphological changes in the cookies made from BPF. Hence, this study concluded that BPF can be effectively used to produce cookies with enhanced nutritional and functional properties, appealing to health-conscious consumers seeking innovative and sustainable food products.