There's nothing worse than getting a sudden urge for banana bread and realizing your bananas are still perfectly, uselessly yellow. Today we are going to teach you how to ripen bananas quickly in the oven to use in recipes and baking. Ripening bananas in the oven is a great kitchen hack to know. No more waiting days and days for your bananas to ripen naturally, just use this hack, and you will have all the perfectly ripened bananas you need!
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What is the fastest way to ripen a banana? The oven. Hands down. Looking for ways to put those ripe bananas to work? I have plenty of recipes! My easy one bowl banana bread is the classic for a reason, and it comes together with just a few ingredients. My peanut butter banana chocolate chip cookies are a long-time favorite in our house, and my chocolate peanut butter banana smoothie is an easy way to use up an extra ripe banana or two.
Why You'll Love This Hack
- No more waiting days for bananas to ripen naturally, this method gets you perfectly ripened bananas in about 30 minutes!
- This recipe only uses one ingredient (bananas!) and no special equipment.
- Lets you ripen the exact number of bananas you need for any baking recipe.
- This method works every time, even if your bananas are starting from fully yellow with no brown spots yet.
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Bananas: Leave the peels on, but be sure to remove any produce stickers! If your bananas are still solid yellow with no brown spots at all, plan on the full baking time to get them fully soft and blackened. If they already have a few brown spots or a little give when you squeeze them, they're partway there already and may only need part of that time. The greener the banana, the longer it needs, so go by the peel color rather than the clock alone to get perfectly ripened bananas.
A full list of ingredients with exact quantities can be found on the recipe card below.
Different Methods To Ripen Bananas
- Microwave Method (5 minutes or less): Poke a few holes in the peel or slice a small vent, then microwave in 30-second intervals until the banana feels soft. This is the fastest option, but it's worth noting that the texture and sweetness won't be quite as good as the oven method.
- Air Fryer Method (about 15-20 minutes): Same idea as the oven, just faster. Set your air fryer to 300°F and cook the bananas until the peels turn fully black.
- Paper Bag Method (1-3 days): No heat needed here. Place the bananas in a paper bag, toss in an apple or another already ripe banana to speed things up, fold and close the bag loosely. Check the bananas daily until they reach the ripeness you want. This is the slowest method, but it's the closest to how bananas ripen naturally.
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How to quickly ripen bananas in the oven (for baking)
Using the oven to ripen your bananas is the fastest (and best) way to a ripe banana fast. It is a great "hack" to quickly ripen bananas for banana bread or any other recipe that calls for ripe bananas.
Step 1
All you have to do is place your yellow bananas on a baking sheet with some parchment paper.
Step 2
Then pop it into the oven and the bananas will be fully ripened in about 30 minutes!
Expert Tips for Best Results
- Let the bananas cool to room temperature before mashing and using them in a recipe. They come out of the oven very hot and usually have some of the sugary juices on the outside of the peel. They can very easily burn you.
- Line the baking sheet with parchment paper. The peels leak sugar as they bake, and parchment makes cleanup a breeze.
- Don't rush the bake time, a banana that isn't fully ripened won't be as sweet or soft.
- If you're short on time, the microwave method works too, just know the texture and flavor won't be quite as good as the oven.
- This method for ripening bananas should only be used when you are using the bananas for baking or using them in a recipe. They are safe to eat, but baking them makes them kind of slimy, just like when you take a frozen banana from the freezer and let it thaw. Still delicious, just not a texture that's enjoyable to eat by itself.
Storage Options & How To Store
- In the fridge: Store mashed, oven-ripened bananas in an airtight container for up to 1-2 days.
- In the freezer (mashed): Portion your mashed banana into recipe-sized amounts before freezing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Naturally, bananas ripen by releasing a natural plant hormone called ethylene gas. As the gas is released, it converts the starches to sugar, turning a firm, starchy banana into a soft, sweet one. This is the same process that happens on your counter over several days, just sped way up in the oven.
Slightly. Bananas that ripen naturally over several days develop a bit more sugar than ones that are oven-ripened. On its own, an oven ripened banana will taste a touch less sweet, but once it's mixed into a recipe like banana bread, muffins, or peanut butter banana cookies, you won't notice a difference!
Baking bananas in the oven will have them fully ripened within about 30 minutes. After they are cool, remove the peel, place them into a bowl, mash them up, and they are ready to use.
A few things can cause this. If the peel isn't fully black when you pull the tray out, they need more time. Oven temperature can also be the culprit. Home ovens typically run hotter or cooler depending on a multitude of factors. Banana size matters too, smaller, thinner bananas will be done faster, whereas thicker, bigger bananas will take a bit longer.
As many as fit on your baking sheet in a single layer without touching. A full tray releases more moisture as it bakes, so give it a few extra minutes past the usual time and check the peels before pulling them out.
More Kitchen Hacks & How-To Tips
If you tried this How To Ripen Bananas Quickly hack or have made any other recipes on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating, a 💬 comment and share it on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook!
📖 Recipe
How To Ripen Bananas Quickly (In the Oven!)
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Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 3 Yellow Bananas
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 275°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Wash and dry the outside of the banana peel to remove any dirt and stickers.
- Place the bananas onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet in a single layer, with space in between, and bake for 30 minutes, or until the bananas are fully blackened. Remove from the oven and let fully cool to room temperature before using.
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Notes
- Bananas: Leave the peels on. If your bananas are still green, they might take a little longer to fully blacken and turn ripe. If your bananas already have some brown spots, they will take less time to fully ripen in the oven.
- Let the bananas fully cool before peeling and mashing. They will be hot and will burn you if you try to touch them before they have had a chance to cool.
- Sometimes the bananas will split during the baking time, and some of the sugars will leak out onto the pan. Use parchment paper to line the pan before baking the bananas for easy cleanup!
- This hack for ripening bananas in the oven quickly should only be used when you are using the bananas for baking or cooking.
- Ripened bananas can be used to make recipes like these peanut butter banana chocolate chip cookies or this one-bowl banana bread, both are so delicious!
- Store mashed banana in an airtight container for 1-2 days in the fridge or up to 1 month in the freezer.
3 Different Methods
- Microwave Method: This is by far the fastest method. If you decide to use this method, you must poke some holes or cut a stem vent in the banana. Microwave in 30-second intervals until the banana feels soft and fully ripe.
- Air Fryer Method: The closest results to the oven method, just a tiny bit faster. Air fry the bananas at 300°F for 15-20 minutes until fully blackened.
- Paper Bag Method: This is the most natural method to speed up the ripening of your bananas. Place bananas in a paper bag with an apple or another super ripe banana, fold it and loosely close the bag, checking every day until the bananas are perfectly ripe, this should take 1-3 days.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator and it will vary based on the ingredients that you use.
Jessica says
I was blown away when this kitchen hack I learned about on a TV show actually worked. A few rounds of testing later, the recipe was perfect. Soooo helpful for when you need perfectly ripened bananas, fast!