How To Ripen Bananas Quickly (Oven Method)

Heather Dessinger

This post contains affiliate links.
Click here to read my affiliate policy.
Ripened bananas on baking sheet

So, you’ve fallen for this delicious, chewy gluten-free banana bread and you’ve got it baking on repeat until – bam – you head to the grocery store for supplies and find bananas that are barely ripe enough to eat. 

Sure, they’re perfect for smoothies and overnight oats, but you frown at them a little anyway. Because what you want are very ripe bananas, aka the secret to delicious banana bread. 

I’ve been there, which is why I’m sharing this super simple method for ripening bananas in about half an hour. That’s right, no more waiting for bananas to decide when they’re ready to be turned into delicious banana bread, now you can bake it whenever you want to. 

How To Ripen Bananas Quickly

You probably already know the brown paper bag method, which involves: 

  • Stashing your banana bunch in a paper bag (plastic bags won’t work)
  • Placing them in a warm spot 
  • Letting the plant hormone known as ethylene (which is released as a gas) concentrate in the bag to accelerate the ripening process

Chances are good you also know that adding an avocado or other fruit to the bag will speed up the process even more. But this method usually takes a day – and sometimes longer – if you’re baking for guests or simply want something now, the oven method is much faster. 

Heating the bananas activates their natural sugars, which simulates the ripening process.

Unripened bananas on baking sheet

How To Quickly Ripen Bananas In The Oven

  1. Preheat your oven to 300° F.
  2. Grab a bunch of bananas and separate out the amount you’ll need for your recipe. Leave the peels on.
  3. Place the unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet with a little space between each one. If I’m going for “extra-extra ripeness,” I line the baking sheet with parchment paper just in case a peel splits and some of the banana leaks out
  4. Bake the bananas for 15-25 minutes. The time needed will depend on the size of the bananas and how ripe they were before baking. 
  5. When they’re ready, they’ll turn brown and be soft to the touch. Remove the brown bananas and allow them to cool before peeling.

Tips

  • This method will work with slightly under-ripe bananas but not fully green bananas.
  • If you have any leftover bananas – or happen to find yourself with some lovely spotted bananas and no plans to use them – peel them and pop them in the freezer to use later. I love these food-grade silicone reusable freezer bags. When you’re ready to use them, defrost them in the fridge and then mash them up. 

Yummy Banana Recipes To Try

Gluten-Free Banana Bread – There are regular compliments, and there are “I’m soooo thirsty mama but I don’t want to drink water and lose the banana flavor” compliments. When I got the latter one from my littlest on this gluten-free banana bread recipe, I figured it was finally time to share it with you. 

Banana Cream Pie Cups – These creamy, dreamy banana cream pie cups are so easy to make! My kids love them and they look beautiful when layered into glass jars for special events.

Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes – 

Banana & Almond Butter “Ice Cream” – You only need two ingredients to make this easy dairy-free recipe. 

Paleo Banana Muffins – These muffins are so delicious and only take about five minutes of hands-on time to whip up. They make a great breakfast or after-school snack.

Print Pin
No ratings yet

How To Quickly Ripen Bananas In The Oven

Heating bananas activates their natural sugars, which simulates the ripening process. Here's my super simple method for using your oven to "ripen" them in about half an hour.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Calories
Author Heather Dessinger

Ingredients

  • bananas

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 300° F.
  • Grab a bunch of bananas and separate out the amount you'll need for your recipe. Leave the peels on.
  • Place the unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet with a little space between each one. If I'm going for "extra-extra ripeness," I line the baking sheet with parchment paper just in case a peel splits and some of the banana leaks out
  • Bake the bananas for 15-25 minutes. The time needed will depend on the size of the bananas and how ripe they were before baking.
  • When they're ready, they’ll turn brown and be soft to the touch. Remove the brown bananas and allow them to cool before peeling.  

Notes

  • This method will work with slightly under-ripe bananas but not fully green bananas.
  • If you have any leftover bananas – or happen to find yourself with some lovely spotted bananas and no plans to use them – peel them and pop them in the freezer to use later. I love these food-grade silicone reusable freezer bags. When you’re ready to use them, defrost them in the fridge and then mash them up.
 
instagram iconTried this recipe?
Mention @mommypotamus or tag #mommypotamus!
 

Related Posts

About HEATHER

Heather is a holistic health educator, herbalist, DIYer, Lyme and mold warrior. Since founding Mommypotamus.com in 2009, Heather has been taking complicated health research and making it easy to understand. She shares tested natural recipes and herbal remedies with millions of naturally minded mamas around the world. 

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating




3 thoughts on “How To Ripen Bananas Quickly (Oven Method)”

  1. Can you do this to ripen bananas enough to eat, or will they get mushy and super sweet even if you reduce the time in the oven? Thank you! This is a great tip for banana bread!

    Reply
  2. When I was 19, with a linguist, I spent a month out with an indian tribe in the Amazon basin. We ate what what the indians ate. They made a banana drink from ripe bananas they grew. Just mash the ripe bananas and mix it with water. I was very sweet because they picked them ripe. You can add some peanut butter or almond butter. I tried bananas that had black spots on the skin and mixed it in a blender, but it still tasted green. I will try the paper bag to ripen them as I do not have an oven.

    They also used a very short banana. They put them in a clay pot and set the pot so it was facing the cooking fire. When they were done the skins split and the banana was the consistancy of apple sauce and very sweet.

    Reply