How to Ripen Bananas

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When you cannot wait for banana bars, but all of your bananas are underripe, what’s a baker to do? Learn How to Ripen Bananas for pancakes, muffins, loaf cakes, and more.

3 yellow bananas on a baking sheet.


 

Ideally, a banana, apple, or other fruit left alone will ripen naturally. During the ripening process, it releases ethylene, a natural plant hormone in the form of a gas. Some types of fruit and vegetables release more ethylene than others. Similarly, some fruits and vegetables are more sensitive to ethylene than others.

But when you need super ripe bananas NOW, the oven method is your BBF (banana’s best friend). You don’t even need to peel them.

As bananas ripen, they have a sweeter taste and a softer texture. Yellow bananas eventually turn dark brown and become mushy. These “overripe bananas” are great for making baked goods! But be sure to grab them (and freeze them or use them) before mold forms.

Tutorial notes

  • Storage: To slow the ripening process of bananas, store them away from heat and direct sunlight and wrap banana stems tightly in plastic wrap (the ethylene gas is released through the banana stem, so you can reduce what is released if you wrap the stems). You can also transfer them to the refrigerator when they are at peak ripeness.
  • Freezing: Frozen bananas keep in the freezer almost indefinitely, but they are best within 6 to 8 months. Wrap whole ripened bananas in freezer bags, label, and date.
  • Thawing: When you’re ready to make something, let the frozen bananas thaw before adding to the recipe. If you plan on making a smoothie or blender ice cream, add frozen banana chunks right into the blender, no need to thaw.
  • Mashing: When using ripened bananas, add them to a bowl and mash them well with a potato masher, sturdy fork, or spatula. A good recipe will give the amount of mashed banana needed in cups, not just in the number of bananas. Mash first, measure second.
  • Applesauce backup: If you are a little shy on the amount of mashed banana needed (½ cup or less), make up the difference with unsweetened applesauce. I have tested this substitute on all of the banana baked goods on my site and it always works like a charm.

Step-by-step instructions

To ripen bananas on the counter:

Time to ripen: 24 hours to 5 days.

  1. Place bananas in a warm spot such as a sunny window or near a heating vent.
  2. Keep the bunch of bananas together. Their friends will help speed the process along.
  3. Depending on how green they are, and where on the banana ripeness spectrum you prefer them, they should ripen in 24 hours to 5 days.

To ripen bananas in a bag:

Time to ripen: 24 hours to 2 days.

  1. Place the unripe bananas in a bag (a brown paper bag, plastic bag, etc) along with a high-ethylene-producing fruit, such as a ripe banana or apple.
  2. Loosely fold the paper bag closed and let the ethylene gas from the fruit encourage the banana to ripen. This process is gradual but definitely faster than leaving the banana out in the open.
  3. Depending on how green they are, and where on the banana ripeness spectrum you prefer them, they should ripen in a couple of days (24 hours to 2 days. By the way, this is a great way to ripen stubborn avocados, too).

To ripen bananas in the oven:

Time to ripen: 15 to 20 minutes.

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. For easier cleanup, prepare a lined baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Arrange unpeeled bananas on prepared baking sheet.
3 unpeeled yellow bananas on a foil-lined baking sheet.
  1. Bake until banana skins are completely black all over, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely, then scoop banana pulp from the peel and mash.
3 ripe bananas on a baking sheet.

Recipe tips and variations

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you ripen bananas in the microwave?

Technically, yes, but according to experiments, microwaving bananas doesn’t improve the flavor of unripe bananas. Furthermore, it doesn’t make them any sweeter. And that sweetness is exactly what you want them for! So, it’s more like softening than ripening. If you’d like to try the microwave method, it tends to work better with a semi-ripe banana than a fully green one.

1. Peel the bananas and place them in a microwave-safe container.
2. Cook for one 30-second increment, (and maybe just one more if you’re cooking multiple bananas) until you hear the bananas sizzling inside.

What fruits and vegetables produce ethylene when ripe?

Here are just a few examples of ethylene-producing foods (when ripe):
Bananas
Apples
Blueberries
Avocados
Plums
Nectarines
Peaches
Potatoes
Pears
You can use that ethylene to your advantage when you have a bunch of green bananas that you’re hoping to eat sooner rather than later.

More fruit and veggie tutorials

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3 unpeeled yellow bananas on a foil-lined baking sheet.

How to Ripen Bananas

When you cannot wait for banana bars, but all of your bananas are underripe, what’s a baker to do? Learn How to Ripen Bananas for pancakes, muffins, loaf cakes, and more.
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 1 banana
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Calories 105
5 from 117 votes

Ingredients 

  • Unpeeled bananas

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup. Arrange unpeeled bananas on prepared baking sheet.
  • Bake until banana skins are completely black all over, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely, then scoop banana pulp from the peel and mash.

Recipe Video

Notes

  1. Storage: To slow the ripening process of bananas, store them away from heat and direct sunlight and wrap banana stems tightly in plastic wrap (the ethylene gas is released through the banana stem, so you can reduce what is released if you wrap the stems). You can also transfer them to the fridge when they are at peak ripeness.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 bananaCalories: 105kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 422mgFiber: 3gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 76IUVitamin C: 10mgIron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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Comments

  1. This was really informative, thank you!

    Why specifically a paper bag? Would a plastic bag also work?5 stars

    1. Hi Flora, you’re welcome! I recommend using a paper bag as the paper traps the ethylene gas the bananas produce while also absorbing some of the moisture. Plastic traps in the moisture and also stops oxygen from reaching the bananas, inhibiting their ripening. Hope this helps! – Meggan

  2. I just did this because my kids were desperate for banana bread. No joke, this is legit! I preheated the oven to 300 degrees and let them go for 25 minutes. Perfect. They are cooling now. Also, no funky smell when they were cooking. Only a mild banana smell.5 stars

  3. Thanks so much!! I had to make some banana walnut loaves by tomorrow for a family that is comming over and I had to get them done with out ripe bananas.5 stars

  4. Thanx a million!!!! Need to make a birthday cake,and I only have a few hours to complete. You’ve really saved the day.5 stars