There is more than one way to ripen bananas quickly, which is great news for those of us who only ever see green bananas at the grocery store! It’s rare to find ripe bananas in the produce section, and unripe bananas can be a problem, especially if you wanted to make banana bread, banana muffins, or any recipe that might call for overripe bananas.
Luckily, I’m no stranger to clever baking hacks, including those you can use to ripen bananas fast! I did some research and discovered a bunch (get it?) of ways to speed up the ripening process, and I’ll share the best ones with you in this post.
Check out this quick banana-ripening hack in action in my video at the end of the post!
Check out this quick banana-ripening hack in action in my video at the end of the post!
Understanding How Bananas Ripen
Bananas are harvested while they’re still green and chilled in transit to prevent them from ripening. Once they’re stored at room temperature, bananas produce ethylene gas that causes them to ripen. The green chlorophyll in the banana peel will degrade, revealing the yellow color from carotenoids, and the starches in the fruit will break down into sugars and make the banana sweeter.
Depending on how green they are and how warm your house is, bananas can take 4 to 5 days to ripen naturally. But rather than waiting days on end for fresh bananas to get ripe enough to use in banana bread, keep reading to learn some easy ways to ripen bananas fast!
How To Quickly Ripen Bananas In The Oven, Microwave, Or Air Fryer
Keep in mind that all of the techniques below will work better with bananas that are already yellow. Green bananas just won’t have the sweetness you’re looking for, no matter which ripening method you try!
How To Ripen Bananas In The Oven
This method takes about an hour from start to finish, and it’s the best way to ripen bananas in a hurry (at least in my opinion!)
- Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.
- Take a bunch of yellow bananas and separate them.
- Place unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and bake them for about 30 minutes, or until the skins are shiny and black.
- Remove and let cool for at least 30 minutes before using (or toss them in the fridge to speed things up.)
The heat of your oven will help bring out the sugar in the bananas, leaving you with super soft and sweet bananas, perfect for banana bread, banana muffins, or banana pancakes!
Quickly Ripen Bananas In The Microwave
Need to know how to ripen a banana instantly? This is about as close as you can get!
- Use a fork to poke several holes all over the peel of an unpeeled yellow banana.
- Put the banana on a piece of parchment paper and place it in the microwave. (Parchment paper won’t stick to your microwave if the peel bursts!)
- Microwave in 30-second bursts until the banana is as soft as you’d like.
Ripen Bananas In The Air Fryer
It only takes about 7 to 8 minutes to ripen a yellow banana in the air fryer!
- Preheat your air fryer to 300°F.
- Put a piece of parchment paper or foil into the basket, in case of banana leaks.
- Put the banana(s) in the basket and cook for 7 to 8 minutes until the skins are shiny and black.
After using the oven, microwave, or air fryer method to ripen bananas faster, cut or tear a small piece off the bottom of each banana and squeeze out the fruit like you’re squeezing toothpaste out of a tube. Easy!
3 Quick Ways To Ripen Bananas Naturally
1. Ripen Bananas In A Paper Bag
Bananas need to be kept above 59°F in order to ripen naturally, which is why you shouldn’t put bananas in the refrigerator. Bananas produce quite a lot of ethylene gas, which causes fruit to ripen by turning starch into sugar. All that ethylene will make other fruits ripen faster as well, which can be a good or bad thing, depending on the situation. Keep that in mind when you store bananas!
One way to ripen bananas naturally it to put them in a closed brown paper bag to trap the ethylene gas. (Don’t use a plastic bag, which will will trap moisture too.) The paper bag will cause your bananas to ripen quickly — possibly even overnight, depending on how ripe they were to begin with.
2. Take Off The Plastic
Did you ever wonder why the stem on a bunch of bananas is wrapped in plastic? It’s because the stems release the ethylene that ripens the fruit. Take off that plastic and the bananas will ripen faster.
3. Separate Them
I haven’t personally experimented with this, but a lot of people swear that bananas ripen more quickly when bunches are separated into individual fruits. Give it a try!
More Ideas You'll Love
How To Store Ripe Bananas
If the bananas you bring home are green, hang them on the hook over your fruit basket (which is the best way to store fruit). This will keep them from bruising each other as they lie in a bunch. They can keep for several days this way, especially if they started out green and a bit hard.
You can refrigerate ripe bananas by peeling them and putting lemon juice on them. After giving them a nice splash of lemon juice, wrap the bananas tightly in plastic wrap. They won’t last long, but it will give you a bit more time to eat them or get them in the freezer.
If your bananas ripen more quickly than you can eat them, you can freeze them so you don’t waste food. Just peel and slice your ripe bananas, then freeze the slices on a sheet pan lined with with parchment paper. Once frozen, transfer the frozen bananas to a zippered freezer bag — they’re perfect for making smoothies!
Looking to store bananas long-term? Try dehydrating them! Bananas are one of the many foods you can dehydrate, and homemade banana chips make a great snack.
What To Do With Overripe Bananas
There are plenty of uses for overripe bananas, and that’s in addition to making banana bread! If you can’t use them right away, freeze brown bananas by squeezing the fruit into a zippered freezer bag, or seal the bag with a vacuum sealer. Once thawed, you can add your overripe banana puree to baked goods and smoothies as an easy way to eat more fruits.
What’s your favorite way to eat bananas?
This is SO smart! I just posted a banana bread recipe today, and I totally am linking to this in it :) I hate waiting for bananas to ripen!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.SNIP THE TIP AND SQUEEZE OUT THE GOOEY GOODNESS? LIFE. CHANGER.
Thank you, thank you. THANK YOU!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Haha Dani! Exactly how I felt when I first tried it! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Ok…I just slapped myself!! You are a GENIUS!! :-D
Please log in or create a free account to comment.if using flour do you use All Purpose? or Self Rising flour??
Please log in or create a free account to comment.since the recipe provided includes baking soda (a leavening agent), use all purpose. If all you have on hand is self rising, then leave the soda out. and if you forget either way, no harm with this kind of recipe.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Sounds and looks delicious! Thanks for the tip on ripening the bananas!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This is great because bananas never last long enough to over ripen around here. Even when I think I surely over bought–they disappear before my eyes
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank You!.
What size bread pans?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I just used standard size bread pans. I’m not sure what the inch measurement is – but their not the smaller disposable ones you can sometimes find.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for sharing this. I had no idea you could do this with
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Bananas. You are so clever, jillee.
One of my favorite ways to freeze bananas is to peel, break into chunks and freeze on a cookie sheet, then stash in a zip-lock bag. To make the best frozen treat, throw the pieces into a food processer and pulse until the consistency of soft ice cream. It is sooooo sweet and delicious!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.for someone who bakes a lot and is constantly waiting for bananas to ripen, this is incredibly useful. what an amazing tip! thanks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve used the microwave on bananas before too. Also freezing bananas in skin will soften them — if you dont have time tocook them that day, freeze them then pull out to thaw just before you are ready to get cooking.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for sharing the recipe, I have friends who need gf recipes.
Great to know. I have a grandson who LOVES my banana bread and many
Please log in or create a free account to comment.times I have bananas but they are not ripe enough. Now when he calls and say he is coming for a visit…I can be prepared! :)
Another way to do the job is to freeze the bananas overnight. The next morning, you take them out of the freezer and thaw them out. The extra water will give your bread lots of moisture.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The oil from a baked banana skin is an amazing quick silver polish. It will keep in the frig for a few days. Round up all your silver and polish away.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.With the additional bananas, cut down the middle length being careful not to cut through the skin on the bottom. Pull apart and stuff with mini-marshmallows and small pieces of chocolate. Wrap in foil. Bake 350F for 1 hour on a baking sheet. Excellent for a camp fire.
I always keep a stash of ripe bananas in the freezer too! Like right now. OOoo they’re calling to me…
Thanks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jillee, I’m kicking myself. I dislike eating ripe bananas (the smell is normally overwhelming and the taste makes me feel sick to my stomach) but I do get a hankering for good banana bread every once in a while. This makes it easy to make immediate banana bread from bananas that are too ripe for me to eat, without having to let the bananas sit on the counter for days while they make my kitchen smell less-than-pleasant (to me, of course).
Thanks for this!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What a great tip! On the flip side, to prevent them from ripening too quickly, try separating them as soon as you bring them home from the store. Now I am craving banana bread too. Your recipe looks wonderful!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have used banana flavored baby food for the banana in a recipe…or use in combination with ripe banana, if you are short…and it’s easy to have a jar on the shelf!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Wow, that looks like a great recipe! Tell me, what’s the recipe with regular flour? (We’re not all glutenfree!) Thanks. :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yes, can you substitute gluten-free for regular, cup for cup?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Just substitute regular flour for the gluten free flour.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What a great idea!! And this recipe sounds wonderful, and a great way to take care of any yogurt you have that needs to be used up (in place of the sour cream). Thanks so much, Jillee, you’re the best!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hola Jill:
Para hacer el pan de plátano con harina común, las cantidades son las mismas?
Gracias por tu blog, lo sigo todos los días!!
Saludos!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.