Ripening Bananas In The Oven – Does It Work?
Have you ever read about the hack to quickly ripen bananas in the oven? I wanted to find out for myself how well this method works and share my thoughts on the process!
Perhaps your bananas are ripe enough to eat, but not quite brown and mushy enough to bake with. When you want to bake on your own schedule, the ability to speed things along is definitely tempting!
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My Short Answer:
Yes! I tried this process for myself and, in a pinch, it totally works. But…
A Few Things To Consider:
Note The Difference In The Banana Composition
While this trick is incredibly helpful, I would only recommend it if ripening the bananas naturally is not an option. The bananas do change slightly when prepared this way!
The oven isn’t exactly ripening the bananas; It’s softening them. So when it comes to converting starch to sugar the way traditional ripening does, this happens to a much more minor degree in the oven. So…
Start With Bananas That Are Somewhat Ripe Already!
I personally found that I got the best results overall when I tried this on bananas that were already fairly ripe and soft. I would not recommend it if the bananas are very underripe, and certainly not if they are still green. From my experience, I would view it as giving them the last little push to being mushy enough to bake with.
Don’t Try This For Bananas You Plan To Eat Plain
This probably goes without saying, but only ever use this shortcut for the bananas you’re using to bake with! For any extra that you plan to snack on, please let those ripen naturally. These will be much too mushy, and I would never recommend consuming one that wasn’t going straight into your baked goods!
How To Do It:
Simply place the whole bananas, with the peels still on, in the oven at 300º F.
I like to put them on a baking sheet with a layer of parchment paper underneath to minimize mess.
For bananas that are already a bit ripe (see photo) I bake them for 20-25 minutes. More time can be added if needed, but you’ll know they are ready when the majority of the peels turn black on the outside. You may also see a bit of fluid leak out underneath which is to be expected.
Let them fully cool before you cut them open and scoop out the inside for baking.
What Should I Make?
Need something to bake asap with the method? I gave it a go with my Classic Banana Bread (With Mini Chips) and thought it was absolutely delicious!
While it may not be exactly identical to a naturally overripe banana (in my opinion) it can be pretty darn close!