Speed Ripen Your Bananas In The Oven

Got a craving for banana bread and your bananas are looking rather…green? Ever wonder why do you even need bananas to be ripe when baking them? Well, there’s a couple of reasons. First off, they are easier to mash into baked goods without leaving any lumps that are rather unappetizing. Secondly, as bananas ripen their glycemic index level changes, meaning, they get sweeter. When using bananas in baking, this is an added bonus because you’re adding flavor and texture, as well as a natural sugar source.

To ripen those bananas in a snap, keep them in their peels and lay them out on a baking sheet to bake in the oven. You’ll want your oven set to around 300°F, and essentially you’re going to roast the bananas unpeeled, for 40 minutes. They will turn black, just like they do naturally when ripening. Let them cool, and you’re good to use them in your recipe just as you would an ordinary ripened banana.