Quick and delicious banana fritters
22.5.22
| Recipe by Renz
A quick, easy and delicious recipe for fried banana fritters. A great
alternative for using those ripe to overripe bananas you have on your counter.
Perfect breakfast option or even a quick snack.
This post contains affiliate links. Please read my full disclosure here. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
We use bananas for a lot of things. We make banana smoothies and other drinks and make banana bread and muffins.
Today I'm going to introduce you to another option to use those bananas. A quick and easy breakfast option or a quick delicious snack.
These are the most perfect banana fritters. Nicely golden brown fried banana balls that are just delicious.
These are just as easy and delicious as my pumpkin fritters.
This recipe is easy and quick. If you have kids you can easily include them up to the frying part. An adult would have to do that part for safety reasons.
So the next time you have those leftover bananas there and they are turning black, DO NOT THROW THEM OUT.
Bananas are not just tasty they are also full of many health benefits.
They are full of potassium. This helps you manage your blood pressure since it lets you get rid of sodium and also relaxes the walls of your blood vessels. It can also help prevent kidney stones and lower the risk for stroke.
High in fiber. With soluble fiber, bananas aid in easing inflammation and also keeping your cholesterol in check. High-fiber foods also make you feel full but do not fill you with extra calories. Great for weight loss.
Aids in a better stomach. There are a plethora of issues that bananas can help with for your stomach. Bananas treat some UTIs, lessen lactose intolerance, and also treat some gastrointestinal infections.
But overall it's ram packed with vitamins like vitamin C, B6, A, and magnesium.
Banana fritters are basically banana mash, mixed with flour and spices, and fried till a nice golden brown. There are variations of these across the region.
I have seen these fritters in many forms. In Jamaican households, my friends make their Jamaican banana fritters fried flat like pancakes.
My family makes our fritters into fluffy balls.
Whatever way it's made, in less than twenty minutes you are eating some banana goodness.
Sprinkle with some powdered sugar and additional cinnamon and you have the snack to satisfy the perfect sweet tooth.
We usually always use the typical bananas to make fritters. The same bananas we eat as a fruit. This banana is called the Cavendish banana.
These types have varying stages (colors) of ripening, going from green to yellow to black. They are pretty firm for most of the "ripe" stage, then get softer as it gets riper.
Another great option is another variety of the cavendish banana called Musa acuminate. Locally we refer to it as buck buck, or buck banana. It's a short and stubbier version. The color can range from yellow to red.
You can also use ripe plantains as an option.
The ingredients list is quite a basic list of items that are common pantry staples.
Remove the peel from the bananas and discard. Mash the banana pulp in a medium bowl.
In another bowl, mix the flour along with the baking powder, sugar, and cinnamon. All your dry ingredients.
Take your flour mixture and combine with the mashed banana mixture and combine well to a smooth consistency.
Add in your vanilla essence and combine.
In a deep pot, heat your oil on medium heat till heated through.
Using a spoon or a cookie scoop, drop batches of banana fritter batter into the oil. Frying for about 3 to 5 minutes.
You can use a spoon and roll them around in the oil to fry.
Remove from the pot, and place them to drain on paper towels to remove the excess oil.
Once completed, sprinkle with some powdered sugar if you wish.
Serve hot!
I am all for leftovers, but I think this is one type that needs to be eaten hot and fresh.
The longer these sit they get softer and not as crisp. So it's best eaten as fried or as soon as possible.
If you want to fry large batches for a large party, while frying, put the completed fritters in an oven that is at the lowest (200 degrees) so that you keep them warm as you fry the rest.
Other than that I would not suggest making these too far ahead or even eating these too far out later on.
Adjust your sugar to suit your banana. Sugar amounts can vary based on how sweet your bananas are. I suggest tasting your mashed bananas and adding less sugar if they are already sweet. So if you use over-ripe bananas then you will probably need less sugar.
Use the best texture banana. Ripe bananas are best to be used. Overripe bananas can be used, but they will give you a softer ball that will take longer to cook. For the best fritter, I would use ripe bananas that still have a bit of form to them.
Make sure your batter is a nice consistency. If you use overripe bananas or find that the batter is a little runny, add a little more flour to the batter. Too much banana only versus flour would make your batter a little harder to fry.
Make sure you maintain the right temperature. Your oil needs to be hot and ready to go. If your oil is not hot enough, the batter would be in there too long and soak up a lot of oil. And if it's too hot, you will get burnt outside and uncooked soft insides. I use my instant-read thermometer and keep the oil around 360 degrees. And I check it in between batches of frying.
Use the best type of oil. An oil that has no flavor is best. Use a vegetable oil that has a high smoke point. So canola oil is also a good option along with vegetable oil or peanut oil.
Don't overcrowd the pot. This will make the temperature of the oil drop considerably. Make sure you leave room for the dough to fry comfortably. Depending on the size of the pot about 5 to 6 at a time are good. It's the same thing I do when making my accra/saltfish fritters. And also remove any little pieces of batter you might see floating around from the oil so that it doesn't burn.
Not a thing. I just have a bunch of these alone. Nice and hot.
But I'm sure you might want to have a little drink. If this is a breakfast option for you, try it with some cocoa tea or some good herbal blend tea.
If it's a treat, some fresh lime juice or guava juice would be a great option.
But I know someone mentioned they have theirs with ice cream. Banana fritters and mango ice cream anyone?
Love fried foods? Check out some of the other recipes:
This post contains affiliate links. Please read my full disclosure here. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
We use bananas for a lot of things. We make banana smoothies and other drinks and make banana bread and muffins.
Today I'm going to introduce you to another option to use those bananas. A quick and easy breakfast option or a quick delicious snack.
These are the most perfect banana fritters. Nicely golden brown fried banana balls that are just delicious.
These are just as easy and delicious as my pumpkin fritters.
This recipe is easy and quick. If you have kids you can easily include them up to the frying part. An adult would have to do that part for safety reasons.
So the next time you have those leftover bananas there and they are turning black, DO NOT THROW THEM OUT.
The health benefits of bananas
Bananas are not just tasty they are also full of many health benefits.
They are full of potassium. This helps you manage your blood pressure since it lets you get rid of sodium and also relaxes the walls of your blood vessels. It can also help prevent kidney stones and lower the risk for stroke.
High in fiber. With soluble fiber, bananas aid in easing inflammation and also keeping your cholesterol in check. High-fiber foods also make you feel full but do not fill you with extra calories. Great for weight loss.
Aids in a better stomach. There are a plethora of issues that bananas can help with for your stomach. Bananas treat some UTIs, lessen lactose intolerance, and also treat some gastrointestinal infections.
But overall it's ram packed with vitamins like vitamin C, B6, A, and magnesium.
What are fried banana fritters?
Banana fritters are basically banana mash, mixed with flour and spices, and fried till a nice golden brown. There are variations of these across the region.
I have seen these fritters in many forms. In Jamaican households, my friends make their Jamaican banana fritters fried flat like pancakes.
My family makes our fritters into fluffy balls.
Whatever way it's made, in less than twenty minutes you are eating some banana goodness.
Sprinkle with some powdered sugar and additional cinnamon and you have the snack to satisfy the perfect sweet tooth.
Best bananas to use to make fritters
We usually always use the typical bananas to make fritters. The same bananas we eat as a fruit. This banana is called the Cavendish banana.
These types have varying stages (colors) of ripening, going from green to yellow to black. They are pretty firm for most of the "ripe" stage, then get softer as it gets riper.
Another great option is another variety of the cavendish banana called Musa acuminate. Locally we refer to it as buck buck, or buck banana. It's a short and stubbier version. The color can range from yellow to red.
You can also use ripe plantains as an option.
Ingredients for fried banana fritters
The ingredients list is quite a basic list of items that are common pantry staples.
- Bananas
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Baking powder
- Sugar - you can use granulated sugar or brown sugar, but I prefer to stick to granulated to not darken the batter too much
- Ground cinnamon
- Cooking oil for frying
Equipment
- Pot
- Paper towel
- Thermometer
- Spoon or cookie scoop
How to make banana fritters.
Remove the peel from the bananas and discard. Mash the banana pulp in a medium bowl.
In another bowl, mix the flour along with the baking powder, sugar, and cinnamon. All your dry ingredients.
Take your flour mixture and combine with the mashed banana mixture and combine well to a smooth consistency.
Add in your vanilla essence and combine.
In a deep pot, heat your oil on medium heat till heated through.
Using a spoon or a cookie scoop, drop batches of banana fritter batter into the oil. Frying for about 3 to 5 minutes.
You can use a spoon and roll them around in the oil to fry.
Remove from the pot, and place them to drain on paper towels to remove the excess oil.
Once completed, sprinkle with some powdered sugar if you wish.
Serve hot!
Can I store fritters for later?
I am all for leftovers, but I think this is one type that needs to be eaten hot and fresh.
The longer these sit they get softer and not as crisp. So it's best eaten as fried or as soon as possible.
If you want to fry large batches for a large party, while frying, put the completed fritters in an oven that is at the lowest (200 degrees) so that you keep them warm as you fry the rest.
Other than that I would not suggest making these too far ahead or even eating these too far out later on.
Tips
Adjust your sugar to suit your banana. Sugar amounts can vary based on how sweet your bananas are. I suggest tasting your mashed bananas and adding less sugar if they are already sweet. So if you use over-ripe bananas then you will probably need less sugar.
Use the best texture banana. Ripe bananas are best to be used. Overripe bananas can be used, but they will give you a softer ball that will take longer to cook. For the best fritter, I would use ripe bananas that still have a bit of form to them.
Make sure your batter is a nice consistency. If you use overripe bananas or find that the batter is a little runny, add a little more flour to the batter. Too much banana only versus flour would make your batter a little harder to fry.
Make sure you maintain the right temperature. Your oil needs to be hot and ready to go. If your oil is not hot enough, the batter would be in there too long and soak up a lot of oil. And if it's too hot, you will get burnt outside and uncooked soft insides. I use my instant-read thermometer and keep the oil around 360 degrees. And I check it in between batches of frying.
Use the best type of oil. An oil that has no flavor is best. Use a vegetable oil that has a high smoke point. So canola oil is also a good option along with vegetable oil or peanut oil.
Don't overcrowd the pot. This will make the temperature of the oil drop considerably. Make sure you leave room for the dough to fry comfortably. Depending on the size of the pot about 5 to 6 at a time are good. It's the same thing I do when making my accra/saltfish fritters. And also remove any little pieces of batter you might see floating around from the oil so that it doesn't burn.
What to eat with banana fritters?
Not a thing. I just have a bunch of these alone. Nice and hot.
But I'm sure you might want to have a little drink. If this is a breakfast option for you, try it with some cocoa tea or some good herbal blend tea.
If it's a treat, some fresh lime juice or guava juice would be a great option.
But I know someone mentioned they have theirs with ice cream. Banana fritters and mango ice cream anyone?
Love fried foods? Check out some of the other recipes:
Just Facebooked and bookmarked this for Saturday morning breakfast. Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteLooks yummy! I'm always looking for recipes I can use with overripe bananas. Pinning for later.
ReplyDeleteThanks guys. Not sure what's going on with the comment system... arrgh.. But let me know how this goes for you all
ReplyDelete