Caramelized Cinnamon Plantain – Sweet & Simple

This caramelized cinnamon plantain recipe is quick and easy enough for a weeknight but fancy enough for company! Skillet fried in a touch of coconut oil until golden and crispy on the outside and soft and warm on the inside!

Ready In Less Than 15 Minutes
4 Ingredients
Dusted In Cinnamon
Drizzled With Maple Syrup
Lightly Fried Until Golden On The Outside And…
Warm & Soft On The Inside!

Plantains

I love to reference The Canadian African’s Ultimate Plantain Guide when shopping for and cooking with plantains. Plantains are part of the banana family but are firmer, starchier, and less sweet. Plantains at different stages of ripeness can be used in all sorts of savoury and sweet dishes!

Ripe plantains can be eaten raw but cooking them softens the texture and brings out their natural sweetness. The photo below compares a ripe plantain on the left to a ripe banana on the right.

For this recipe we use a plantain that is mostly blackened with still a bit of yellow. A completely black plantain will work too but they are softer so I would suggest slicing them thicker as they can break down easier.

We buy our plantains at either our local grocery store or Asian market. They will usually be right next to the bananas. Green plantains can be used for many recipes but I suggest buying a plantain that is yellow and is starting to get black spots.

• Do not store plantains in the fridge. I learned the hard way! I thought I would slow down the ripening process of a plantain by putting it in the fridge and it turns out it not only slowed the ripening… it stopped it! The skin will turn black but the fruit won’t ripen. It will stay hard, be difficult to peel, and not the tastiest.

Slicing Plantain

The peel is quite thick so you likely won’t be able to peel a plantain like you peel a banana.

• Slice off the ends.
• Use a sharp knife to slice lengthwise through the peel (careful not to slice too deep into the flesh).
• Use your hands to remove the thick peel.

Ingredients For Caramelized Plantain

We love to sweeten our plantain with maple syrup to add to the toasty, caramelized flavour BUT feel free to use cane sugar or your sweetener of choice!

We dust the sliced plantain with cinnamon and fry it in ½ tablespoon of coconut oil. You can use any neutral tasting oil you have on hand.

*For an oil-free version: try baking the plantain slices on a parchment lined sheet at 425 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Turn them once at the halfway mark.

How To Fry Caramelized Cinnamon Plantains

• Peel your plantain
• Slice in ¼ – ½ inch thick slices
• Heat coconut oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat
• Dust the plantain slices with cinnamon and drizzle with maple syrup

• Coat the slices in the cinnamon maple mixture

• When the oil is hot enough, lay the coated plantain slices in a single layer in your skillet.
• Fry for about 4-5 minutes on each side until golden and caramelized.
  • If the oil is not hot enough the plantain will soak it up and not get as crispy on the outside.
  • Too hot and the plantain can burn so keep an eye on them and adjust the heat as needed.
  • If making more than one plantain: make sure they are not too crowded in the pan. You may need to fry them in batches.

Recipe Cost

One sweet fried plantain costs us approximately: CAD $0.81!

We love making these as a quick dessert and having them as is or adding a scoop of ice cream, our 5 minute whipped cream, and/or a chocolate drizzle!

We thin out and melt our Chocolate Hazelnut Spread or simply melt some chocolate chips in the microwave with a splash of plant milk.

These sweet caramelized plantains would make a great topping for pancakes and crepes too! I love making these instead of fried bananas because I find their firmer, starchier texture holds up better than the softer bananas.

So what do you think? Will you grab some plantains and make a quick and easy weeknight dessert! Let us know in the comments below how you like this caramelized cinnamon plantain recipe!

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