It’s not often that I eat dinner solo these days, but one recent evening when John was away, I walked to our local Whole Foods and went straight for the hot food and salad bar.
Have you ever been there? That place is like magic!
It was there that I fell in love with caramelized plantains. Oh mama.
One bite in and I immediately knew I had to recreate them for the blog.
I’m not sure what fats or sugars are used in their version, but I wanted to clean things up and infuse some extra flavor.
More flavor is always better in my opinion.
About Plantains
Plantains are grown and enjoyed in many tropical regions around the world, especially in the Caribbean, Latin America, and West Africa. They are a relative of the banana, but larger and starchier. Mmmm, starch.
They can be consumed when green (unripe) or yellow (ripe). But for this recipe, make sure they’re yellow going on brown. Because that’s when they’re sweetest!
Instead of relying on brown or cane sugar, I went with coconut sugar – a more natural sugar extracted from sap of cut flower buds on the coconut palm. Crazy awesome, right?
A lot of you guys have been asking me if I ever use it and have also been subbing it in a lot of our recipes for cane sugar, and it got me curious. So thanks for the tip!
I haven’t done much baking with it yet (recommendations / tips welcome), but what I do know is it works fabulously for caramelizing.
This recipe is simple, requiring just 5 ingredients and 15 minutes. And the flavor pay off is HUGE.
To ensure the plantains got nice and brown I went for coconut oil, which infuses a little extra flavor. And I doused the plantains in coconut sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt before throwing them in the pan – a cast iron is ideal if you have one.
What happens next is pure magic. The outside of the plantains get all brown, caramelized and sweet, and the inside gets extremely tender and melt-in-your-mouth worthy.
Can we say, new favorite dessert?
I think you guys are going to LOVE this dessert! It’s:
Warm
Super flavorful
Caramelized
Perfectly sweet
Satisfying
Quick
&Naturally sweetened!
I served my plantains with some coconut whipped cream and additional sprinkle of coconut sugar. So good!
But I also think they would be amazing with my Coconut Sea Salt Caramel Ice Cream! Can we say best vegan ice cream sundae ever?
If you guys try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment and rate it – it’s super helpful to us.
And, don’t forget to take a picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see! Do you realize there’s more than 7,000 #minimalistbaker hashtags on Instagram thanks to you all? That’s amazing! Keep tagging and keeping up the the good vibes.
Cheers, friends!
Coconut Sugar Caramelized Plantains
Ingredients
- 3 ripe plantains (tender to the touch and yellow going on brown)
- 3 Tbsp coconut sugar (or sub cane sugar)
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1-2 Tbsp coconut oil (or olive oil)
- Coconut Whipped Cream (optional // for topping)
Instructions
- Heat a large cast iron or metal skillet over medium-high heat and chop your plantains in 1/2 inch slices.
- Add to a mixing bowl and toss with coconut sugar, cinnamon, and sea salt.
- Once the skillet is hot, add coconut oil and only as many plantains as will fit comfortably in the pan without crowding. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until browned and caramelized.
- Serve warm with dairy-free ice cream or coconut whipped cream. Best when fresh, though leftovers will keep in the fridge covered for a few days.
Notes
*Recipe adapted from / inspired by Whole Foods.
Carola says
Hello dears,
This sounds like paradise! If organic plantains are not available, can I also use ripe bananas?
Have a nice and spicy day,
Carola
Hi Carola, plantains are best in this recipe! They hold their shape better, while bananas are prone to getting mushy. The flavor would be okay though!
Caroline says
These are delish! Served with vegan chocolate ice cream (your recipe), they are truly amazing! The soft inside and crispy outside with that sweet, caramelised flavour makes my tastebuds very happy. And SO EASY! Thank you so much, these are sensational (and I don’t use that word often to describe plantains)
Love from Australia 🇦🇺,
Caroline xx
Woah, that combo sounds AMAZING! Thank you for sharing, Caroline! xoxo
Victoria Edwards says
Delicious! I arranged it all on some greaseproof paper and baked it in the oven.. Served with vanilla ice cream.. Everyone loved it. 😋
Woohoo! Love to hear this. Thanks so much, Victoria!
Tammy says
These are amazing!!! Even without any topping. Delish!
Woohoo! Thanks for the lovely review and 5 stars, Tammy! We’re glad you enjoyed! xo
Anjali says
Loved it!
Yay! Thank you for sharing, Anjali! xo
Alejandra says
Thank you thank you thank you!!! This was my very first time making maduros and it was such a success. Most online recipes for maduros call for so much vegetable oil. This recipe calls for very little coconut oil and it works so so well!!! My hubby said they taste even better than the maduros we get from our favorite restaurants. Yum!! I only used 1 tbsp of coconut sugar and they were perfect! Thank you again!
Whoop! We’re so glad you both enjoyed them, Alejandra! xo
Jackie Harris says
Hello! This looks great and I am excited to make it. Any chance stevia would work instead?
The sugar creates a caramelization, so it wouldn’t have that if using stevia. But it would probably still be tasty, just different! If you give it a try, let us know how it goes!
Romina says
Would this work without a cast iron or skillet?
Hi Romina, You could potentially toss the plantains in sugar, cinnamon, salt, and oil and roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes (or more). For more info on roasting plantains, you can refer to our Black Bean Plantain Arepa Sandwiches. If you give it a try, we would love to hear how it goes!
Heiba Kebbas says
Delicious! I’m enjoying them with refined black beans, guacamole, and purple cabbage slaw!
Brittany says
Hello There. Just a suggestion for when you cook with plantains. I suggest you try and use ones that barely have any yellow/mostly brown . These will be quite soft in texture but shouldn’t mush or they will be overripe. These are when they are at peak sweetness. If you fry them at this stage, you probably wouldn’t need to use any additional sugar. They also will caramelize and cook faster. Let me know how it works. That is how I enjoy mine. Love your recipes, good to add some interesting variety to my diet!
Maria says
Is there anyone that i can talk to about this recipe? I have been looking around a lot for a recipe that i can use for my final assignment for the end of my classes and it has to be indonesian. I do not know if this is actually indonesian or if it just popped up in my searches but i would like to verify. Thank you.
Hi Maria! I wouldn’t say that this recipe is Indonesian. Hope this helps!
Bianca A says
I made this tonight but my plantains were hard and flavourless on the inside despite following the recipe to a T. Could it be because I used a frying pan? The Plantains were yellow/black and I soaked them for 15 minutes in water beforehand and i cut them an inch thick. Any suggestions for next time as they were still tasty just not as good as I would have liked and not as soft as the plantain I usually get is.
Hi Bianca, it sounds like the plantains were not ripe. Sometimes if they are picked from the tree before they are mature, that can happen. When plantains are ripe, they soften. Does that sound like it might have been the issue for you?
Bianca Amponsah says
I think they were ripe. They were green when I got them and black/yellow green by the time I used them!
Hmm, so strange! We’re not sure then. They definitely shouldn’t be hard if they are ripe.
Tonya says
I made these with a blend of coconut and cane sugar. The medium-high heat and hot skillet is too hot. Between the high sugar content of the plantains themselves, plus a sugar coating, they burn instantly and develop an acrid taste.
The skillet needs to be at medium low, and they need to be cooked in the coconut oil for about 5 minutes before you add the sugar and cinnamon, then turn the skillet to low and let them carmelize a bit more.
Kelley says
Can unripe regular bananas be used?
Hmm, not sure! Let me know if you give it a try!
grace quisumbing says
Wow! I am definitely going to try this very simple recipe.
Sam says
Just tried your recipe for the first time, and my plantain burned :( can you give a suggestion on temp and cooking time for a regular skillet. So disappointed with my results
Jasmine says
This recipe was super easy and super delicious! I definitely recommend trying this recipe. I made it for my guests and they just loved it!
Lisa Sherratt says
This looks fab – will try if I ever find plantain in the supermarket!
I use coconut sugar in a lot of my baking, my favourite is in pineapple upside down cake but I’ve recently discovered makes chocolate cakes and brownies have a much richer flavour!
Lelia Murcelo says
For the last two weeks I have made one of your recipes everyday! No words can describe how happy I am. The plantain recipe makes me wish there was a hands down finger licking emoji lol! That coconut whip cream……the end….what a blessing. Lol!
Richard Pascual says
Funny you categorize this as dessert. I’m from Puerto Rico, and plátanos are a staple in our kitchen. We cook it every which way. Ripe plantains are typically deep fried and are called “amarillitos” (literally, little yellow ones), and they are naturally sweet. We serve those as a side dish. They are scrumptious!!
Kay says
Just made this and it turned out amazing! First time cooking with plantains, success! Thanks Dana!
Victoria says
Does this work with regular bananas?
Philip says
Medium high heat for coconut oil is way too high. Unless you want to smoke out your house medium heat (350 max) is a better place to start. Otherwise the plantains are tasty.
Melanie says
I did them totally “wrong” last night…
First, I had no plantains, but simple bananas I bought for breakfast over a week ago and then somehow forgot abotut them every morning.
Second, I had no coconut sugar but used normal sugar made from sugar beets.
Third – no whipped cream.
I was also thinking about omitting the salt since I’m not much into that salty-sweet / chili-chocolate stuff you get everywhere nowadays, but I’m happy I didn’t! I would have licked the skillet if the caramel wasn’t so hot (so I used a dough scraper instead).
I will definitely cook that egain, maybe even the correct way ;-)
Gretchen says
Mmmmmmm, fried plantains! My husband is from El Salvador, so we eat them often. We like them with retried beans & cream (like sour cream). Can’t wait to try these this weekend!
vanille says
So glad I’ve found your blog! Not only it has quality pictures and mouthwatering recipes, but you give it a very personal touch while keeping everything simple! Bravo!
your french new addict
Teresa says
ooh, I bet these would be so good over a nice bowl of oatmeal for breakfast, maybe with some shredded coconut and walnuts..
Jane says
Omigosh, these are so delicious!!! Coconut sugar caramelizes perfectly. I want to eat this every day! I also topped it with your coconut whipped cream which was a perfect pairing. Thank you! I give this recipe 10 stars!
Noreen says
I just made these and they are FANTASTIC. My friend says he’s used regular sugar before and it’s the same but I told him he needs to try these with coconut sugar – – like the recipe says. It caramelizes perfectly and the cinnamon and the pinch of salt were perfect. I will definitely make this again. Thank you for sharing!
Liz @ Floating Kitchen says
Holy smokes! These look just magical. I love plantains, but I tend to kind of forget about them (food blogger problems?). But now I want them soooo bad. Gorgeous photos, as always.
Lily | Handpicked by Lily says
Yummy plantains…I love my plantains semi-sweet and fried as well but never tried caramelized plantains. Am getting hungry now!
Thao @ In Good Flavor says
I LOVE cooked/fried plantains. These caramelized ones look incredible! I can eat the entire batch!
Anna Olsen says
Hi, I’ve been subbing in coconut crystals as my autoimmune disease reacts painfully to sugar of any other sort with INFLAMMATION! So thanks for a try here, I appreciate not having to change up a recipe. BTW , when baking I use more of the coconut crystals and then some bustle via to make as sweet as needed.
Jen says
Made these last night and my daughter and partner were in LOOOOVE (as was I) sooo good! My partner is form Souther Mexico and has had his fair share of platano frito and said this was one the best desserts he’d ever tasted. Delish!
Ana @ Ana's Rocket Ship says
I have never been there- (seriously- any time Whole Food’s want’s to open a store round here I will be first through the doors!) but they have food like this there? Oh my! Thankyou so much for creating this for us Whole Foods deprived people! Also- coconut sugar? It just sounds even more yummy now!
randomguru says
man that looks sooo good! another one i’ll have to try out, since my wife loves plaintains.
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul says
Oh my! These looks so delicious. And with the coconut whipped cream! Oh lawd, I cannot handle myself! Must get my hands on some plátanos prontito!
Brittany says
Gah, I’ve had the caramelized plantains from Whole Foods and they are epic. Love this recipe.
Glad you agree, friend! They’re magical.
Ana | espressomykitchen.com says
ooh I love plantains! This recipe sounds and looks soo delish! Coconut sugar?! I need to buy me some of that asap.
The Holistic Herbivore says
Yum! I love caramelized plantains! These look really delicious!
Yized | Novojun says
Your posts make my mouth water EVERY TIME!! This has gone into my To Do list. Yum!
Mariela says
I’ve been eating plantains my whole life. They are the only thing I miss from since I moved to the states. In Puerto Rico we eat these as part of our meal, but I love the idea of straight out eating them for dessert. They are so versatile, right? Delicious!
Wilma says
Oh my god, you’re killing me! I love fried plantains, but not you’re going to add caramelization and coconut. Holy crap!
DessertForTwo says
I am obsessed with plantains! And yes, I say platanos, too! When I lived in Costa Rica, they were dessert every night. I admit, I usually fry the green ones and eat them savory, but it’s time for a sweet platano dessert in my life :)
Jennifer Stevens | Adventurous Appetite says
I am drooling. No seriously, saliva just fell from my mouth and onto my keyboard. It was gross. But this… you took plantains to the next level. Well done.
Gaby says
This is fantastic! The caramelization on the plantains is incredible!!!
Abby says
These are incredible, Dana! I’ll never forget the first time I had caramelized plantains… at this little Indonesian restaurant in Amsterdam when I was 9. I’ve been obsessed since, but rarely have them. This recipe is so going to change that……
Nora says
Whoa these look divine!! Campfire food for the summer for sure!
OOH YES! What about on a s’more?!! Oh dear….
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
We usually use butter and honey for our plantains but that combo needs to MOVE ASIDE!!! I’m all over these!
Lauren says
So pretty! I love any reason I can use my cast iron skillet, especially if that reason is dessert ;)
And yes to the Whole Foods hot bar. Have you been to the one in Austin at their flagship store? AHMAAAZINGGG
DUDE, now it’s on my list! Thanks for the tip!
Zoe says
I use coconut sugar for everything. I don’t use any other granulated sugar at all. It is amazing in baked goods and whatever else you can think of. I have made this exact thing before and OMG so good! Plantains are da bomb!
Thanks for sharing, Zoe!! I’m starting to use it in place of sugar in most things these days, too!
Judit + Corina @Glamorous Bite says
This looks utterly decadent, Dana! Have to check out our Whole Foods for plantains, your recipe is a true eye candy :)
Emily @ don't miss dairy says
This looks delicious! I’m going out to find plantains–asap!
Ambar says
There is a difference between ripe plantain and a yellow plantain. When the plantain is actually ripen you can eat it like a banana! It’s so good and so much sweeter! It does turn to a black-brown color but it doesn’t mean it got bad, that’s actually when it’s good and it has a lot more nutritional value! I do like this recipe and I wish to try it out one of this days! Thank you for all the great recipes you make!
Thanks for sharing!
Rosanna says
YUM!! Just had some plantain yesterday but more boring than anything (maybe not boring but plain and simple)! These though are the ones that I would make and my hubby would jump right into!!! I use to eat plantains a lot when I was a child and stop for not specific reason… I’m back on the wagon!!!
Motte says
wow, how do these look so good?? I swear I can smell them! I also promise to make these this weekend, yum! I can’t wait! x Motte
Yay! Let me know how it goes!
Ellie says
This is perfect. A friend of mine from childhood would always talk about when her grandma cooked plantain and how good it is but I’ve never had it. Only yesterday I found a store near me sells them! And I was hoping I could find a good recipe :D
Deanne says
Mmm, I do love the Whole Foods hot bar for lazy dinners. Haven’t tried their plaintains though, will have to do that next time I end up there for dinner.
DO IT. You won’t regret it!
Jess | Fox & Fennel says
Wow! These look and sound amazing! I first tried (and fell in love with) carmelized plantains at a Brazilian restaurant (Fogo de Chao – where they basically just bring hunks of meat to your table over and over again) back in my non-vegan days. I never thought about trying to recreate them myself – thanks for inspiring me to do this at home!
Also – I hear you about Whole Foods. It’s like a magical wonderland, the employees seem to get it and they help me find stuff and actually spend time talking to me about food. I could spend hours in there ogling all the goodies!
Right? It’s my go-to place when John is having a guys night. I go and scour Whole Foods and look at food and eat at the hot food bar and drink kombucha. Basically, my idea of paradise :D
Les @ The Balanced Berry says
Holy yum! These sound (and look) magical. I fell in love with plantains in the Dominican Republic last year, and am always looking for new ways to make them. I need to give this a try!
In terms of coconut sugar, I’ve had it work well as a substitute for both brown sugar and cane sugar in baking – it’s super versatile and my favorite kind of sugar!
Thanks for sharing! Just tried baking with it for the first time and had really good results. I’ll be sure to swap it in for brown sugar soon!
Inge says
It looks good, but what exactly is a plantain?
Is it different from a normal banana?
Yep! It’s bigger and firmer with a less sweet taste. But they ripen and mostly look like a banana! They’re ideal for caramelizing or even making savory or sweet chips!
Inge says
Aha! They sound quite nice. I’ll try to find out if they are sold in my area as well. Thanks!
Annaliese says
Wow-ok, comment #2! I use coconut sugar in baked goods where I need a deeper, almost molasses-like flavor. I think it takes on a graham-cracker-y flavor when baked. It is waaay stronger than the flavor of sucanant, and I also find it dissolves more readily (probably particle size related). I have used it in cinnamon rolls (sub for sugar/brown sugar in the filling), sprinkling over biscotti right before first bake (smells ah-may-zing while baking), caramelizing bananas (!!), and have even used it in small quantities in homemade almond milk as a replacement for honey/agave/maple syrup. My next adventure: using it in cherry pie this weekend! I bet making a caramel sauce would be delicious, too.
Thanks for the tips, Annaliese!! I like your idea about using it as a pie sweetener. Great ideas!
Sara @ Cake Over Steak says
Oohhhhh dang girl dang these sound insane! I had caramelized plantains at a nice Mexcian restaurant and they blew my socks right off. I’ve been dreaming of them ever since so this recipe has my name alllll over it.
DO IT. And add some coconut whip or vegan ice cream! Never going back to restaurant plantains again :D
S Lauren | Modern Granola says
This looks and sounds remarkable. I used to make a meal out of caramelized plantains when I used to frequent a Salvadorian restaurant a few years ago. They are incredible. I haven’t had any since and never thought to make them myself! Genius as always!
So easy at home! And SO fresh!
Annaliese says
Seriously read my mind (and also the recipe hanging on my fridge!). I just made a caramelized banana smoothie (ok-milkshake because I used Luna and Larry’s Vanilla!)…and it was so friggin’ good!! I foresee caramelized fruits as a big summer trend…perfect!!
I like your trend forecasting :D Your milkshake sounds amazing!!
Molly says
Hi Dana! I love your website (your 5 minute hummus is one of my staple recipes). I’m wondering where you usually buy plantains–I’ve looked in Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and standard grocery stores without success. Maybe I’ll have more success in the spring?
Thanks!
Hi Molly! I’ve seen them at several grocery stores, but this time I had luck at Whole Foods. They’re green most of the time, so I had to let mine ripen for several days! Otherwise, try Mexican grocery stores.
Emma says
Wow, can I have some? ;)
Cristina says
Oh my goodness, that looks and sounds incredible! I’ve never heard of coconut sugar before, I’m intrigued.
Think coconut turned into sugar. It’s amazing!
Lena | la fille lumineuse says
The pictures of these plantains are seriously mouth-watering! :D
I basically love caramelized-anything and it’s so amazing how quick & easy these actually are to make :)
if you love caramelized things, you’ll love these!
Cassie says
I’ve tried caramelizing bananas, but never plantains! This is beautifully delicious!
Ooh, you must! So much better :D
Matea says
I think I’m the only one in my family who loves plantains– which means more for me! Have to try rolling the plantains in coconut sugar and cinnamon before frying them! Yum!!
Everyone else is missing out in your house! Hope you love this one, Matea :D
The slow pace says
That looks simply amazing! I love Plátanos! ;)
xx,
E.
m
Anna says
this looks so tasty and delicious!!
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says
OMGEEEEEE. love. just….love!
Paperblooming Prints says
Yum! This looks so great and easy to make!
xx