This pan-fried cinnamon banana recipe is a favorite snack for both my husband and I. It's reminiscent of a popular Filipino meryenda (snack) called banana-cue. In the afternoon, the streets are filled with carts frying either a camote-cue (fried sweet potatoes) or banana-cue in the Philippines making it a staple snack among students after school. This recipe is my vanlife version by pan-frying the bananas instead of deep frying. I also add a dash of cinnamon to enhance the flavor.

Check out my “Fried Sweet Potatoes" recipe here.

I love the crunchy texture of the caramelized sugar with the soft ripe bananas. This also makes an excellent base to a banana split! Top the warm fried bananas with ice cream and drizzle with chocolate sauce! Unfortunately though, I wasn’t prepared to make a banana split for this blog, perhaps next time!

Pro-tips:

“Saba” or plantain bananas are best used for this recipe however I've seen others use regular bananas on Pinterest! Saba is a bit different from the South American plantains though.
Use ripe plantains for it’s natural sweetness and softer texture. I usually buy the ripest plantain I can find or let it ripen inside a brown paper bag for a few days if there aren't any ripe ones available.
Heat up the oil at medium-high then reduce the temperature to low to avoid burning the sugar.
Dip one side of the bananas in sugar then fry. Once you are ready to flip to cook the other side, sprinkle sugar on top. If you sprinkle the sugar earlier, it will dissolve and you won't get an even caramelization on the surface.
This is best enjoyed when warm!

Pan-Fried Cinnamon Bananas

Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

3 ripe plantain bananas

1/4 cup granulated sugar

dash of cinnamon

oil for frying

Directions

Slice bananas into half, lengthwise.
Evenly mix sugar and cinnamon in a shallow container or plate.
Heat-up oil on a frying pan at medium-high heat.
While waiting for the oil to heat up, place bananas in the sugar flat side down.
Fry for 2 minutes on medium-high and bring the temperature to low to cook longer until brown. Avoid burning the sugar as it tastes bitter.
Once done, sprinkle sugar on top of the bananas and flip to cook. Bring the heat back up to medium-high and cook for 2 minutes then lower down the temperature and cook until brown and tender.
Transfer to a plate and enjoy right away!

We love this simplified banana-cue recipe! It takes me back to my childhood on the streets of Cebu right after school! This vanlife version takes less than 30 minutes to make and just as delicious so give it a try! When you get the chance to make this, don't forget to pin and tag me @sweetsavorygrace! Cheers!