First of all, I know I’m long overdue for a sweet recipe. Secondly, I apologize for not having a strong enough sweet tooth. Sweet cravings, my friend, comes and goes for me. But if you are scrolling down the blog looking for an indulging treat, stick around! Today, I’m showing how to make Vegan Banana Fritters.
For this recipe, I took inspiration from a Filipino classic called maruya (mar-oo-yah) which is our version of banana fritters. Maruya had a slice of cooking banana in the center and was cooked flat, almost looking like a pancake. My family would often serve this as a midday snack, over coffee or tea.
WHAT ARE COOKING BANANAS?
Now you may be asking, what are cooking bananas? Cooking bananas are sweet plantains, also known as saba bananas or saging na saba in Tagalog. These bananas are stubbier than normal bananas. Because they are plantains, it is lot firmer compared to the bananas we often eat – which mushes as it ripens. Also note, do not be fooled by the term cooking bananas, it is also edible for consumption once it is ripe; the name derives from being the ideal bananas for cooking as it will be able to hold its form without falling apart or getting mushy.
If you live in a tropical climate, cooking bananas will not be hard to find. Often times, they will be made available in any farmer’s market (or someone’s backyard). However, if you live in areas that have limited options made available for these bananas, you may have better luck finding it in a Filipino / Asian supermarket – which can also be found frozen.
COOKING THE FRITTERS
Cooking these fritters, I did not necessarily want it to look like banana pancakes and flat. I want to look like actual fritters. For the cooking method, we are not necessarily deep frying. Instead, we will be shallow frying. Shallow frying is a method when your batter is submerged in oil but, not completely, and it is able to touch the surface of the pan. Too little oil will make your batter look like pancakes – which is not what we are going for. Too much oil will give your fritters a very oily aftermath, which is not very appetizing.
Ideally, a candy thermometer (or any food grade thermometer) will help determine the perfect temperature which will fall between 350 – 360 degrees. But of course, that is optional. The next best thing is to stick a wooden chopstick or skewer into the oil and if it actively bubbles, it is hot enough and ready. Vigorously bubbling, means that the oil is too hot and you will need to lower down your stove top and let it cool for a few minutes.
PRO-TIP BEFORE COOKING:
- This recipe only calls for cooking bananas. Substituting it with regular bananas will result differently.
- Shallow fry these fritters instead of deep frying. It is just enough to get them crispy around the edges and tender in the center.
- You can use a tablespoon to portion out your batter. I love using a small ice cream scoop (equivalent to 1.5 tablespoon) which yields the perfect sized fritters for me.
- Most importantly, make sure your oil is at the right temperature. If your oil is not hot enough, it will be too oily. If you oil is really hot, it will burn immediately.
- Use a cooling rack (or wire rack) to strain off any excess oil and cool down. Letting it cool down on a flat surface while it is still hot will make the fritters soggy.
- Sprinkle a pinch of sugar or cinnamon (or both) to finish. Personally, I’m not a fan of too much sugar on anything. But I do enjoy a tiny pinch of raw turbinado sugar for an extra crunch.
Give this recipe a try and if you like what you see, please help me by liking this recipe or adding a comment in the comment box down below. Subscribe to my mailing list for exclusive newsletters. Follow me on Instagram and don’t forget to tag me when you create the recipes.
Vegan Banana Fritters
Equipment
- frying pan
- candy thermometer (optional)
- spatulas & whisks
- Mixing bowls
- fork or potato masher
- cooling / wire racks
- tongs / strainer
Ingredients
- 1 cup (128g) unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 cup (237ml) unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 6 small ripe cooking bananas (or saba bananas)
- ½ cup (100g) organic cane sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1-2 cups oil for frying
- raw sugar, cinnamon, or powdered sugar for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- On a small mixing bowl and using a fork or potato masher, mash ripe bananas until it gives a thick pudding consistency. Chunks of banana are okay.
- On a separate bowl, prepare the dry ingredients such as the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Mix until well combined. Add the rest of the ingredients such as the milk, vanilla extract, and mashed bananas. Whisk until it gives a pancake batter consistency. Do not overmix as texture will turn gummy. NOTE: Every flour reacts differently to liquid ingredients, if your batter is too thick, add an extra tablespoon of milk at a time. If you batter is too thin, add a tablespoon of flour at a time. Overall your batter shouldn't be running liquid or should be too thick either.
- Preheat frying pan to medium high heat and oil. You will know your oil is hot enough if you stick a chopstick or a drop of batter into the oil and it starts to actively bubble. The best way to fry is to check its temperature with a thermometer. Ideal fritter heat should be between 350° – 360°F. NOTE: Be sure your oil is at its right temperature (or you monitor before every batch) otherwise you risk your fritters burning if it is too hot or too oily if oil is not hot enough.
- Drop a heaping tablespoon at a time to fry. Flip on each side until they are nice and brown. Strain out of the oil and allow it to cool evenly on a cooling / wire rack. Do not over crowd your pan. You may have to do batches. FUN TIP: You can also use a small ice-cream scoop to portion out the batter. Small ice cream scoops will be equivalent to, more or less, 1½ tablespoon.
- Serve will still hot. Sprinkle with a little bit of sugar or cinnamon if desired.