If you have a bunch of overripe bananas sitting on your counter, you don’t need to make banana bread. Here is a quick and easy treat that you can whip up for breakfast or just a good health snack. This recipe shows how to make ripe banana fritters. It is a delicious way to use them up before they go bad. These golden-brown treats are crispy on the outside and soft and sweet on the inside, so save this recipe, and share it with a friend or two.
Growing up in Jamaica, ripe banana fritters are one of the very first things I learned how to make. It was quick and easy for me as an eight year old, but we always had the ingredients on hand. I used to whip up banana fritters or just plain fritters without the bananas for myself and younger siblings until my parents came home from the farm.
Fritters (flittas in patois) are quite versatile. You can make them sweet with bananas, ripe plantains, or just leave the fruit out. It can also be savory where you mix in codfish. Make that a bit spicy with some scotch bonnets and you have a true Jamaican classic.
Like I said, the Ingredients are already in your house.
- 3 Overripe bananas
- 2 cups of flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- dash of nutmeg and cinnamon to taste
With your ingredients together, the rest is pretty easy.
- In a mixing bowl, drop in your bananas and your sugar together and mash until almost totally liquid. DO NOT do this in a blender as it will make it too light.
- Add spices and essence and mix well.
- Incorporate flour and mix well to remove clumps. This needs to be a wet batter so it may need a little water, no more than 1/4 of a cup. Add a little at a time until the right consistency.
- Heat your oil to between 300-350 degrees F for frying.
- One large mixing spoonful will make one fritter. Drop in oil and fry until golden brown. Your fritters are ready to flip when the edges get brown. After you flip, fry just as long on the other side.
TIP: This needs to be a shallow fry. Refer to the photos for reference so you don’t deep fry the fritters. You can fortify these fritters with dried fruits or nuts as well as oats. That will get you a healthy protein packed fritter to fuel your workout. After frying, drain on paper towels to absorb excess grease and enjoy. Dust with some powdered sugar if you’re feeling fancy.
SUBSCRIBE to my email list to stay up to date with my weekly recipe drops and opinion blogs.
