A few years ago, my husband and I tried these Jamaican Banana Fritters at one of his friend’s house. They were delicious and my kids especially loved them. I decided to recreate them at home because it is such an easy recipe to make when you have too many ripe bananas you don’t know what to do with. If you enjoyed this recipe, you’ll really love my Plantain Porridge and Easy Papaya Smoothie as well. Now, here’s my take on these yummy Jamaican Banana Fritters!
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Ingredients
- Ripe Bananas
- Dark Brown Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Grated Nutmeg
- Ground Cinnamon
- Whole Milk
- Flour
- Oil for Frying
- Confectioner’s Sugar (optional for topping once done)
How to Make Jamaican Banana Fritters
- First, begin by peeling your ripe bananas and mashing them well with a fork until they reach baby food consistency.
- Second, mix in your dark brown sugar, grated nutmeg, ground cinnamon and vanilla extract.
- Add in your whole milk and mix all the ingredients until well-combined.
- Add in your flour 1/4 cup at a time while mixing. Make sure to scrape the flour from the bottom and sides of the bowl to incorporate all of it into the banana mixture. Your banana mixture should not be too thick or runny.
- Heat up your frying oil in a medium sized skillet. It is very important that your oil is not too hot, otherwise your banana fritters will burn. The oil should also not be cold, or your banana fritters will be soggy. Once your oil has reached 375 degrees F, it is ready for frying.
- Once your oil has reached an adequate temperature, scoop 1 tablespoon at a time of the banana mixture and drop it into your hot oil.
- Fry your Jamaican Banana Fritters for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and remove the excess oil with a paper towel.
- Finally, serve them warm with powdered sugar. You may even add maple syrup, honey or agave syrup to add a little extra sweetness.
Why Are My Jamaican Banana Fritters Soggy?
It is very important not to use too much oil for frying. You should only use between 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of oil depending on how large your skillet is. The oil should be about a 1/4 of an inch deep and should never completely cover your banana fritters. Once finished, they should be crispy around the edges and soft but done on the inside.
Can I Store Jamaican Banana Fritters For Later?
I do not recommend storing your banana fritters once they have been cooked. They will not have the same crispy texture once reheated. However, you may prepare the batter ahead of time and freeze for up to 1 week. When you are ready to fry them, simply remove from the freezer. You can fry them right out of the freezer, just be sure to extend your cooking time to about 5-6 minutes on each side.
Top Tips & Variations
- Make sure your oil is at 375 degrees F before frying. Frying your banana fritters before your oil has reached an adequate temperature for frying will cause them to come out with a soggy texture which is not ideal. The best temperature for frying is usually between 350 degrees F to 375 degrees F. I find that to make these Jamaican Banana Fritters, the best temperature is 375 degrees F to achieve a delicious crispy exterior.
- If you don’t like the taste of the cinnamon and nutmeg spices used in this recipe, feel free to omit them. You may also add more or less sugar according to your taste preference. I’ve heard that some people make their banana fritters with sweetened condensed milk which sounds delicious. For my taste, these were sweet enough but feel free to adjust to your liking.
- I can’t say this enough, please make sure your bananas are ripe! If there is any green at all in your bananas, it may be better to wait a day or so until you begin seeing brown spots. Using bananas that are not ripe enough, may result in your banana fritters having a bitter taste.
Jamaican Banana Fritters
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup ripe bananas 3 medium bananas
- 3 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp grated nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/4 cup oil for frying use less or more according to the size of your pan, the oil should be 1/4 of an inch deep
- 3 tbsp confectioner's sugar optional for topping once done
Instructions
- First, begin by peeling your ripe bananas and mashing them well with a fork until they reach baby food consistency.
- Second, mix in your dark brown sugar, grated nutmeg, ground cinnamon and vanilla extract.
- Add in your whole milk and mix all the ingredients until well-combined.
- Add in your flour 1/4 cup at a time while mixing. Make sure to scrape the flour from the bottom and sides of the bowl to incorporate all of it into the banana mixture. Your banana mixture should not be too thick or runny.
- Heat up your frying oil in a medium sized skillet. It is very important that your oil is not too hot, otherwise your banana fritters will burn. The oil should also not be cold, or your banana fritters will be soggy. Once your oil has reached 375 degrees F, it is ready for frying.
- Once your oil has reached an adequate temperature, scoop 1 tablespoon at a time of the banana mixture and drop it into your hot oil.
- Fry your Jamaican Banana Fritters for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and remove the excess oil with a paper towel.
- Finally, serve them warm with powdered sugar. You may even add maple syrup, honey or agave syrup to add a little extra sweetness.