Jamaican Banana Fritters

Banana fritters, one of the underrated and lesser known cousins in the family tree of pancakes. Contrary to the name, Jamaican banana fritters are more of a pancake than a donut but they have some similarities in both fields. Perfect for the times when you have a banana or two that are starting to go a little bit to brown, or when you want something besides the oh so common banana bread and smoothies. These banana fritters are super easy to put together and don’t take too many ingredients, or complicated steps to make 

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Recipe 

Ingredients 

Bananas 2 (297g) 

Seltzer water 2.5oz(60g)

Maple syrup 4tsp (16g)

Salt ⅛ tsp (1g)

Flour ¾ C (125g)

Neutral oil for frying 

Procedure 

Batter 

• In a large bowl mash the peeled bananas until they they are broken down to a pudding like consistency( some small chunks are ok )
• Add the seltzer water and maple syrup and gently mix until fully incorporated 
• Add the salt and flour and gently fold in until fully incorporated. 

Frying 

• Coat a wide pan with a quarter inch  of neutral oil and bring to a medium low heat. 
• Ladle in the batter and spread around until it’s roughly a quarter to half inch high. 
• Fry on each side for roughly 3 minutes 
• After cooking place on a plate lined paper towel to drain any excess oil 
• enjoy

Notes 

• If the oil is too hot the sugars in the batter will burn before the middle is cooked so low and slow is best. 

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Growing up in a Jamaican household banana fritters were a consistent staple. Many weekends were filled with the smell of my grandma frying these up for breakfast which always brought some excitement. I eventually got so spoiled with my mom and grandma making these all the time that I realized I never made them myself, and that’s where this recipes started to take shape. It’s definitely different from the ones my grandma and mom made ( they definitely didn’t use grams nor a recipe ), but this one is uniquely mine and here as a template so you can come to enjoy these and think outside the pancake. 

These banana fritters are awesome to eat on their own or get topped with whatever you want to top them with. They’re basically pancakes in a sense so they can be treated as such, just remember that they taste like bananas. They’re great plain or with a bit of maple syrup or honey. If you’re feeling fancy you can throw some berries, apples, stone fruit, or whatever you can find at the market on top. You mustn’t confine yourself just to fruit either, roasted carrots pair well with these as well. I may be pushing the envelope but dare I say roasted winter squash like butternut or pumpkin could go well with these. Usually I top these with a bit of granola, yogurt, honey, and whatever fruit I have on hand for a healthful breakfast. Bottom line is do whatever your taste buds lead you to do whether that’s savory, sweet, or something completely different.

Making a large batch of these and leaving them in the fridge makes them even more convenient. They are great for when you’re in a rush or want a quick and easy breakfast. Reheating them in a pan works great and they still get a little crisp on the edges. I’ve definitely thrown them in the microwave for a minute while rushing out the door. I don’t want to call them superior to pancakes but they are definitely easier to make and have great reheat-ability. 

Next time you have some bananas lying around going brown, definitely give these a try. No shade to banana bread or good ol flap jacks but banana fritters are definitely a valuable dish to add to your repertoire.