Sticky Sweet Fried Plantains

Plantains are notorious for bringing a taste of the islands to any meal. These Sticky Sweet Fried Plantains are great as a side dish or dessert!

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My fiancé first introduced me to the amazingness that is fried sweet plantains. Since I had never had them growing up, I just never even gave much thought to trying them. Then, one day he came home with Jamaican take out food, and after my first bite, I was hooked.

I always thought plantains would taste like bananas, but they really are quite unique. When they are green and not ripe at all, they don’t have nearly as much flavor and are very starchy. As they ripen, they turn from green to yellow to dark yellow with blacks spots to black and they get sweeter and sweeter.

You can cook plantains, in different ways, at any stage of ripeness. For this recipe, you need to use plantains that are just ripened to very ripe. Overly ripened, black plantains won’t work as well because they will be too soft and mushy. The plantains I used for this recipe were at the earliest stage of ripening. The skin was a darker yellow and they were were just starting to turn black at the ends with black some spots on the middle. They were still somewhat firm, but soft under pressure.

We attempted to make them at home a few times, but our technique needed some work. After quite a few testing sessions, I finally have this recipe perfected!

STICKY SWEET FRIED PLANTAINS

Prep!

Slice your plantains into coins or at an angle into 1/2″ thick pieces.

Whisk together the maple syrup and vanilla extract. Don’t cheat yourself here. I always recommend using real maple syrup and vanilla extract for the best results!

Create!

Add the plantains and brown sugar to a large bowl and gently toss to thoroughly coat them.

Melt the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the plantains into the hot oil and drizzle on the maple syrup and vanilla mixture. Cook until golden brown and crispy on the bottom, about 3-5 minutes, watching closely to prevent burning.

Once browned, flip and cook an additional 2-4 minutes. The bottom side will usually cook faster as the sugar heats up and starts caramelizing, so be sure to watch them closely!

Present!

Remove from the heat and pile onto a serving plate or into a bowl. Do not place them on a paper towel, as this recipe results in sticky plantains and they will surely stick to the paper.

Enjoy!

Cook’s Tips and Tricks

• Be sure to use plantains that are just ripe to very ripe. Avoid using overly ripe, black plantains for this recipe.
• Tossing the plantains in the brown sugar, rather than sprinkling it on, will give you more evenly caramelization.
• Use real maple syrup and vanilla extract for the best results.
• Whisking together the maple syrup and vanilla extract helps ensure an even distribution of flavor.
• Keep the heat set to medium. The sugar will heat up as it caramelized, so if you need to work in batches, be prepared for the second batch to brown up much quicker!
• Do not place the cooked plantains on a paper towel-lined plate – they will surely stick!

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5 from 6 votes

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Sticky Sweet Fried Plantains

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

20 mins

 

Plantains are notorious for bringing a taste of the islands to any meal. These Sticky Sweet Fried Plantains are great as a side dish or dessert!

Course: Dessert, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Vegetarian

Keyword: fried plantains, sweet fried plantains, sweet plantains

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 262 kcal

Author: Lauren

Ingredients

• 3 ripe plantains
• 1/4 Cup packed brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil

Instructions

1. PREP: cut the plantains into 1/2" coins or slices. Whisk together the maple syrup and vanilla extract.

2. Add the plantains and brown sugar to a large bowl and gently toss to coat.

3. In a large skillet, melt the coconut oil over medium heat.  Once hot, add the plantains and evenly pour on the maple syrup mixture. Cook until browned and crisp on the bottoms, about 3-5 minutes. Be sure to watch them closely to prevent burning!

4. Once browned, flip the plantains and cook an additional 2-4 minutes, again watching closely to prevent burning. 

5. Remove and place on a plate. Do not use paper-towels, as the plantains will stick to the paper.

Recipe Notes

Nutritional information is given as an estimate and will vary

TIPS:

• Be sure to use plantains that are just ripe to very ripe. Avoid using overly ripe, black plantains for this recipe.
• Tossing the plantains in the brown sugar, rather than sprinkling it on, will give you more evenly caramelization.
• Use real maple syrup and vanilla extract for the best results.
• Whisking together the maple syrup and vanilla extract helps ensure an even distribution of flavor.
• Keep the heat set to medium. The sugar will heat up as it caramelized, so if you need to work in batches, be prepared for the second batch to brown up much quicker!
• Do not place the cooked plantains on a paper towel-lined plate - they will surely stick!