Cinnamon Fried Bananas

5 from 9 votes

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Fried bananas with sweet cinnamon butter sauce is an irresistibly delicious, sweet fruit dessert, especially with a scoop of ice cream on top. It only takes 10 minutes to make this easy banana dessert recipe!

close up: bowl of warm cinnamon honey fried bananas with scoop of vanilla ice cream


Ripe bananas may be well known for their ability to pack flavor into a loaf of banana bread, but they are also great for making many other things.

Thanks to a food science known as the Maillard reaction, fried bananas have an elevated flavor. Adding a blanket of warm cinnamon butter sauce and a scoop of vanilla or mango ice cream on top transforms them into a crave-able sweet treat!

Fried bananas

Although this is an easy banana dessert, you can also enjoy it for breakfast. Add them over the top of a stack of churro waffles or fluffy griddle cakes.

Actually, the sweet cinnamon butter sauce is tasty even without the bananas! You can make a jar full and keep it on hand to use as a dipping sauce for Banana Pumpkin Bread or soft breadsticks.

photo collage of steps to make an easy banana dessert

Ingredient notes and substitutions

Gather up the following ingredients:

  • Ripe but firm bananas – Look for bananas that aren’t overly ripe. Those that still have a tinge of green color are best, but steer clear of those that are completely green. They do need to be slightly soft, but not mushy, so also avoid the ones with a lot of black spots.
  • Butter – I like to use salted butter because salt is a flavor enhancer. If all you have is unsalted butter, go ahead and use it.
  • Honey – If you don’t have any honey on hand, you can use maple syrup instead. But please, use real maple syrup, not bottled pancake syrup. Your fried bananas will taste MUCH better with the real thing.
  • Ground cinnamon – Any variety of cinnamon will work, but I recommend buying a good quality brand. Be sure to check the expiration date too. The freshness of the cinnamon definitely affects the flavor of the cinnamon butter sauce.
  • Lemon juice – Fresh squeezed juice will give you much better flavor than concentrated juice from a bottle.

Video: Making fried bananas

Pan frying bananas is incredibly easy to do, and so quick that it’s ready to serve in only 10 minutes!

Watch the video in the recipe card at the bottom of this post to see the process from start to finish!

overhead image: fresh fruit dessert made with banana on white platter with vanilla ice cream

Recipe notes

  1. Leftovers– If you have any leftovers, refrigerate them in a covered container and use them up within 3 to 4 days. After that, they’ll become too mushy. Unfortunately, fried bananas don’t freeze well.
  2. Reheating– Under refrigeration, the cinnamon butter sauce will thicken, and may even harden. However, it will thin out as it reheats.

PRO TIP
To prevent the butter sauce from scorching, be sure to reheat it over medium-low heat, and stir occasionally until the bananas and cinnamon butter sauce are warmed through.

close up of fried bananas in sweet cinnamon butter sauce

Fried Bananas FAQ

Can I use plantains for fried bananas?

Fried plantains is a popular banana dessert in the Caribbean. Plantains are a great substitute for bananas!

Are plantains the same as bananas?

Plantains are a different variety of banana than the ones you may be used to eating. The peel is much thicker, and the flesh is a bit starchier. Like yellow bananas, plantains are the sweetest when they are fully ripe.

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This post, originally published on Kevin is Cooking Sept. 4, 2020, was last updated with new content on Dec 7, 2021.

close up: bowl of warm cinnamon honey fried bananas with scoop of vanilla ice cream

Fried Bananas with Cinnamon Honey Sauce

5 from 9 votes
This easy banana dessert is an irresistibly delicious sweet treat, and you can make it in just 10 minutes!
Servings: 2
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Total: 10 minutes

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Cut the bananas into 1/2″ inch thick slices.
  • In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the honey, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt to combine.
  • Add the banana slices, and pan fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden and caramelized all over. Lower heat if they brown too quickly.
  • Serve warm over ice cream or on top of fluffy pancakes or waffles.

Video

Notes

  1. Use firm bananas, but not green. They need to be ripe, yet firm, and not mushy. I do not recommend using thawed, frozen bananas. They get too mushy for this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 198mg | Potassium: 422mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 253IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Caribbean
Have You Made This Recipe? Let Me Know on InstagramTag @keviniscooking or tag me #keviniscooking!
titled image: cinnamon fried bananas

Kevin

Whether in the kitchen or on the grill, you’ll find me cooking American favorites with a love for BBQ, Mexican and Tex Mex. I’m passionate about making tasty food because life’s too short to be bland!

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15 Comments

  1. I was just wondering what the Lime juice adds in terms of the flavour because mine turned out a little sour and I’m not sure if I added too much juice or something was wrong with the bananas. Thanks!

    1. Actually, it’s lemon juice, and it’s for a nice balance of flavors. I haven’t tried it with lime juice, but I would think it might be sharper.