Gluten-free, Egg-free, Vegan option
Savory and Sweet Options

One of my plantain trees fell over because the bunch of plantains was so heavy! They have been sitting in my banana cage ever since, until now! They are finally ripe and I’m putting them to good use.

Plantains are like bananas, but better! They are more square at the tip than a regular banana and much less sweet. They are best for this recipe when they are ripe, which means very yellow with brown or black patches.

I was playing around with plantain cake recipes, but none of them were turning out as they should so I created my own recipe that really works. They are delicious piping hot and are also great the next day as a snack. You can top them with fresh berries or coconut cream (sweet version), or serve as a side dish or as a bread alternative at dinner (savory version).

Makes 6 medium sized cakes (I’d serve 2 per person).

Ingredients

  • 4-5 ripe plantains, peeled and smashed with a fork, leaving a few small chunks is ideal. I used 2 large variety and 3 smaller variety, because this is what I had.
  • ¼ cup tapioca flour
  • ¼ cup coconut flour
  • 2 heaping Tablespoons ground chia seeds (you could substitute flax meal for this as well)
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 3-4 Tablespoons coconut oil for cooking. See instruction #9 below. You may need more oil if you’re using
    a larger pan.

Option:

  • If you aren’t vegan, consider adding 3 Tablespoons unflavored collagen. I did this and love that I’m getting added
    collagen in each bite!

Variations:

Sweet:

  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon powdered vanilla or liquid vanilla
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg.

Serve with fresh berries, your favorite nut butter smeared on top, coconut cream, or enjoy just as they
are.

Savory:

  • 1 small clove pressed garlic
  • a dash of onion powder
  • dash of pepper
  • herbs of your choice (I suggest rosemary, herbs de Provence or thyme).

Instructions

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, peel and smash the plantains with a fork. There will be some small chunks and this is fine, but get them well smashed.

2. Add wet ingredients into plantain mash: vanilla liquid if you’re using it.

3. In a separate mixing bowl combine dry ingredients.

4. Add dry ingredients to the plantains and mix well until it’s all incorporated.

5. Chose a good pan that doesn’t stick. I like enameled aluminum or cast iron for this. Add 1 heaping Tablespoon of coconut oil and heat up the pan on a low burner. The oil should cover the pan and then some.

6. Add about 2-3 Tablespoons worth of batter, depending on the size you desire, to the warm pan and oil and watch them sizzle.

7. Using a firm rubbery spatula, scoop under each cake to make sure they aren’t sticking and that the oil gets under them even more. If they are sticking, I use the spatula to unstick them.

8. Flip when the bottoms are golden brown. Add more oil if necessary. Remove when both sides are golden brown.

9. The best pan I have with me at the moment can only cook two at a time. You may need more oil if you’re using a larger pan.

10. Allow to cool and enjoy

Buen Provecho!