Banana "churros" made out of bananas rolled in cinnamon and sugar then caramelized into a perfectly sweet, low calorie, Mexican themed dessert! Only 157 calories per banana!
[This recipe was originally posted May 6, 2016 but was updated on April 25, 2020 with better images!]
When I first shared these banana churros they were the end cap to my Cinco Dias de low-calorie Mexican recipe sharing, so naturally, I had to end it with a dessert! Now the recipe has been revamped with updated photos but still features the same amazing recipe!
For my "Cinco Dias" we enjoyed cheesy guacamole, restaurant style salsa, vegetarian 7-layer tostadas, southwestern stuffed mini peppers, and fajita chicken. And since we didn't break the caloric bank with those dishes, we don't want to ruin it with a high-calorie dessert!
These banana "churros" were perfect because you get all the flavoring of a churro without all the calories. What more could you want out of a Mexican themed dessert? 🙂
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BANANA "CHURROS"
157 calories per banana
I love making fruit based desserts because they're so naturally sweet already that they don't need much help to be converted into a dessert. I also love finding new recipes for ripe bananas because I don't particularly like them at that stage, but I also hate wasting food. I love my skinny blueberry banana muffins and my banana bread bars, but I still like to change it up!
This dish is very similar to my roasted plums and peaches, and even simpler to make. All you have to do is heat a skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. (I used a cast iron skillet because I knew this dish would get sticky!)
Before we dig into our recipe, let's talk about how to choose and store bananas!
How do I choose bananas?
- Choose bananas that are vibrant yellow in color with a little green on the ends.
- Choose bananas that are firm, with stems and peels that are intact.
- Choose based on the level of ripeness you desire. Green bananas will require a few days to ripen. Yellow bananas are ready to eat or should be eaten within the next day or two.
- Avoid bananas with any brown spots or bruises. A little brown speckling is okay, and is an indicator of ripeness and sweetness.
How do I store bananas until I'm ready for them?
- Store bananas at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, and ideally hanging on a banana tree to prevent bruising. If you don’t have a banana tree, store in a bowl on your countertop.
- Do not detach the bananas from the bunch before storing. This will hasten the ripening process.
- Wrap the stems with plastic wrap. This will slow down the release of ethylene gas which will slow down the ripening process.
- Store next to unripened fruit. The bananas will help ripen the fruit and the unripened fruit will slow down the ripening process of the bananas.
Tip: You can find more tips on seasonal produce selection and storage, plus tons of recipes from fellow food bloggers in my Monthly Seasonal Produce Guides!
Great! Now how do I make these banana "Churros"?
Start by combining 2 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon together in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.
Slice bananas into rounds (I recommend using this banana slicer
Next, place the banana slices into your sprayed pan.
Allow banana slices to cook for 2 minutes then sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Cook for an additional minute then flip.
Sprinkle on the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture and allow the bananas to cook for another 2 minutes, until soft.
Serve immediately and enjoy! 🙂
If you're looking for more fruit desserts, check out my Roasted Plums and Peaches and these Tropical Fruit Salad in Kiwi Cups!
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Banana "Churros"
- Prep Time: 1 min
- Cook Time: 6 mins
- Total Time: 7 mins
- Yield: 2 bananas 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Pan-fried
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Low Calorie
Description
Bananas rolled in cinnamon and sugar then caramelized into a perfectly sweet, low calorie, Mexican themed dessert! Only 157 calories per banana!
Ingredients
- 2 bananas
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Combine 2 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon together in a small bowl, mix well and set aside.
- Heat a skillet (I recommend cast iron) over medium heat and spray with cooking spray.
- Slice 2 bananas into rounds and place into skillet.
- Allow to cook for 2 minutes then sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar mixture and allow to cook for an additional minute.
- Flip the banana slices and sprinkle on the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Allow the bananas to cook an additional 2 minutes, until soft.
- Enjoy!!
Notes
See post notes for tips on choosing and storing bananas!
**Recipe adapted from Dizzy Busy and Hungry (how cute is that name?!)
What do you think? Did this recipe make the cut for you or did it crumble? What would you do differently? Leave a comment below! 🙂
PS: Since I want my blog to be about learning and improving, I wanted to include one of my original images, next to an updated image. Thank you to the Pinch of Yum Food Photography Ebook for these lessons!
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