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A friend gave me organic bananas (saba) straight from her farm in Batangas. I found your recipe and tried it. Truly easy and yummy! Thank you :D.
This was one of my craziest and most fun days in the Philippines. And it is without a double THE MOST delicious snack.
We made these golden fried brown sugar sticky bananas called Banana Cue when my friend Angie was visiting Bjork and me in Cebu. I took advantage of having another adult around during the school day and did something that I’ve said I would never do again: cook with my elementary aged students. Think of the hottest you’ve ever felt in your life and multiply it by 348,792. That’s how it feels to stand over a hot pan of frying oil while trying to control a group of kids in a small kitchen in the mountains of the Philippines. bahhhhh. I feel stressed out just thinking about it. It’s a small miracle that my type-A self is able to be a teacher.
But seriously, this day was just plain fun. My kids were sososososo so excited to cook together with Auntie Pureza, one of the house moms. Like, the cutest kind of excited where they ask about it every day and suggest that we try cooking lechon baboy (um, a whole roasted pig?) next time. It was such a big deal to them that when Auntie Pureza asked for volunteers to do things like throw the banana peels in the garbage, every hand in the room would be bouncing up in the air. I reallysupermiss those happy, fun-loving kiddos.
In addition to all the happy shelter banana cue memories, there was a little banana que stand at the bottom of the dirt road leading up to the shelter. So every day when Bjork would pick me up from school on the motorcycle, we’d go driving by the stand where the woman was frying and selling her banana que on a stick. I love banana que. And now I need to stop talking before I book myself a plane ticket back to the Philippines.
Banana Cue
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 15 1x
Description
This is a recipe for banana cue from the Filipino orphanage where I worked for a year. Super easy, super yummy, super fun dessert!
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch saba bananas (15-20)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium low heat. Add the brown sugar and wait until the sugar starts to caramelize.
- Place the bananas in the oil and fry them with the brown sugar so until they are covered with the sticky brown sugar and a deep golden color.
- Drain on paper towels and serve on individual skewers.
Notes
I think this would also work with regular American grocery store bananas, although they might be a little more mushy. But who minds a little mush when we’re talking about caramelized bananas!? The saba bananas used in the original recipe are really sturdy and hold up well during the frying. Readers have also suggested plantains as an alternative.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Filipino
Nutrition Facts
- Daily value: 5% Total Fat 3.9g
- Daily value: 0% Cholesterol 0mg
- Daily value: 0% Sodium 3.5mg
- Daily value: 10% Total Carbohydrate 28g
- Daily value: 8% Dietary Fiber 2.1g
- Sugars 19.3g
- Daily value: 2% Protein 0.9g
- Daily value: 0% Vitamin A 2.4µg
- Daily value: 8% Vitamin C 7mg
Keywords: banana cue, banana dessert, filipino dessert
Alright, I have something awesome to tell you. This little sweetie-sweet-sweetheart?
After 3+ years of waiting, she and her seven siblings have just been matched for adoption. All of them, together.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <– nothing else to say. ♥
Please, how long will the banana keep after frying in the sugar and how will they need to be stored. Hoping to cook in advance.
I’m thinking they’ll keep for a couple days in the refrigerator!
Quiero trabajar con ustedes
I love it
The recipe.❤
How do get the sugar to stick. When I make mine it doesn’t stick.
As you caramelize the sugar, it should stick to the banana a bit. 😉
interesting HEHEHEHEH
I have been following you on instagram and i never knew you stayed in the Philippines for a year! So amazing! I love Bananacue! Also Kamote (sweet potato) 🙂
I just bought Thai Plantains (very similar to the Philippine kind) and will make this today!
Thank you for the recipe. I am big fan of banana cue but does not know how to make it. Now, I am forced to make it as there is no one selling it in my new home in Cebu plus I have to walk a kilometer or more to buy it. Thank you!
The order of the cooking is incorrect. If you heat the sugar to melt before cooking the bananas – the sugar is easily burned. The bananas need to be cooked then sugar needs to be added.
A friend gave me organic bananas (saba) straight from her farm in Batangas. I found your recipe and tried it. Truly easy and yummy! Thank you :D.
Very helpful advice within this post!
Hi Lindsay, I hope you don’t mind I shared your banana cue recipe in my blog! I credited you don’t worry, but if you want it down, just tell me! I actually posted about street foods in the Philippines. I’m a filipino, btw. here it is: https://somerberry.wordpress.com/2016/07/05/the-street-style/
It’s amazing how a simple banana que snack can make all those kids smile, yes banana que is so simple yet so delicious.
I hope it is not too late, suggest to drain on oven steel rack instead on paper towels, those melted sugar are realy sticky.
Great tip! Thanks! 🙂
I’m a Filipina, I love bananacue, and I’m a follower of Jesus. Thank you for all that you do to help out. 🙂 You’re a hero.
What a sweet comment – thanks Karess!! XO
Try the plantain banana. I was born in Philippines but I grew up here in CA – never knew how to make that que – now i gotta try it! Thanks!
Omg! These are my favorite! I was born in the Philippines, I grew up there. My mom is from Cebu! I’m also a teacher, but by choice no longer teach in a classroom. Love your blog!
Thanks Catherine! 🙂
I made this today using plantain and it came out wonderfully. I think their firmness works as a great substitute for Saba bananas. Was afraid the thick plantain might need too long to fry, so I cut one plantain into thirds and quartered each third. I think each piece came close to the size of one Saba banana. Thanks for posting this great recipe Lindsay 🙂
You know that you can use sweet potato instead banana ? It’s called kamote ( sweet potato ) que 😀
The last photo made me smile .
Yes! I have a post like that coming up 🙂
Hello everybody,
I have a slight variation to this banana recipe. I cut a banana in half, roll it around in a plate of raw sugar and heat up butter in a pan on mild heat. Yummy caramelised dream 🙂
Great idea! Thanks Arcelle!
PS. the kids —-AWWWWWWW melt my heart!
I LOVE this! How have I never thought of it!!?? 🙂
Awwww, such cute kids! And this banana cue – amazing. So simple. So sweet. So perfect for me 🙂
I love banana-Q! Did you get to try turon (bananas and brown sugar wrapped in egg roll wrappers). So good!
That is so amazingly wonderful for those kids! I hope everything turns out great for them!
I LOVE that someone adopted all 8 deserving children instead of splitting them up!! Not an easy job but someone can clearly see past the math (8 x everything!) to find 8 miracles instead. What a difficult but perfectly wonderful blessing it will be!!
So simple yet so delicious. I am nervous when using hot oil all by myself.