Peanut Butter Banana Fritters with Coffee Caramel Sauce
Let me teach you how to make banana fritters! These golden brown fritters combine sweet ripe bananas in a soft dough made with peanut butter and cinnamon. Serve warm from the hot oil with coffee caramel sauce for dipping.
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Servings: 12 fritters
Ingredients
For the coffee caramel sauce:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons instant espresso powder
For the Banana Fritters:
- 2 ripe bananas (about 14 ounces)
- 1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1-2 quarts vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, for dusting (or dust with cinnamon sugar)
Instructions
For the coffee caramel sauce:
- Make the sauce up to a week in advance. It needs to cool and thicken before serving, so make the sauce first, then begin the fritters.
- Combine 1 cup cream and 3 tablespoons instant espresso powder in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, whisking until the espresso powder dissolves completely into the cream. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Heat the 1 cup sugar in a separate large saucepan over medium heat. Let it cook undisturbed until you start to see the sugar melt and darken on the edges then start whisking until it goes from crystalized sugar to smooth and light amber in color, about 6 minutes.
- Add the 6 tablespoons butter, whisking until combined. If you are worried about splatters, wear kitchen gloves. Keep whisking until the butter is completely mixed in and not separated on the sides, about 2 minutes.
- Carefully pour in the espresso cream and whisk until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes more. Be careful the cream will foam up and splatter.
- Remove to a heat proof bowl and let cool while you make the banana fritters. The caramel sauce will be thin but will thicken as it cools.
For the banana fritters:
- Mash the 2 bananas and 1/4 cup peanut butter in a medium bowl with a potato masher until well combined.
- Add the 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Stir with a silicone spatula until evenly mixed.
- Sprinkle the flour over the top and gently mix in with the spatula. Batter will be thick.
- Pour about 2 inches of oil into a deep pot and heat over medium heat until it reaches between 340°F-350°F on a candy/deep fry thermometer, or until a piece of bread dropped in the oil browns in 30 seconds.
- Using a cookie scoop, if you have one, scoop the batter and carefully drop 4-5 fritters at a time into the hot oil. Fry for 3-4 minutes, turning halfway through.
- Remove fritters to a paper towel-lined tray and repeat with the remaining batter.
- Serve fritters warm, dusted with powdered sugar and drizzled with coffee sauce. They are best enjoyed right away.
Notes
- Bananas: Use overripe or very ripe bananas for the most intense banana flavor. Don't use bananas that have been previously frozen however, they will be too wet.
- Make ahead instructions: The caramel sauce can be made up to a week in advance. If it gets too hard in the refrigerator, warm in the microwave or in a hot water bath on the stove. The fritters are best the day they are made.
- Leftover Oil: Do not pour used oil down the sink drain. Allow to cool, then pour into an empty container and discard in the trash.
- Instant espresso powder: Look for this in the coffee aisle at your local grocery store (it is also sometimes located with the baking supplies).I like the brand Medaglia D'Oro.