Do you have a kitchen nemesis? Something that no matter how many times you have tried to cook it, it just doesn’t work? I have two: hardboiled eggs and plantains. That last one is particularly embarrassing considering my Caribbean heritage. So many people have given me tips and tricks on how to make these starchy members of the banana family, and they almost always mention that plantains are so easy to make. I am inevitably unsuccessful, leading me to conclude that they are not. Well, today I’m giving it another try with this Sweet Caramel Cinnamon Baked Plantains recipe. It’s been years since I’ve worked up the courage, and now I’m going to blog it for the world to see. I hope this isn’t too embarrassing!
This post was originally published on July 16, 2020. The text, photos, and review were updated on August 1, 2021.
Ripe plantains have so much flavor, but this recipe brings out every bit of sweetness, like plantain candy! These sweet caramel cinnamon baked plantains are paleo, vegan, and contain no refined sugar.
The Ingredients
Besides the plantains, there are only a handful of ingredients in this recipe. I happened to have them all on hand, so that left me to shop for the plantains.
Silly me, I chose to buy green plantains because I wasn’t planning to make this recipe immediately. I figured they would ripen on the counter for a few days, then I could make this recipe. Nope. Fourteen days later, and they are finally ready (I think). Fingers crossed!
The Process
This recipe was pretty easy to make, and the only trouble I had was some stubborn plantain peels. They are significantly thicker than banana peels, and they did not just shuck off. It took a few minutes and the assistance of a paring knife to peel both plantains.
Once I had them peeled and sliced, I melted the coconut oil. It took 20 seconds in the microwave with a quick stir at the halfway point. Then I tossed the plantain slices with the coconut oil in a small mixing bowl and placed them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Mixing the cinnamon sugar was as simple as it sounded (I chose to use 2 tablespoons of palm sugar because it’s not as sweet as refined sugar). Then I sprinkled it over the plantain slices and popped the baking sheet into the preheated oven.
Cooking went smoothly and took 25 minutes. I used a spatula to turn all the plantains after 15 minutes of cooking. One thing I noticed at this point was the tops were well-coated in the cinnamon sugar, but the bottoms were bare. It gave me a little concern, but I decided to trust the recipe.
Here’s how my time broke down:
- 14 minutes to prep
- 25 minutes to cook
- 39 minutes total
Read on to find out how my Caramel Cinnamon Baked Plantains turned out.
Sweet Caramel Cinnamon Baked Plantains Update
This rare Pinterest fail has been on my mind lately, and I decided I had to give it another try. I’m so glad I did! Very ripe plantains are the key to success here. I made sure to pick up yellow and brown plantains at the grocery store. In addition, I kept them on my kitchen counter for a few days to make extra sure they were ripe.
The difference was apparent as soon as I started peeling them. I had to use a knife to make a cut in one end, but I was able to peel the plantains with my hands.
I also noticed a big difference in the texture as soon as I made the first slice. They were much less starchy and the texture was moister.
The rest of the process was the same, but this time the results were spectacular! The plantains were soft with a sticky sweet cinnamon coating. Perfection!
