I absolutely love plantains. I grew up eating them in Jamaica, and I still love to eat them now. There are so many ways to use this fruit, savory and sweet, and I have collected some of my favorite plantain recipes below.

Plantain nutrition:

Do you know the difference between plantain and a banana? Plantains are a subgroup of bananas that are starchier than potatoes and less sweet, unlike the common banana. Let us dive deeper and explore more about plantain banana nutrition and its uses. Read this article to learn more about plantain banana nutrition and how it can benefit your body!

How to peel plantain?

You’ll love cooking with plantains once you’ve mastered peeling them. They’re delicious fried, baked, or stewed. While they look extremely similar to bananas, they are slightly more difficult to peel. Learn how to peel plantain in 3 easy steps!

Plantain recipes:

Plantains can be used when they are green or ripe, depending on the desired results, e.g. a dessert or a savory side dish. I have quite a few options that fit both of these uses.

Baked Plantains

Baked plantains are the quintessential Caribbean side dish. The deliciously sweet and rich melt-in-your-mouth pieces are perfect for cutting the spice from curry or jerk recipes. If you have only had fried plantains, you really need to try it baked.

These juicy baked plantains are a delight, they are sweet, melt in your mouth, and are healthy. Baked in the oven compared to traditional frying, this is comfort food at its best, served as a side, dessert, or snack.

Air Fryer Plantains

Prepare Air Fryer Plantains and cut back on the calories that are in traditional fried plantain. Sweet, plump and delicious plantains slices are the perfect low-calorie side dish or snack.

I have been eating plantains all my life, we actually grew them next to bananas in Jamaica. We enjoyed both green plantains and yellow ripened sweet plantains.

Green plantains are a great gluten-free alternative. It can be boiled and served as a potato. However, for air fryer plantains, ripe plantains are used instead of the green plantains.

Plantain Fritters

These flavorful plantain fritters are crispy on the outside and moist inside! Grated green plantain, green onion, garlic, bell pepper, and thyme make these fritters the perfect holiday appetizer!

I know with the Christmas holiday coming up, you might be looking for a delicious vegan, gluten-free appetizer that the entire family will enjoy.

This plantain fritter recipe is your answer, the plantain fritters are colorful and incredibly tasty. Serve them alone or with your favorite dipping sauce, or with Jamaican Jerk Sauce, Vegan Sour Cream, or Vegan BBQ Sauce.

Traditionally,  plantain fritters are made using ripe plantains with flour, sugar, spices, and vanilla flavoring but today, I’m sharing a savory version. If you want the sweet version just replace the bananas in my Banana Fritters recipe with ripe plantain. 

Cajun Plantain Fries

These Cajun-style Baked Plantain Fries are spicy, crunchy, and tasty! They’re super easy to prepare and incredibly nutritious to eat. Perfect for serving alongside your favorite main course. Bon appétit!

It’s probably fair to say that this Plantain Fries recipe validates the proverb “variety is the spice of life.” It’s time to take a break from your regular potato fries and try something new that’s just as delicious and tempting.

These crispy oven-baked Cajun plantain fries are a fantastic healthier substitute for potato fries. Plantain fries taste similar to potato fries but have a starchier texture. These crispy delights, seasoned with cayenne pepper and coconut oil, are a fantastic snack or side dish!

Air Fryer Jerk Plantain Chips

Air Fryer Jerk Plantain Chips are so easy to prepare, a healthy snack that is very nutritious with an amazing jerk spice flavor. 

I recently purchased some green plantains to make plantain chips after eating and falling in love with Jerk-Style Plantain Chips. Trader Joe’s jerk plantain chips had the perfect blend of sweet and spicy with the perfect jerk seasoning blend. 

Mangu (Dominican Mashed Plantains)

Tasty Mangu recipe Dominican mashed plantains are so easy to prepare, boiled green plantains, mashed and seasoned with sauteed onions, and lime juice. This classic Dominican mashed plantain dish is a great side dish 

Mangu Recipe Dominican Mashed Plantains is one of my favorite recipes to prepare, it is easy to make and made with simple ingredients. ‘m quite familiar with cooking green plantains, growing up in Jamaica, my mom prepared many recipes with green plantains. She made boiled green plantains, added green plantains to soups and stews.

She also made a Jamaican version of tostones, plantain porridge, plantain dumplings, and the list goes on. We grew plantains some of the bunches that were harvested were eaten green and others were left to ripen. 

Mashed Ripe Plantain

Want to try this simple and delicious mashed ripe plantain recipe at home? Here, you will know all the tips and procedures to make it. Plantains are my favorite ingredients for many years as it is simple, versatile and you can make bulk meals all over the week.

It is gluten-free, whole 30, paleo, with vegetarian and vegan options. Plantains are delicious and nutritious that will be loved by almost everyone at your home. It is a very good choice for breakfast, lunch, or snacks as a side dish. 

These mashed plantains are delightful, savory, juicy that will melt in your mouth quickly, and it’s healthy. Learn how you can easily make mashed plantain with some simple steps. 

Baked Stuffed Plantain with Black Beans

This is a healthy, delicious way to enjoy plantains without a boatload of calories. If you have never tried whole fried plantains before you will never know the difference. The savory, spicy bean filling complements the sweet plantains. I would describe this as an incredible deliciousness that is hard to pass up. My friends, this is a keeper!!!

I know you have heard me say this already but I am still going to say it again. Plantains have always been a comfort food to me – my all-time favorite starchy side order – boiled, mashed, grilled, bake and fried – give it to me. I can eat plantains everyday and you would never hear a single complaint from me.

Stewed Plantain Dumplings

These Stewed Plantain Dumplings consists of a decadent coconut milk based stew and dumplings made from green plantain and gluten-free flour. Enjoy as a warm comforting dish for any meal you choose.

As you can see, it is still stew season at Healthier Steps. These Stewed Plantain Dumplings are a simple, warm dish that just hits the spot in the best way. I am loving and turning any and everything I can into a stew, and adopting traditional recipes from Jamaican cuisine. 

Most Caribbean countries share a similar culture, even if there is a language barrier, and this recipe is no exception. In Puerto Rican cuisine, there is a similar dish called “Sopa de Platano” or “Sopa de Pollo con Bolitas de Platanos”. 

Vegan Pastelon (Plantain Lasagna)

This flavorful Vegan Pastelon (Plantain Lasagna) is a must-have casserole, made with layers of sweet plantain slices, a tomato-based lentil stew, and vegan cheese, all together making an incredibly tasty combination of sweet and savory.

I have been meaning to make a vegan pastelon recipe for a long time. I decided to prepare the filling using lentils. It  was tempting to use a storebought gluten-free vegan crumble, but decided to make the filling from scratch. 

Lentils are always a great vegan protein substitute, because they have an earthy flavor when cooked with herbs and spices, resulting in a delicious meaty taste. This recipe is very simple, economical, and easy to prepare. Vegan pastelon is also gluten-free. 

Pineapple Guacamole Baked Plantains

For your next event serve these delicious Pineapple Guacamole Baked Plantains with a sprinkle of pomegranate arils and fresh mint leaves. They are gluten-free, vegan, paleo and are ready in only 20 minutes!

We got these plantains and I decided to use them as a base in this recipe. I baked them in the oven, while I prepared the guacamole. The pineapple guacamole was so delicious and such a perfect compliment. You can substitute my Homemade Guacamole recipe for a more savory recipe.

Plantain Porridge

If you want a warm, comforting, and healthy breakfast, look no further than this gluten-free vegan Plantain Porridge. Try with toast and fruit for a full breakfast!

Porridges are very traditional breakfasts in Jamaica, and allow for more variety than just the common oatmeal everyone in the US eats. 

This is a commonly found Nigerian plantain porridge recipe that has found its way to Jamaica. Traditionally it is eaten alone, but you can add toppings if you like, especially if you’d like to get some additional protein. Try with chia seeds, hemp hearts, chopped nuts, dried, fresh, or stewed fruit, cacao nibs, or coconut flakes.

Vegan Plantain Bread

Amazing vegan plantain bread is so flavorful and easy to prepare. Fully ripe plantains give a naturally sweet taste to this plantain bread recipe. 

If you have never tried plantain bread then this recipe is for you, it is moist and delicious, the perfect dessert or snack.

This vegan plantain bread recipe is so easy to prepare, I basically substituted plantains for bananas in my favorite banana bread recipe. 

The bananas are processed in a food processor, then added to gluten-free flour, sugar, baking powder with spices. Almond milk, coconut oil, vanilla is added and mixed to form a batter. The plantain bread is baked to a perfect tender crumb.

More of My Best Vegan Recipes:

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