With a caramelized exterior coated in a cinnamon brown sugar mixture, this Fried Bananas recipe is my favorite guilt-free snack or dessert. I can easily whip these up in just minutes and eat them as is or over crepes, pancakes, French toast, ice cream, or sometimes I’ll throw them on top of cottage cheese for a healthier treat.

Easy Pan Fried Banana Recipe

Bananas in their natural state are easily my least favorite fruit. But, I sure do love them in desserts—banana pudding, a classic banana split, banana cream lush, and banana turon immediately come to mind. And most definitely fried bananas.

Unlike banana bread, where brown-spotted bananas are ideal, pan-fried bananas are best with slightly under-ripe fruit; too ripe and they turn to mush when you fry them. With only a handful of other ingredients and a couple of minutes, I can easily be enjoying these bananas in no time at all.

Helpful Tips and Variations

• Thickness matters. You want the banana slices about ¾” thick. Too thick and they won’t soften in the pan, too thin and they’ll get mushy.
• Top with toasted nuts. This provides a nice crunch. Or, for a nut-free treat, use toasted seeds.
• Make them boozy. Add in some rum, so it’s closer to Bananas Foster. Yum!

How to Fry Bananas

Melt butter: In a small nonstick pan, melt ½ tbsp butter over medium-high heat.

Pan fry the bananas: Place banana slices in the melted butter in a single layer; cook for 1-2 minutes per side, until a golden crust forms, keeping an eye on them and adjusting the heat if they brown too quickly.

Make the glaze: Whisk together 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp water, 1 tsp brown sugar, and ¼ tsp cinnamon.

Remove pan from heat: Off the heat, pour the honey mixture over the banana slices. Allow the honey mixture and bananas to cool slightly off the heat so the flavors have time to meld together a bit.

Enjoy: Eat on its own or serve over yogurt, cottage cheese, or ice cream!

How to Store

Fried bananas are best enjoyed fresh, but if you do have leftovers, they can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

The easiest way to reheat honey bananas is in the microwave on medium power until warmed through.

These can be kept frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. However, their texture is not ideal, so it’s recommended that you put them to use in things like smoothies or banana bread.

What to Serve with Fried Bananas

I like to enjoy these caramelized bananas on their own, over ice cream for a dessert, or with cottage cheese or ricotta cheese for a healthy, high-protein treat. I think they’re also amazing on top of crepes or pancakes.

More Banana Recipes

• Banana Oatmeal Cookies
• Walking Banana Pudding
• Frozen Banana Split Bites
• Ultimate Banana Bread
• Coffee Banana Smoothie