These easy Pan Fried Bananas are caramelized in honey and cinnamon for a simple and delicious treat. You can enjoy them as is or pair with ice cream, yogurt, crepes, pancakes, french toast, and more. It only takes 10 minutes to make, with 5 ingredients!

Pan Fried Bananas with Honey in Skillet

While I’ve never been a big fan of eating bananas plain from the peel, caramelized bananas…bananas foster…oh, and those deep fried banana egg roll desserts…they all make me weak in the knees. These pan fried honey bananas were a snack I ate all the time as a kid, and I still love them today because they’re really easy, take less than 10 minutes to make, and only involve five ingredients.

You can eat the bananas on their own, you can pair them with french toast like in this bananas foster french toast, you can add them to oatmeal, overnight oats, pancakes, ice cream, a peanut butter sandwich, and more.

In my family, these are a favorite for my kids, and I love that they’re relatively healthy as a dessert. We’ve got our favorite desserts like Peanut Butter Cookies and Brown Butter Blondies, but for us those are treats only to be enjoyed on special occasions. However, you may certainly pair these bananas with vanilla ice cream for a special treat.

Pan Fried Bananas in Bowl with Vanilla Ice Cream and Honey Drizzle

Tips for Best Results

Use *just* ripe bananas – For the best results, you’ll want to use bananas at the perfect time, which is when the peel is no longer green, but it’s also not covered in brown spots. The bananas will have the most neutral flavor when perfectly ripe, and also the best texture.

Use a nonstick pan – Honey is sticky, so you really want to use a nonstick pan here. An uncoated pan will give you a sticky mess, and the bananas won’t flip well.

Use good cinnamon – Ground cinnamon varies hugely in quality and potency, and ideally you want a good quality Ceylon cinnamon for this so the aroma and flavor really sing. My absolute favorite is King Arthur Flour’s Vietnamese cinnamon.

You only need five ingredients to make this: bananas, coconut oil or butter, cinnamon, salt, and honey:

Bananas, coconut oil, cinnamon, salt, and honey on a wooden board

Step by Step Overview:

Start by slicing up some ripe bananas, about 1/2″ thick:

Cutting a Banana Into Slices Before Cooking

You want bananas that are ripe, but still firm. There should be no black spots or bruising on the peel, but no green spots either.

Then add some honey, butter or coconut oil, cinnamon, and salt to a nonstick skillet:

Coconut oil, honey, cinnamon, and salt in a nonstick skillet

My two favorite fats to use are coconut oil or butter, because they definitely have the best flavor. But you can really use any kind of oil you prefer here.

Honey varies tremendously in quality. Try to stay away from the cheap stuff that comes in a plastic bear bottle, and instead select a raw, unfiltered honey to use here. The flavor will be a million times better. Orange blossom, wildflower, Acacia, and Tupelo are some of my favorite types.

Melt everything together until the honey mixture is bubbling.

Melted honey coconut oil mixture in skillet bubbling

Add all of the banana slices to the pan:

Banana slices in skillet with honey mixture

Cook for a few minutes until the bananas become deeply caramelized and sticky, like this:

Flipping over the banana slices as they become caramelized

Flip all the banana slices over and cook for another couple minutes on the other side.

Caramelized fried bananas in skillet with honey and cinnamon

How to Serve

Serve the fried bananas promptly, while the honey is hot and sticky, and even a little bit crispy. These are great on their own, or on top of yogurt or Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream.

These quick Stovetop Candied Pecans are very similar to this recipe, and also take about 10 minutes to make. It’s one of the most popular recipes on my site that you may enjoy as well. For more banana recipes, try Bananas Foster French Toast, Caramelized Banana Dutch Baby, or classic Banana Bread.

Caramelized Pan Fried Honey Bananas in Skillet

Here’s a full step-by-step video for how to make this recipe:

Recipe Tips and FAQ

How do you store leftover Pan Fried Honey Bananas?

Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Can you freeze Pan Fried Honey Bananas?

Yes, in an airtight container for up to 3 months. However, when using them again, I recommend using for things like smoothies, as the texture will be inferior compared to when it was cooked fresh.

How do you reheat Pan Fried Bananas?

Microwave at 70% power in 30-second intervals, until warmed through.

Did you enjoy the recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.

Pan Fried Honey Banana Slices in Skillet

Pan Fried Honey Bananas

Servings: 2
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 10 mins
These Pan Fried Bananas are caramelized in honey and cinnamon for a simple and delicious treat!
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Ingredients

For the Bananas

  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 1 tbsp oil or butter*
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp salt

Ideas for What to Serve the Bananas With (optional)

Instructions 

  • Remove the peels from the bananas and slice them 1/2″ inch thick.
  • Set a nonstick skillet over medium to medium high heat** and add the oil or butter, honey, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine.
  • Add the banana slices, and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden and caramelized. Be sure to watch the heat and turn it down if it browns too quickly. You want enough heat to caramelize and brown the slices, but you don’t want them to burn.
  • Once the bananas are cooked you can enjoy them as is, or with marshmallow creme and peanut butter in a sandwich, with Bananas Foster French Toast, in oatmeal or yogurt, over ice cream, and more. Enjoy!

Notes

 *My favorite cooking fats for this recipe are coconut oil or butter, but you may use any neutral oil you prefer.
**If you have an electric stove, they tend to be less powerful than gas, so go with medium high heat. If you have a more powerful and responsive gas stove, you can try medium heat. When cooking, check to make sure that the bananas are caramelizing but not burning, and adjust the heat as needed.
Storing leftovers: Keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freezing: Keep in an airtight container for up to 3 months. However, when using them again, I recommend using for things like smoothies, as the texture will be inferior compared to when it was cooked fresh.
Reheating: Microwave at 70% power in 30-second intervals, until warmed through.

Nutrition

Calories: 170kcal, Carbohydrates: 44g, Protein: 1g, Sodium: 147mg, Potassium: 422mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 31g, Vitamin A: 75IU, Vitamin C: 10.2mg, Calcium: 12mg, Iron: 0.3mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Joanne Ozug