Pan Fried Honey Bananas
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!
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.
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:
Step by Step Overview:
Start by slicing up some ripe bananas, about 1/2″ thick:
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:
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.
Recommended Types of Honey
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.
Add all of the banana slices to the pan:
Cook for a few minutes until the bananas become deeply caramelized and sticky, like this:
Flip all the banana slices over and cook for another couple minutes on the other side.
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.
Here’s a full step-by-step video for how to make this recipe:
Recipe Tips and FAQ
Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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.
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. Or, follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest!
Pan Fried Honey Bananas
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)
- On Whole Wheat Pancakes
- With Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
- As a topping for Fruit Pizza
- In a sandwich with peanut butter and marshmallow creme
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
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
100 Comments on “Pan Fried Honey Bananas”
I would love to take these to work to eat as a snack. Will they still be good after a couple of hours later?
Hi Julia, are you planning to refrigerate them and reheat in a microwave or something?
Joanne, I would like to know the answer to that. Can make in morning and can I reheat at work in microwave?
Yes that would work!
Won’t let me pin this recipe, had something similar in Jamaica… delish
These were amazing! My daughter loves them! Thanks so much!
So happy to hear, Laura!
Could we call this breakfast? I mean, it’s fruit right? Looks amazing!
I used coconut oil and really enjoyed the flavor. A little bit tropical!
tried them the first time today…excellent..
So glad you enjoyed!
We loved this quick treat both for breakfast and as a great dessert with ice cream for our guests. I’ve used it with oatmeal, with extra honey on pancakes and on a slice of banana bread. Awesome, thanks for sharing!!
Those are wonderful ideas!
Amazing flavor!
These pan-fried honey bananas are so easy and look delicious! An easy treat when you need something last minute for dessert or snack!
Can you use syrup instead of honey
Yes, maple syrup works.
Amazzzing ? just made some for me and my son with whipped cream and drizzled with peanut butter as a treat! Will be making again and again. It was so quick and easy
Hi Alexis, that’s great! Glad you and your son enjoyed it!
can you use caramel sauce instead if honey
I too always ate this as a child, my grandma always made them for me because she knew I loved them. I have not made them since, I have to remember to make them for my grandkids when they visit.
Do you think these banana treats will hold up if I use them in a banana pudding?! *Excited*
Do you need to use grapeseed butter/oil? Can regular butter or even coconut oil be used?
Yes, use whatever you’d like!
Hello,
I made these today and we have decided our go-to treat from this day hence:
Pan Fried Honey Bananas.
Omnomnom,
from London, Ontario