Ecuadorian Peanut Butter Plantain Recipe
This Ecuadorian Peanut Butter Plantain Recipe was introduced to us by our Russian friend, Olesya, who lives with an Ecuadorian family here in Cuenca, Ecuador. She said her host family makes this recipe all the time, and we know why. IT’S DELICIOUS!!!
You can make this plantain recipe with green (verde) or ripe (maduro) plantains (platanos). We’ve tried both and prefer ripe plantains. They’re sweeter and more dessert like. The green plantains require more sweetener.
When Olesya made us this plantain recipe the first time, she served it in a small bowl and we ate it with a spoon. Since then, Amelia has done some experimenting with the recipe. We’ve found that we like forming them into balls and baking them in the oven for a bite sized finger snack/treat.
It’s also good with some cocoa powder or chocolate chips mixed in, or topped with some dried fruit. The options are endless!
If you like plantains, you may also enjoy our Oil-Free Grilled Plantains Recipe.
If you make this recipe, please let us know your thoughts in the comments below. And please share with your friends to help spread the word about healthy plant based eating.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 4 servings | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 1 hour | 10 minutes |
|
|
|
|
This Ecuadorian Peanut Butter Plantain Recipe was introduced to us by our Russian friend, Olesya, who lives with an Ecuadorian family here in Cuenca, Ecuador. She said her host family makes this recipe all the time, and we know why. IT'S DELICIOUS!!!
|
- 2 large plantains ripe, peeled and sliced into bite sized pieces
- 1/2 cup peanut butter oil-free
- 1 tbsp brown sugar or your favorite sweetener (optional)
- 1/4 tsp salt (optional)
- Assemble your ingredients.
- Slice the plantains and add them to a medium pot of boiling water. Cook until the plantains are very soft, about 30 minutes.
- If making plantain balls, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Drain the plantains once they're very soft.
- Mash with a fork or potato masher until smooth (you may have a few chunks).
- Add peanut butter, brown sugar and salt.
- Stir to combine all the ingredients.
- Serve in small bowls topped with dried fruit, nuts or chocolate chips.
- Or, roll mixture into tablespoon sized balls and place on a nonstick cookie sheet or baking sheet covered with parchment paper or silicone mat.
- Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. The balls will be soft on the inside. Makes about 16 balls.
Serving size is 1/4 of the recipe, about 1 cup of the mixture or 4 balls.
Just curious here …. why not use bananas instead of plantains and go to the work of softening them?
Peanut butter and bananas make a delicious combination! Plantains have a different taste and texture so it’s just something different.
I am not certain what constitutes oil free. Would the natural peanut butter qualify even though the oil rests on the surface? I most certainly would not want to ruin the recipe with processed peanut butter loaded with sugar and shortening.
We usually pour the oil off of natural peanut butter after it rises to the surface, but that’s a different topic. When we say oil, we mean the processed refined oil you buy in a bottle or a jar. A lot of people are confused about the difference between oil and fat. Oil is a refined fat that has most of the nutrients removed. It’s 100% fat and nearly 130 calories per tablespoon. It’s a refined fat just like sugar is a refined carb and we try to avoid processed foods as much as possible. The fat found in whole plant foods comes with all the other nutritional benefits, including vitamins, minerals and fiber that have been completely or almost entirely removed from processed oil. I (JP) eat a very low fat diet because I have a long history of high cholesterol and a strong family history of heart disease and stroke. We choose to follow the advice of Dr. Dean Ornish and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn because they have a proven track record of reversing advanced heart disease. Both encourage a lot fat plant-based diet with no oil.
Thank you for that very insightful reply! My wife and I use olive oil quite a bit on salads, raw vegggies and so on because we have always associated it the healthy(er) Mediterranean Diet. I guess it’s time we start weaning ourselves off olive oil.