This was one of my craziest and most fun days in the Philippines. And it is without a double THE MOST delicious snack.
We made these golden fried brown sugar sticky bananas called Banana Cue when my friend Angie was visiting Bjork and me in Cebu. I took advantage of having another adult around during the school day and did something that I’ve said I would never do again: cook with my elementary aged students. Think of the hottest you’ve ever felt in your life and multiply it by 348,792. That’s how it feels to stand over a hot pan of frying oil while trying to control a group of kids in a small kitchen in the mountains of the Philippines. bahhhhh. I feel stressed out just thinking about it. It’s a small miracle that my type-A self is able to be a teacher.
But seriously, this day was just plain fun. My kids were sososososo so excited to cook together with Auntie Pureza, one of the house moms. Like, the cutest kind of excited where they ask about it every day and suggest that we try cooking lechon baboy (um, a whole roasted pig?) next time. It was such a big deal to them that when Auntie Pureza asked for volunteers to do things like throw the banana peels in the garbage, every hand in the room would be bouncing up in the air. I reallysupermiss those happy, fun-loving kiddos.
In addition to all the happy shelter banana cue memories, there was a little banana que stand at the bottom of the dirt road leading up to the shelter. So every day when Bjork would pick me up from school on the motorcycle, we’d go driving by the stand where the woman was frying and selling her banana que on a stick. I love banana que. And now I need to stop talking before I book myself a plane ticket back to the Philippines.
Banana Cue
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 15 1x
Description
This is a recipe for banana cue from the Filipino orphanage where I worked for a year. Super easy, super yummy, super fun dessert!
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch saba bananas (15-20)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium low heat. Add the brown sugar and wait until the sugar starts to caramelize.
- Place the bananas in the oil and fry them with the brown sugar so until they are covered with the sticky brown sugar and a deep golden color.
- Drain on paper towels and serve on individual skewers.
Notes
I think this would also work with regular American grocery store bananas, although they might be a little more mushy. But who minds a little mush when we’re talking about caramelized bananas!? The saba bananas used in the original recipe are really sturdy and hold up well during the frying. Readers have also suggested plantains as an alternative.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Filipino
Keywords: banana cue, banana dessert, filipino dessert
Alright, I have something awesome to tell you. This little sweetie-sweet-sweetheart?
After 3+ years of waiting, she and her seven siblings have just been matched for adoption. All of them, together.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <– nothing else to say. ♥