Banana-da-terra Assada
Soft, fragrant baked plantains turn silky and caramelized in the oven, with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla forming a glossy syrup. The result is warm, sweet, and deeply comforting, with a flavor somewhere between banana brûlée and a rustic fruit dessert.
Ingredients
Plantains for baking
- 2 large (about 500 g total, peel-on)ripe plantains
- 20 gunsalted butter, melted
- 20 gbrown sugar
- 2 gground cinnamon
- 5 mlvanilla extract
- 1 pinchfine salt
To serve
- 2 wedges (optional)lime wedges
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a small baking tray or dish with baking paper for easier cleanup. Peel the plantains and cut each one in half lengthwise.
- 2
In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt until the sugar is evenly moistened.
- 3
Arrange the plantain halves cut-side up on the tray. Spoon the butter mixture evenly over them, spreading it to coat the surface. Make sure some of the mixture falls around the plantains so it forms a light syrup as it bakes.
- 4
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the plantains are very tender when pierced with a knife and the tops are glossy and lightly caramelized at the edges. If you want deeper color, switch to the grill/broiler for 1 to 2 minutes at the end, watching closely so the sugar does not burn.
- 5
Let the plantains rest for 2 minutes so the syrup thickens slightly. Serve warm, spooning any buttery cinnamon syrup from the tray over the top. Add lime wedges on the side if using for a bright contrast.
Nutrition per serving
Notes
- •Choose very ripe plantains with mostly black or heavily speckled skins; they will bake sweeter and softer than yellow-green ones.
- •If the plantains are small, check them at 16 minutes; larger, thicker ones may need the full 22 minutes.
- •This is excellent as a simple dessert or as a sweet side dish with cheese or coffee.
Background
Banana-da-terra, the large cooking plantain widely used in Brazil, appears in many regional sweet and savory dishes. Roasting or baking ripe plantain with butter and sugar is a simple home-style preparation that highlights the fruit's natural sweetness and is especially popular as a comforting dessert or side.
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