Trade Your Potatoes For Bananas For The Ultimate Dessert Latke

Potato latkes (latke being the Yiddish word for "pancake") are a delicious treat served for the Jewish holiday of Chanukah but can be made and enjoyed by anyone any time of year. The simplicity of a classic latke recipe involves shredding and frying potatoes. Of course, you can certainly be creative with your own versions. If you want a dessert latke that skews a little sweeter than a sage and apple sweet potato latke recipe, it might be time to take another glance at your produce and trade up from potatoes to bananas. That's right, among the myriad unexpected ways to cook with bananas, shredding up a green banana and getting experimental with your sweeteners will yield the perfect dessert pancake that you'll be enjoying the whole year through.

Waxy and firm with a slight bit of bitterness, green bananas are crucial to this version of latke preparation as the texture is similar to that of a potato but with a flavor that has the potential to take on more sweet additions. The importance of firmness is paramount as your ingredients must hold up to shredding and frying to maintain the structural integrity of your banana dessert latkes. Of course, the ultimate test of latke texture is that one-two punch of crunchy and chewy in every bite. From there, it's up to you to decide how to sweeten your batter as well as what dipping sauces or dessert-inspired drizzles you wish to include.

The slightly bitter and astringent sensation of eating green bananas may seem off-putting; however, this is actually what makes under-ripe bananas the perfect desert latke base. For a classic potato pancake, the ingredients include shredded potatoes, flour, and an egg binder. With a green banana dessert latke, you should also include these same ingredients to properly hold your latkes together for frying. Choosing refined coconut oil for frying is a good choice to add more subtle sweetness to your pancakes. With the basics of your pancake "batter" covered, it's time to consider how to give these a decadent dessert treatment.

There are so many different types of sweeteners for cooking that aren't sugar, so your options for enhancing your green banana latke mixture certainly aren't limited. Try maple syrup or honey nectar for an extra rich flavor or even date sugar. Go slowly and be sure to taste as you go so it doesn't get too sweet. And remember that there's always room for adding fun toppings or creating a luxurious dipping sauce on the side like a sweet and spiced applesauce. With a green banana dessert latke, a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top, or a drizzle of Nutella would also be amazing. No matter how you choose to create these banana dessert latkes, you can be sure that the process of shredding, frying, and eating will all be incredibly satisfying.