If you're new to cooking with plantains, you're in for such a treat. They're like a cross between a banana and a sweet potato, so they swing sweet or savory depending on how ripe they are.
I've pulled together 20 amazing recipes to show you every delicious side of this island staple, from crispy chips to deeply cozy stews. Once you start, you'll be reaching for them again and again.
1. Sweet & Smoky Plantain Stew
This stew is one of those beautiful mash ups that's a little hard to describe. It's got a chili like backbone with cumin, bell peppers, and beans, but the coconut milk, lime juice, and plantains pull it in a light, tropical direction.
I like to use canned tomatoes with green chiles for a subtle kick and skip the olives, which I find tend to dominate the whole dish. It's cozy and bright all at once.
2. Sweet Plantain Gnocchi with Garlic Brown Butter
Since plantains have so much in common with potatoes, using them for gnocchi feels almost obvious. The dough comes together fast with mashed cooked plantains, ricotta, salt, pepper, and flour. I start mixing in
3. Coconut Sugar Caramelized Plantains
On the hunt for a quick, somewhat healthy dessert that comes together in minutes? These caramelized plantains are exactly what you need.
The key is using extra ripe plantains, I'm talking about the ones that are nearly black and heavily spotted. I love reaching for coconut sugar here, but regular brown sugar works beautifully, and white sugar will even do in a pinch.
4. Caribbean Plantain & Avocado Salad
This bright little salad is the perfect antidote to every heavy mayo loaded potato salad that shows up at summer barbecues. Since most grocery stores only sell green plantains, you'll want to grab yours a few days early and let them sit in the sun until the skins turn deeply spotted.
Once they're fully ripe, you fry the slices until the edges caramelize. Tumbled with creamy avocado, it's an island style side that feels so fresh and lively.
5. Crazy Easy Pan Fried Plantain Pattie
These plantain patties are crazy easy and happen to be fully gluten free. They're lovely alongside a couple of sunny morning eggs or a juicy pork tenderloin.
Hearty and satisfying, they can easily slide in wherever you'd normally serve a potato side dish. And yes, they still bring the carbs, but they also pack way more vitamins and minerals into the mix.
6. Traditional Plantain Mofongo
Straight from Puerto Rico, mofongo is a glorious mash up of green plantains, garlic, and crackling pork rinds. It's hearty enough to stand completely on its own, but I love serving it with a protein on the side.
I've even dropped it right into soup before, where it acts like a savory garlicky plantain dumpling. So satisfying.
7. Vegan Plantain Brownies
Just like bananas, plantains are brilliant at adding moisture to baked goods, but they won't take over with too much sweetness. For a batch of rich brownies, that's actually a wonderful thing.
You get all the deep chocolate decadence without an overwhelming fruity note. The result is fudgy, subtly flavored, and almost shockingly delicious.
8. Mashed Plantains—Sweet & Savory
Let's get one thing straight: these aren't trying to be creamy, velvety mashed potatoes. The texture is wonderfully chunky and funky, and I am completely here for it.
If you really want something smooth, you'll need to put in extra effort, working them longer and adding a splash of cream. Since plantains are so starchy, they absolutely demand lots of bold flavor in the mix, unlike mashed potatoes which can get by with just butter and salt.
9. Chocolate Chip Plantain Cookies
Paleo, vegan, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, egg free, and incredibly simple to make? I mean, what else do you need?
These won't taste like the cookies you grab from the store, but if you have dietary restrictions or just want something lower in sugar, they are so worth a try. They land somewhere between fudgy and cakey, and I find them totally irresistible.
10. Spicy Plantain Black Bean Tacos
These tacos might honestly be my number one pick from this whole roundup. I'd been in a total rut hunting for fresh meatless Monday inspiration, and then this recipe came along and completely brought my groove back.
Ripe plantains give you that natural sweetness, and then a toss in cinnamon, cayenne, and cumin wraps everything in a warm, spicy hug. Every single bite is sweet, smoky, and just fiery enough.
11. Plantain Fufu
Plantain fufu is one of those quietly perfect dishes. It doesn't shout for attention but totally deserves it.
You make it by blending chopped green plantains with a little water until smooth, then cooking the mixture on the stove while beating it with a wooden spoon. The flavor is intentionally mild, which is exactly why it's so brilliant next to a deeply flavorful soup or stew like obe ata. Think of it as a soft, satisfying blank canvas ready to soak up all that saucy goodness.
12. Baked Plantains
Unlike the super thin chips, these baked plantains are cut thick, giving you a crisp outer coating and a more tender middle. You can leave them beautifully plain and dunk them into something delicious, or shake on whatever you're in the mood for, from cayenne to cinnamon. They're a flexible little side that works with just about everything.
13. Easy and Delicious Plantain Bread
At first glance you'd swear this was your go to banana bread, and in so many ways the method and ingredients feel familiar. But plantains bring a gentler, mellower sweetness than bananas, so every slice ends up subtle and lovely.
Don't worry, it's still wonderfully sweet from both the sugar and vanilla. It's an easy twist that feels special without any extra fuss.
14. Pastelón (Sweet Plantain Lasagna)
You've definitely seen lasagna layered with thin zucchini strips, but had you ever thought about using plantains? I hadn't either until I stumbled across pastelón.
The classic filling is a batch of Cuban style picadillo, that rich stewed ground beef, but I've also used leftover pulled pork in the past. The plantains paired ridiculously well with the sweet and tangy BBQ sauce, making every forkful a celebration.
15. Empanadas de Plátano Maduro (Ripe Plantain Empanadas with Cheese)
Classic empanadas lean on a pie like pastry, but this clever twist folds ripe plantains right into the dough for more flavor and nutrients. Keep things beautifully simple with just cheese tucked inside, or add a little guava paste.
That sweet and savory combination is an absolute dream. I promise you're going to love it.
16. Baked Plantain Chips
I can't even tell you how often I'm hit with that salty sweet craving where I want chips and chocolate all at the same moment. That's exactly why I love these baked plantain chips so much.
Using ripe plantains gives them that natural sweetness, and a sprinkle of sea salt brings the savory side. The secret is slicing them whisper thin so they bake up perfectly crisp.
17. Plantain Nachos
If you've ever wondered what to do with a full batch of salted plantain chips, I have your answer right here. Instead of using standard tortilla chips, swap them out for those crispy plantain rounds and pile on all your favorite nacho toppings. Green plantain chips work especially well for this, staying nice and sturdy under all that gooey goodness.
18. 3-Ingredient Plantain Tortillas
I'll be honest, corn tortillas aren't always my first choice. They can lean a touch dry, which is why I almost always reach for flour.
But these plantain tortillas? They land in that perfect spot right between soft and sturdy, and they hold everything together beautifully. Even better, they happen to be gluten free.
19. Crispy Salted Tostones
Tostones are those gloriously crunchy flattened plantain chips you'll spot all over the Caribbean and Latin America. For the best salty bite, you need firm green plantains, not the sweet yellow ones.
A double fry in hot oil is the non negotiable trick that makes them shatteringly crisp. Then all that's left is a generous rain of sea salt, please don't be shy.
20. Healthy Plantain Muffins
I whipped up a pan of these muffins the other day planning to enjoy them for breakfast all week long. Needless to say, they vanished almost immediately, I honestly couldn't stop going back for more.
They're tender, sweet, and moist, generously studded with dried cranberries. I also tossed in chocolate chips and chopped pecans just for fun, because why not, and every bite was pure morning bliss.