As part of my recipe development process, I do a lot of research, whether related to ingredients or techniques. One of my favorite things to look into are cuisines that I am not closely familiar with. It’s always exciting to think about the flavor combination treasures to be found in parts of the world, that I haven’t been fortunate to know. Toffee banana is one of those – I made a note of it some time ago and recently got around to playing with the idea.
Toffee bananas are a Chinese dessert, which consists of deep-fried bananas, generously topped with toffee and garnished with sesame seeds. You’ll see that the tart I came up with has very little to do with the original idea, but it’s those kinds of things – recipe titles, ingredient pairings, or even color combinations, that often give me a push to come up with new dishes that I’m excited about.
The thought of cooking whole bananas has always intrigued me, but my fear was that the already sweet fruit would become unbearably saccharine. This tart turned everything around for me – the cooked bananas are sweet of course, but they also get a heavenly, creme brûlée-like caramel crust and become even more buttery and tender.
Under the layer of the transformed, cardamom-kissed bananas in this tart is a slather of date ‘toffee.’ You couldn’t find a more perfect ingredient than dates for creating a healthy and whole-food based toffee. They have it all – the thick, rich texture, the sweetness, the caramel color.
The spelt crust is my go-to quick tart crust – it’s unsweetened and with a touch of salt, making a perfect bed for the decadent filling. Together, everything combines into an impressive whole. I’ve made this tart a couple of times, and it’s been hugely popular with my friends. I get requests to re-make it more than anything else I’ve been cooking lately.
And I want to say a few words about the elegant plum-tree spatula in the photos. It was sent to me by a reader, Violet, who has an online shop, where she sells wooden fruit tree wares, hand-carved by her father. I was incredibly touched to receive a few of their items in the mail all the way from Europe, pictured below. Each piece has character, warmth, beauty and utility. The pricing is very fair too, especially considering the unique quality of each ware. Head over to Whole Grain Homes – perhaps you’ll find a beautiful piece for your own kitchen.
Enjoy the weekend.
- 1 ½ cup sprouted/whole spelt flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup neutral coconut oil - chilled, plus more for oiling the pan
- 4-5 tablespoons purified icy-cold water
- 10 large, soft dates - pitted
- ½ cup almond butter
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil - soft, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 small bananas - cut in half lengthwise
- 5 cardamom pods - green shells removed, freshly ground
- 2 tablespoons neutral coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- Place flour and salt into a food processor. Cut oil into small pieces and add to the flour. Pulse until mixture resembles sand. Add 4 tablespoons cold water and pulse to combine. Test the mixture by pressing it between your fingers - it should come together. If not, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it sticks between your fingers.
- Oil a 9-inch tart pan thoroughly. Press the dough against the bottom of the pan into the even crust, starting in the middle and working up the sides. Prick with a fork several times and let chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C).
- Cover the crust with a piece of parchment paper and place baking beans inside. Bake blind for 20 minutes. Let cool.
- Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Spoon toffee inside the crust and even out with a spoon.
- Pre-heat oven to 400° F (200° C).
- In a spacious pan, warm oil over medium heat. Add bananas, cut side down, followed by cardamom. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until lightly golden, flip carefully and cook the other side for 1 more minute.
- Arrange banana slices on top of the toffee inside the crust. Sprinkle with coconut sugar.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the crust is golden and bananas are caramelized. Let cool before slicing.
Outdoor Catering says
Your recipe is likely to increase my appetite more & more… its been delicious & fantastic, no doubt… keep writing more yummy dishes… Thanks for sharing & your kind attention to detail!!!
Kelly Wilson says
this looks delicious! Will have to try.
valentina | sweet kabocha says
Omg, I’ve no words!! I’ve never tried cooked banana – but in a banana bread, but it doesn’t count – and this tart seems just perfect, creamy and voluptuous *____* I really have to make it!
Anya says
Thank you Valentina! Hope you get to make it :)
Gelmina says
This tart is soooo inviting! Fabulous recipe!
Anya says
Thank you Gelmina :)
Pauline Chardin says
Hi Anya,
I’m currently oven-less, but as soon as I receive the new one, this pie will be on of my to-do-list! I’m happy about trying a healthier version of this classic that I never eat because it always seems way too heavy ;)
And thanks for the tip on Whole Grains Homes! I’ve just passed an order, this will be a perfect Mother’s day gift. I brought back a lot of wooden ustensils from Japan last time I went, but my mother keeps telling me to bring back a dozen more to her next time I go ;)
Have a nice sunday!
Best,
Pauline
http://thevoyageur.net/
Anya says
Hi Pauline,
Being oven-less sounds very difficult! I really hope you get to make and enjoy it :)
And I’m so glad you found something at Whole Grain Homes for your mom, their products are beautiful.
x Anya
Pauline Chardin says
It’s a week of no granola/no pie/no cake, our very own kind of Survivor!
Amy | The Whole Food Rainbow says
Hey Anya, the banana tart looks amazing, I love the addition of cardamom too. Dates are natures toffees aren’t they what incredible fruit. I haven’t been very adventurous with cooking bananas except for a few times when as you say they became unbearably sweet, and now I am inspired! xx
Anya says
Thank you Amy! Somehow, that sweetness just works in this recipe :)
Katrina says
That date toffee is a game changer! This tart is gorgeous and sounds SO GOOD! I can’t wait to try!
Anya says
Thanks so much Katrina :)
Natalia says
This looks so delicious! Difficult not to save this recipe for later! Thanks Anya!
Anya says
Thank you :)
Natalia says
I made it today and we almost finished it so lovely it was! Such an interesting combination between cinnamon and cardamon. I have to say that I didn’t use amond butter(i didn’t have it home) but a mix of peanut and tahini! Too good!
Spasibo tebe, Anya <3
Anya says
Hi Natalia,
SO happy you tried it and that it turned out well! Thank you for the great feedback :)
V. Sam says
Hello Anya, Thanks for your research on this yummy delicious food. I love the addition of cardamom too. Dates are natures toffees aren’t they what incredible fruit. The ingredients and process are so easy. Its a healthy dish also. All food lovers definitely love this.
Nadine Reyhani says
MY GOODNESS! This looks absolutely incredible! Thanks for the recipe!
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Eva says
This really looks mouthwatering good!
Anya says
Thank you so much Eva!
Sahiba says
Hey! The recipe is amazing!!! Can’t wait to try it. Any substitute for almond butter?
Anya says
Hi Sahiba,
Thank you! You should be able to use cashew butter in place of almond. Hope you enjoy it :)
Scarlet says
I love creating recipes and this sounds like a keeper. I will try it tomorrow! Yummy!
Amanda says
Tried this out last night and turned out absolutely delicious! Thanks a lot for the inspiration :)
I subbed the spelt flour for buckwheat flour and the almond butter for cashew butter and it turned out grand!
Thankyouthankyouthankyouuuu xx
Anya says
Hi Amanda,
That’s so awesome!! Thanks so much for telling us about your substitutions as well. Must have been delicious with buckwheat flour!
Kodi says
What would be a potential substitute for dates if you didn’t have any?
Anya says
Hi Kodi,
That’s a hard one! There is pretty much no substitute. You could try dried figs, but you would need really juicy ones, and you’d need to soak them in hot water to soften them up further.
Kodi says
Oh good to know. Thank you so much!
Julie Boisvert says
This was so delicious and quite unexpected! The banana was surprisingly subtle, not overpowering at all. I will be making it again :)) I am glad I stumbled across your site. I look forward to making more of your recipes.
Anya says
Hi Julie,
So glad you enjoyed the tart!
Yue says
The recipe looks nice but, uh, toffee bananas definitely aren’t a “classic Chinese dessert”. Chinese desserts don’t go heavy on the sugar, and most of my Chinese family would never have even heard of toffee.
Anya says
Thanks for letting us know, will correct that!
Cindy says
This recipe looks amazing to try for Thanksgiving! I’ve been looking something different than a banana cream pie and this looks perfect and unique. I do agree with a previous comment, toffee bananas are definitely not a Chinese dessert. Nonetheless, it looks gorgeous and sounds tasty.
Anya says
Hope you enjoyed it if you got around to trying it!