Banana turon are the ultimate fruit treat! With caramelized crispy wrapper and filling of soft, sweet banana and langka strips, these Filipino spring rolls are sweet, crunchy, and seriously addictive!
Banana Turon or also known as lumpiang saging is a Filipino lumpia made of ripe saba bananas rolled in sugar, wrapped with a spring roll wrapper, and then deep-fried into golden perfection. They’re a popular streetfood and are commonly enjoyed as a midday snack or after-meal dessert.
What you’ll need
- Bananas– turon use saba or cardaba which are a type of cooking bananas indigenous to the Philippines. If you’re in the U.S. and can’t find them, plaintains will work in a pinch. Do not substitute cavendish (Dole) bananas as they’ll turn mushy.
- Jackfruit– adds another layer of sweetness. For convenience, use sweetened langka sold sold at most Asian supermarkets
- Lumpia wrappers– thin spring roll wrappers that come in round or square shape
- Sugar– use granulated white sugar to coat the bananas for a touch of sweetness and the wrappers to caramelize during frying
- Oil– use oil with a neutral taste and high smoke point such as canola, safflower, corn, or grapeseed oil.
Cooking tips
- Choose bananas that are ripe and sweet but firm enough to hold shape during frying.
- Cover the lumpia wrappers with a damp cloth or paper towel during wrapping to prevent them from drying out.
- Switch up flavors by replacing the sweetened jackfruit with cream cheese, ube halaya, quick-melt cheese, peanut butter, or chocolate.
- Roll the turon as tightly as possible to keep oil from seeping in during frying.
- For best texture, deep-fry in enough oil to cover the turon fully and maintain an optimal temperature of 350 F to 375 F. Too hot and the sugar will burn before the wrapper is fully cooked; too low and the turon will absorb more grease.
- Do not drain on paper towels as the caramel will stick. Use a wire rack set over a baking sheet or colander set over a bowl or plate to catch oil drips.
Serving suggestions
Banana turon is delicious on its own but you can make it more special by serving it a la mode with a generous scoop of your favorite ice cream for that luxury dessert feel!
Ingredients
- 12 saba bananas
- 1 cup sugar
- 24 spring roll wrappers
- 1/2 cup sweetened jackfruit, cut into strips
- canola oil
Instructions
- Prepare bananas by peeling and cutting lengthwise into two halves.
- Separate wrappers into individual sheets. On a flat working surface, lay a wrapper like a diamond.
- In a skillet over medium heat, heat about 1-inch deep of oil. Add banana spring rolls seam side down and fry, turning once or twice, for about 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until crisp and golden brown.
- Roll a banana half in sugar and place in the middle of the wrapper. Place 2 to 3 jackfruit strips lengthwise on top of the banana.
- Fold the bottom pointed end of the wrapper over the filling. Fold side ends of the sheet inward and roll the turon into a tight log. Wet the pointed edge of the wrapper to completely seal.
- Roll sealed spring rolls in sugar to coat. Repeat with the remaining bananas.
- In a wide pan over medium heat, heat about 1-inch deep of oil. Add the turon in a single layer and cook, turning as needed, until golden and sugar is caramelized.
- Remove from the pan and drain on a wire rack. Serve immediately.
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
Claire says
If I slack dried Vietnamese wrappers would it work or should it be another type of wrapper that I can buy frozen and defrost?
Selina says
I’ll cook this tomorrow for my kids. I will let you know how this turns out. My childhood faves. Interestingly, my middle name is Manalo 🙂
Thanks for sharing this recipe, Lalaine
~Selina 🙂
Dina says
I love banana turons. I’ve never had jackfruit, but i’d love to try it!
Lalaine says
Hello Dina
I like sometimes to substitute jackfruit with cream cheese. Here is a link for that recipe http://www.onionringsandthings.com/2012/12/banana-and-cream-cheese-spring-rolls/