The Unlikely Baker

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Filipino Turon (Banana Lumpia) with Salted Caramel Sauce

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Filipino turon (or banana lumpia) is a snack made of ripe plantain wrapped in spring roll wrapper then deep fried to perfection. Serve with vanilla ice cream and salted caramel sauce and you have yourself a dessert that transports you straight to the tropics where the sun is always shining and the sound of banana trees swaying with the warm breeze lulls you into a sweet siesta.

(Feeling tropical? Treat yourself to this refreshing no-bake pineapple coconut cream pie or this ready-in-a-flash 2-ingredient fresh mango mousse.)

Filipino Turon (Banana Lumpia) with Salted Caramel Sauce

When I was new in Canada all those years ago, I was homesick all the time (I still am, though not as often) and food helped me deal with that. I cannot begin to describe to you the euphoria I get when I take that first bite of something, anything and it tastes like the ones from home.

Which brings me to this Filipino turon or banana lumpia recipe. Ironically I’ve never been a big fan of it. My mom would buy half a dozen from the local market and I would mostly ignore it.

But now, turon and I – we’re tight. It’s a simple snack but topped with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with salted caramel sauce – I would serve this to our most important guests at our fanciest dinner party in a heartbeat.

What is turon or banana lumpia?

Turon (pronounced too-ron) is a popular banana snack in the Philippines. It’s usually made of sliced bananas (ideally the saba variety), a piece of jackfruit and sugar, then wrapped in spring roll wrapper and deep fried.

You can find it anywhere – in your local sari-sari store (think: bodega but more grassroots), on the street from your favourite street vendor and, in recent years, in fancy restaurants.

How do you make Filipino turon?

Filipino Turon (Banana Lumpia) with Salted Caramel Sauce

But it’s really very easy to make turon from scratch.

Here in North America, the only challenge is finding the right ingredients but once you have everything you need, there’s nothing to it.

What is turon made of?

So what are these magic ingredients? You would need:

  • Bananas
  • Sweet jackfruit (optional)
  • Spring roll wrappers

After that, the rest are easy: sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch and oil for frying.

Right. Let’s talk ingredients.

Filipino Turon (Banana Lumpia) with Salted Caramel Sauce

How to choose plantains for turon

First there’s the banana. Like I said, traditionally Filipino turon is made of saba bananas but in all the years I’ve lived here I haven’t once seen saba anywhere. They are available frozen but they look sketchy so I’ve never even tried.

So I always go with plantain. Which is more widely available and close enough to saba in taste and texture IMO. I would steer away from regular bananas because they tend to turn to mush when fried and are too sweet.

Note that when choosing plantains for your turon, the uglier the better.

Unlike bananas, you want bruises on your plantain. You want a dull yellow plantain that’s semi-soft with patches of black (or mostly black). That means they’re ripe and ready to use.

You don’t want perfect green ones because they are unripe and unripe plantains are bitter and just nasty.

How to cook turon with jackfruit

Traditionally, turon is also made with sweet jackfruit. We don’t particularly like jackfruit though so we left it out in this recipe.

If you like it, you can easily buy it canned; just put a sliver of jackfruit with the plantain before you roll it.

What kind of spring roll wrappers to use for Filipino turon

Next are the spring roll wrappers. You can usually find spring roll wrappers in Asian stores or at the international aisle/frozen section of your local supermarket.

Don’t buy the rice paper kind. You need the ones that can also be used for wontons.

How do you make turon crispy?

Filipino Turon (Banana Lumpia) with Salted Caramel Sauce

We have a deep fryer and that makes it super convenient to fry a batch of turon. And they turn out evenly fried and crispy each time.

If you don’t have one, no worries. Just make sure you use enough oil to cover your banana lumpia completely and that your oil is hot enough. Then flip your turon so that each side is a nice golden brown.

Also, don’t crowd your pan so that the turon don’t stick to one another. Patience is key!

Can you make turon in the oven?

Worried about all that oil? You can definitely bake turon and still achieve that crunch. I’ve tried that with these baked apple turon and it worked perfectly.

Head on over there for a second to see how you can bake your banana lumpia instead of fry them. I also have step-by-step pictures on how to wrap turon that’s a great reference.

How do you make caramel for turon?

Filipino Turon (Banana Lumpia) with Salted Caramel Sauce

Something needs to be said about this salted caramel sauce deliciousness, which we serve on the side. The two together is a match made in deep fried snacks heaven.

And it’s super easy to make salted caramel sauce. You just whisk all ingredients in a heavy-bottom saucepan until it thickens to your desired consistency. Less than 15 minutes is all it takes.

Add vanilla ice cream to the mix and you have yourself your new favourite afternoon snack.

Other delicious Filipino recipes

Are you throwing a party? Try these delicious Filipino dishes and wow your guests.

Start with no-cook, no-bake, easy and refreshing apple buko salad. Made with tender young coconut and crisp apples, it’s sweet and light!

Apple Buko Salad

For your main course, try sweet and salty spaghetti. It’s a welcome change from traditional Italian-style pasta. Plus it has hotdogs in it!

Filipino Style Spaghetti

As a side to your Filipino-style spaghetti, bake some homemade pandesal or Filipino bread rolls. Crusty, fluffy, sweet and salty in one.

Pandesal Recipe (Filipino Bread Rolls)

Turon Filipino Banana Lumpia

Filipino Turon (Banana Lumpia)

Filipino turon (or banana lumpia) is a snack made of ripe plantain wrapped in spring roll wrapper then deep fried to perfection. Serve with vanilla ice cream and salted caramel sauce.
4.89 from 9 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: Filipino
Keyword: Authentic, Easy, Picnic
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 1 hr
Servings: 8 pieces
Calories: 80kcal
Author: Jolina

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar firmly packed
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 pcs ripe plantain each one cut into 4 3-inch pieces (see note 1)
  • 8 pcs 8x8 inch spring roll wrapper thawed according to package instructions (see note 2)
  • 1/8 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water
  • 1 cup canola oil enough to deep fry the turon
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, mix the 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
  • Position a spring roll wrapper on the counter so that when you look down on it, it's diamond shaped.
  • Take a piece of cut plantain and roll it in the sugar/cinnamon mix until completely coated. Then place it horizontally in the middle of your diamond.
  • To wrap the plantain, imagine you're making an envelope that's supposed to hug the plantain tightly: do the bottom then the sides and then up (see note 3). Gently roll away from you until you have a small triangle flap left on top. To seal, dab a generous amount of cornstarch mix on the flap then close.
  • Once all plantains are wrapped, get your oil ready for frying. If using a deep fryer, set it to 338F (or approximate - like ovens, deep fryers are all different). While waiting for the oil to get hot enough, prepare a baking sheet by placing several pieces of paper towels on it. This is where you'll place the banana lumpia after frying to drain excess oil.
  • They are done when golden brown on both sides.
  • Let the banana lumpia cool a bit before serving. You can also drizzle salted caramel sauce on them or serve them with ice cream.

Video

Notes

  1. A plantain has a slightly harder shell than a banana so the easiest way to cut it is by cutting the ends off first then making a slight cut at the side, making sure not to cut all the way through and hitting the plantain inside. Once you've done that, you can easily peel the skin off. To cut the plantain for this recipe, cut it in half lengthwise first then again half crosswise so you end up with 4 pieces.
  2. You can usually find spring roll wrappers in Asian stores or at the international aisle/frozen section of your local supermarket. Don't buy the rice paper kind. You need the ones that can also be used for wontons.
  3. Check out this post for detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to wrap turon.
Tried this recipe?Tag @iamtheunlikelybaker or use hashtag #iamtheunlikelybaker!

Happy frying!

Did you make banana lumpia? Tell me about it in the comments section below. I’d love to hear from you.

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(This post was updated on 29 January 2019.)

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. We are having a Missions dessert feast at church. Thought I’d try these. One question though, how long do these stay edible. Can I make them in advance and how long are they good??

    Reply

    • Hi Brenda! You would want to serve these as soon as possible so they stay nice and crunchy. If you want to prep ahead, you can do everything the day before and just fry them the day of your event (put the uncooked turon in a Ziploc bag and chill in the fridge). As to how long they are good for….I’d say 3 days for sure since they don’t last longer than that around here 🙂 They’re not as crispy but still delicious. BTW, the best way to transport these is to not cover them so they stay crispy and not soggy. If you absolutely need to cover them, just do so loosely with aluminum foil that has holes in it so steam can escape. Enjoy!

      Reply

    • Hi Igor. You don’t know how happy this made me! 🙂 You made my day 🙂 I am so glad you liked it! Awesome.

      Reply

  3. This looks divine! I’ve never had a sweet spring roll before so I’d love to try this 🙂 Plus, everything tastes better with ice cream on top!

    Reply

    • Thanks Laura! Hope you get the chance to try some 🙂 And yes, agree 100% about ice cream (and if I may add caramel sauce lol)

      Reply

  5. Wow, these sound incredible! I’ve seen them on restaurant menus but never tried them–now I’m dying to!

    Reply

    • Then my job is done lol! You are most welcome. Hope you and your husband like it! Try the full ice cream + salted caramel combo. It is delicious 🙂

      Reply


  10. Oh my! You don’t know how I miss Filipino food, especially this sweet dish. I am craving for it. 🙂

    Reply

    • My blog is a result of me missing Filipino food so much! 🙂 It’s become my way of curing my homesickness.

      Reply

  11. I love the look of the turon it looks delicious and anything that has bananas in is a yes from me. I could do with this right now!

    Reply

    • Ironically, I’m not a big fan of banana, the fruit haha. But transformed into a turon (or banana cake, since we’re talking about bananas), I would devour it 🙂 Hope you could try the recipe out!

      Reply


  12. Yum! Yum! Yum! It’s looks so delicious. I feel like grabbing a bite while putting my hands inside the laptop. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Have Pinned it!

    Reply


  13. Turon is one of my favorite merienda options. I’ve tried a similar dish with the ice cream and I have to say it’s delicious.

    Reply

    • Strangely enough, when I still lived in Manila I didn’t like turon all that much lol! But NOW, now I can make and eat it everyday 🙂

      Reply

  15. I’ve never heard of this, but I love anything with plantain! The ice cream and caramel makes it even yummier, no doubt!

    Reply

    • Hi Amy! In the recipe I mentioned ice cream and caramel sauce optional but personally I would really strongly recommend the combo! 🙂

      Reply

  17. Pinning! I had a version of these once, and they were soooo good. I must make these for my family.

    Reply


  18. I recently tried plantain for the first time and it was delicious. I’d love to try to make these lumpias.

    Reply

    • Thanks very much! Hope you can grab some plantains soon 🙂 The turon and ice cream combo is perfect for summer 🙂

      Reply


  21. Jolina, these look too good to be true! I had something very similar to this at a restaurant in Florida once, but haven’t been able to replicate it. Thank you for sharing your recipe, I can’t wait to try it!

    Reply

    • Thanks Raven! Isn’t it great when we can recreate dishes at home? 🙂 You’ll see how simple to make this is 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply

    • Thanks very much Tess! That’s really my preferred way of eating turon and I highly recommend it to everyone! 🙂

      Reply

  23. I love your unique and ethnic recipes. So fun. I LOVE plantains but I have never used them in a dessert….you’ve peaked my curiosity!

    Reply

    • Thanks Amanda! I love sharing Filipino recipes – not very many people know about them 🙂 Hope you get to try this soon. With ice cream and salted caramel, it’s the perfect summer snack 🙂

      Reply

  24. The Turons look amazing! We love jackfruit as well and we fins it fresh in stores. I am definitely trying this out!

    Reply

    • Thanks Sandhya! I don’t dislike the TASTE of jackfruit, I just find it too fibrous (i.e. I can’t chew properly lol!). But if you have fresh ones over there that will complement the turon perfectly 🙂 Just add a small slice on top of the plantain before wrapping it 🙂

      Reply

  25. Oh, this one sounds so good! I’m obsessed to salted caramel – cannot resist it. Could I have a double serving of that sauce, please?

    Reply

    • Oh me too! I’m a fairly new fan of salted caramel and now I can’t get enough of it. I put it on everything it seems haha. Thanks Tina! Happy Saturday!

      Reply

  27. Oh yeah! These look amazing! I love the flavor combination and really I love anything fried! I need to try this!

    Reply

  31. Now this sounds good. I’m not sure if I’ve tried any desserts with plantains before. This would be a good place to start.

    Reply

    • Hi Liz! Absolutely. Pair the turon with salted caramel and ice cream – before you know it you’ll be hooked on plantain desserts 🙂

      Reply

  33. The Turon look fantastic! Also, I love jack fruit, and live in a part of the U.S. where it is occasionally available (McAllen, TX.) I’m going to pin this and hopefully remember I’d like to make it 🙂

    Reply

    • Thanks Tamara! Jackfruit would complement the turon perfectly. Just put a slice on top of the plantain before wrapping it 🙂 And thanks for the pin!

      Reply

  34. My mouth is watering. I discovered a love of plantains after visiting a Brazilian steakhouse and I cannot wait to try this recipe!

    Reply

    • Oooh. Now you make me want to go to a Brazilian steakhouse! Love their grilled pineapples 🙂 So back to these plantains lol – hope you like it! Let me know how it goes.

      Reply

  35. Dear Jolina, you have a beautiful site and these turon look absolutely marvelous. What a wonderful breakfast treat for the family. xo, Catherine

    Reply

  37. I say salted caramel sauce and ice-cream is never optional 😀 Oh, my goodness….these look so good. Well, any sweet treat fried has got to be good, right? Plus, I’m totally getting my potassium intake for the day 🙂 Pinning!

    Reply

    • LOL! I just thought I’d give people a choice haha 🙂 But I agree, I always eat these with ice cream and salted caramel 🙂 Thanks Dawn! And thanks for the pin. Happy Saturday!

      Reply

  38. Oh this is so good. We make something very similar but it is covered in chickpea flour n deep fried. And that serve with caramel sauce is just cream on top.

    Reply

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