National Banana Day is celebrated on April 21 every single year. It's true! There is a whole day dedicated to honoring the banana. But even though there is a holiday that was created to honor this much-beloved fruit, that doesn't mean that you can't go bananas for bananas all year long. Why wouldn't you? They're awesome! Also, there are so many ways to eat bananas, and we wanted to bring some pretty great Latin banana recipes that your whole family will enjoy to your attention.
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Bananas are a tropical fruit that first originated in the Malay Archipelago in Southeast Asia, but now they are grown around the world, including South and Central America, which is perhaps why there are so many Latin recipes that feature bananas. Some of the recipes we've gathered you might be familiar with, and some will be new to you or your kids. All of them are delicious and worth trying out. There are even some your kids can make on their own.
How about a banana taco?
Sounds a little strange, but don't knock it until you try it. It's made with almond flour tortillas and features peanut butter and cinnamon. Could be a nice afterschool snack for the kids or yourself.
A banana 'quesadilla' minus the queso
Instead of cheese, this "quesadilla" has a whole-wheat tortilla, peanut butter, banana, honey, granola, and cinnamon. It's a filling sweet and healthy treat that you and your kids will enjoy. Get the recipe here.
Guineos en escabeche are made with green bananas.
This marinated green banana dish is very popular in Puerto Rico. In English, a lot of people just call the dish Puerto Rican green bananas. They are often served during the holidays, but they make a tasty treat all year long. Get the recipe here.
A banana daiquiri that isn't for the whole family
This recipe is for adults because it includes alcoholic ingredients such as white rum and Cointreau or triple sec, but you could make a nonalcoholic version for the kids before adding the alcohol to your own serving. Get the recipe here.
Banana chia paletas that are vegan
Whether you're looking for a vegan summer treat or not, these paletas fit the bill, because you don't have to be vegan to enjoy or appreciate their appeal. They are delightfully sweet without having much added sugar. Get the recipe here.
Banana pudding paletas that are wonderfully creamy
Banana pudding is so yummy, and when it gets frozen into a paleta, it makes for a wonderful treat on a warm or hot day. You could just buy banana pudding cups and put a popsicle stick in them and freeze them until they turn into paletas. Or you can make them from scratch. Get the recipe here.
Make banana bread that has a yummy Latin twist.
It's kind of hard not to love any banana bread, but this one is particularly lovable because it includes nutmeg, pecans, and raisins that result in a "not-so-sweet flavorful loaf, with contrasting textures." Get the recipe here.
These pan-fried bananas with condensed milk are amazing.
You can make this popular Mexican dessert with either bananas or plantains. Regardless of which you use, the results are a sweet cinnamony delight that gets drizzled with condensed milk. So good! Get the recipe here.
Try a refreshing banana licuado.
This licuado blends together ripe bananas, milk, and ice to create a refreshing drink that you can sprinkle with either cinnamon or nutmeg, depending on your preferences. You could even start freezing your ripe bananas so you always have some on hand to make this. Get the recipe here.
You will fall in love with Mexican chocolate banana bread.
What makes this particular banana bread special is that in includes Mexican chocolate. Mexican chocolate is grainy and made from cacao nibs, sugar, and cinnamon. The reason it's more coarse or grainy than other chocolate is because it has a high sugar content. Get the recipe here.
Grill bananas and drizzle them with a Mexican chocolate sauce.
For this recipe, you'll melt Mexican chocolate with heavy cream. Then you toss ripe bananas in a cinnamon-and-sugar mixture before grilling them. If you want to be totally extra, you can serve them with vanilla ice cream. Get the recipe here.
Bananas + flan = YES, please!
If you love bananas and you love flan, how can you not love banana flan? Think about it: the yummy flavor of bananas combined with the creamy caramel wonderfulness of flan! Get the recipe here.
Bocadillos de platano are a Venezuelan treat.
Believe it or not, you can make these treats with just four ingredients. You'll need bananas, lime juice, sugar, and food coloring. The end results look like they take a lot more work to create than they actually do. Get the recipe here.
Bolitas de platano takes only three ingredients to make.
We love recipes that are simple and use very few ingredients, and these little banana balls are right up our alley. All you need to make them are bananas, milk, and pancake flour. They end up looking and tasting fantastic. Get the recipe here.
Banana breakfast tacos that even a child can make
Seriously, this is something your kids need to know how to make in case they need a quick breakfast or snack. Basically, they can slice a banana down the middle lengthwise with a butter knife, then put jelly and peanut butter on the sliced halves to create a banana taco of sorts.
Banana burritos are also very easy to make.
There is no rule that says burritos have to be savory. A tortilla tastes great with sweet ingredients inside of it. All you have to do to make a banana burrito is put peanut butter or Nutella on a tortilla, then place a banana on top and roll the tortilla around it. Feel free to add other fruits to the mix as well.
