Banana Lumpia (Filipino Turon)

Delightfully sweet with a delicate crisp bite, Banana Lumpia (Filipino Turon) is one of the easiest desserts you will ever make. Ready to eat in less than 10 minutes.

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• What's the Story Behind this Recipe?
• What Goes into this Recipe
• How to Make this Recipe
• FAQs & Expert Tips
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• Banana Lumpia (Filipino Turon)

What's the Story Behind this Recipe?

We were first introduced to this traditional Filipino dessert at this fruit stand in Kahuku, Oahu. Mr. B and I took each took a bite, and even as our mouths were still chewing, our eyes were saying, “we are definitely going to learn how to make these!”

Banana Lumpia is also known as Filipino Turon. Our approach to making these sweet, crispy banana rolls is a simple, easy one. More complex recipes, endemic to Filipino street cuisine, may include jackfruit or other fruits, as well as a caramelized glaze.

What Goes into this Recipe

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

★ Bananas: Use sweet baby bananas if you can find them, but regular bananas will work just fine.

If you want to make a more authentic turon, look for fresh or frozen Saba bananas (Filipino cooking bananas), which are available at most Asian supermarkets.

★ Lumpia Wrappers: The hardest part about making banana lumpia is buying the lumpia wrappers. You can find them in the refrigerated section of just about any Asian market, and in many supermarkets as well.

★ Oil: Use an oil with a high smoke point. Peanut, avocado, canola, and sunflower oils are all good choices.

How to Make this Recipe

Cut a banana down the middle lengthwise.

Roll the banana half in raw sugar. (If you are using the super-sweet baby bananas, you can probably skip this step.)

Wrap prepared banana half in a lumpia wrapper. You can do this "burrito-style,' or leave the ends open.

Methods for Frying Banana Lumpia

Lumpia, banana and otherwise, is traditionally deep-fried, but we're not big on deep-frying (Hot Chicken notwithstanding).

If you want to deep fry these rolls, go for it; you will get that golden brown color all the way around. However, after making this tasty little snack a number of times, I find that pan-frying is the easiest way to go, followed by air-frying. (Easy clean-up!)

Pan-frying

Pour a scant ¼-inch oil into a medium skillet and heat over medium heat until it reaches about 350°F | 176°C. (A drop of water should sizzle when dropped in the pan.)

Carefully lay wrapped banana halves seam down in the pan. Do not crowd.

Fry on one side until golden, and then flip and repeat on the other side.

Drain on paper towels and serve immediately, alone or with caramel for dipping. (They are also good hours later - they just aren't as crispy.)

Air-frying

Banana Lumpia are super easy to fry in an air fryer, too!

Preheat air-fryer to it to 400°F | 205°C for 5 minutes.

Lightly brush each roll with peanut or canola oil.

Immediately place prepared rolls into the basket, allowing for space around each one. Do not crowd.

Air fry for 5 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.

You can serve the banana rolls as is, but a dip or two in some caramel sauce will take them to a whole ‘nother level. Enjoy!

FAQs & Expert Tips

Tips for Separating Lumpia Wrapers

Earlier, I mentioned that the hardest part of this recipe is finding the lumpia wrappers. That isn't quite accurate: the hardest part isn’t really buying the lumpiawrappers so much as it is pulling them apart.

Lumpia wrappers (or spring roll) are rice-paper thin, and take a delicate touch to separate. Spring Home, the brand of wrappers we prefer using for this recipe, are by far the most resilient and easiest to separate of those I have tried over the years.

There is a downside to this brand though: the outcome is a little heavier, and less crisp than some of the more delicate brands.

The best method I have found for separating sticky wrappers is to peel them back slowly, the same way you might pull a label off a jar when you are trying to get it off in one piece. (Some people suggest steaming them to soften them before using, but I haven't tried that method yet.)

Late-Night Lumpia Wrapper Hack

If you find this recipe in the middle of the night, or live in a place where fresh lumpia wrappers aren't just around the corner at your local Asian market, you can use flour tortillas.

I know this because I have made them in the middle of the night, and while the tortilla wrapper makes for an entirely different texture and flavor (and probably a different, more culturally appropriate name) it will definitely satisfy a late night sweet tooth.

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