Earth-shatteringly crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, these Turon with a drizzle of honey and a few shakes of confectioners sugar, are perfection! And… I’ve made you a VIDEO so you can see just how quick and easy they are to make!
Lumpia are derived from Chinese spring rolls, you may also know them as egg rolls. In the Philippines, they have a sweet version known as Turon. It’s frequently made with bananas, plantains, and/or jackfruit, rolled in brown sugar, wrapped, and deep fried to golden-brown perfection. I essentially did just that, though for this version I used baby bananas; also known as finger bananas, they are basically mini bananas but with a slightly sweeter and creamier texture. And due to their petite size, they fit perfectly into a crispy little wrapper. I also added a touch of cinnamon to the sugar mix because hey, that sounds pretty great, right?! To top it all off, I drizzled them with some honey and added a few shakes of confectioners sugar. The result – super crispy, perfectly sweet, Turon.
When you’re shopping for lumpia/spring roll wrappers, you may want to hit-up your local Asian grocery store. I prefer the Menlo and Wei-Chan brands but you’re probably safe with any Asian spring roll wrapper brand. Sometimes they’ll even say, ‘super thin’ on the package – which is exactly what you want! What you don’t want, are the wrappers typically found in general grocery stores. These are thick pasta-like sheets and will yield a bubbled outer layer that resemble something like a spring roll with leprocy – not what I would call appetizing. Aside from being unappealing on the exterior, the interior layers never really cook through so they stay raw and chewy – these do not make for good eating.
Whether you’re serving these for dessert at a dinner party or just a quiet dinner at home you can wrap these babies ahead of time and fry them up just before serving. The day before you plan on serving them – wrap them all up, cover with a damp (not wet) paper towel, wrap well in plastic, and then refrigerate. The next day remove them from the fridge as your oil is heating up and then fry em’ up!
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 baby bananas*
- 8 lumpia or spring roll wrappers, thawed*
- canola oil for frying
- honey to drizzle
- confectioners to sprinkle
- vanilla ice cream, optional
- In a bowl or plate, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Peel and slice the baby bananas in half, lengthwise. If you are using regular bananas, slice them in half crosswise and then lengthwise (so you'll end up with 4 pieces from 1 regular banana). Roll each banana piece in the cinnamon and sugar mix, lightly brushing off any excess.
- Place 1 wrapper on your work surface so that one point is facing you. Place 1 banana piece at the bottom of the wrapper point and tightly roll up to the halfway point. Then fold each side over the wrapped banana and then keep rolling up. Right before you get to the last rotation, use your finger to brush the open flap with water and continue to roll up to seal. (See the VIDEO for instruction).
- Pour the canola oil in a frying pan to the depth of about 2 inches. Heat to 370 degrees F. Then carefully add 4 banana rolls and allow to cook until golden-brown, about 2 minutes per side. Using a slotted spoon, remove the banana rolls and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Allow the oil to return to 370 degrees F and cook the remaining 4 banana rolls in the same manner.
- To serve, drizzle with honey and using a fine-meshed sieve, dust the rolls with confectioners. Serve with a scoop of ice cream and enjoy immediately.
* When you're shopping for lumpia/spring roll wrappers, you may want to hit-up your local specialty or Asian grocery store. Personally, I like the Menlo and Wei-Chan brands but you're probably safe with any Asian brand. You can use the wrappers carried by general grocery stores, but those wrappers tend to bubble up and are thicker than other more authentic brands.
DELISH, girl! I think banana that has been cooked is fantastic! Soft and sweet. Combine with the crispy egg roll skin, this is a winning dessert!
Absolutely! Creamy banana inside, super crispy outside – how can you go wrong 😉
You are too funny, Kathleen, “like a spring roll with leprosy…” True, not very appetizing. 🙂
Keith used to work with a man from the Philippines and one year his wife made us a huge batch of savory lumpia. They were AWESOME, but we haven’t had them since. I’m so glad you reminded me about them because I’d love to try this sweet version.
Love your video too; you wrap these like a boss.
That reminds me of a woman I used to work. One office party she brought savory lumpia and they were so perfectly rolled, all exactly the same size, that I thought she bought them (I hope I didn’t offend her). But omg, they were SO incredible. I definitely made a pig of myself that day 🙂
So does that mean you have a savory version coming soon? #hinthint 😉
How incredibly delicious, Kathleen! We have a traditional dessert here in the UK called simply ‘banana fritters’ which remind me a bit of these.
I loved your video – it’s very reassuring to see how easy they are to make 🙂
Ooo… those sound wonderful! Are the banana fritters wrapped?
I like the sound of crispy on the outside and soft and sweet on the inside. I might drizzle them with a little chocolate sauce 😉
Go for it! A little chocolate sauce + banana is definitely a winning combination 🙂
Oh Lawrdy Kathleen. These little numbers are teasing me because they know I haven’t eaten in 10 hours and my belly is a-rumblin’. I love those teeny, tiny bananas. They are way sweeter than their bigger siblings. Then you had to roll them in cinnamon sugar (ahhh. . .Cinnamon fanatic up in here), deep fry them, and THEN drizzle them in honey. That’s all this hungry girl can take.
Lol! I was smiling and giggling throughout your entire comment. Thanks girl 🙂
Love these, Kathleen, and the video was great! Can’t wait to hear more about the big things coming up for you!
Thanks Sabrina! I can’t wait to share the news with you 🙂
I literally said, “Oh my” twice looking at this one and my dogs sitting next to me looked around at me like I was talking to them! This is my kinda dessert Kathleen, although I’d probably sneak in a few chocolate chips – just because!
Too funny! One of my dogs does that to me all the time! He’ll be sitting next to me on the couch and anytime I say something (whether it’s to him or not), he cocks his head from side to side like he’s trying to figure out what I’m saying. Cracks me up every time. Aren’t dogs the absolute best?!
Kat these look divine!!! We used to make something like this back in culinary school 🙂 Naturally my Philippino friend taught me how to make them 🙂 She used to make them with banana and chocolate. But these look just as good!!!! And I love that the munchkin can help me roll them on up!
Aww… I can just picture you and munchkin – too cute 🙂
I get these all the time at Thai restaurants and why the heck am I doing that because they are so easy????!!!!??? That you for once again opening my eyes and showing me what I should be making and eating at home (every night too because now I know how to make them) 😉
Ooo… these could be quite dangerous 😉
OH MY GOD! This lumpia looks so DELICIOUS, Kathleen. I have never heard of banana lumpia before but looking at in ingredients I want it. LOVE your video, now I know I can also make it. You made this look super easy. Thanks for wonderful share! 🙂
These are so easy to make! You’re going to love them, Anu 🙂
Oh my Lordy, these look uhmazing!!! I SO need these in my life. I love their petit size too! Great video as well <3
Their petit size means that you can eat more 😉
These look and sound heavenly, I’m sure the added cinnamon was a perfect match!
Thanks Fida! Cinnamon, honey, and sugar is hard to beat in my book 🙂
Oh my goodness! Can I just say that those little bananas are just the cutest?! Great video, too, by the way. I’m going to have to try this soon. Super easy to put together and I just bet they are addictive! I can imagine the crunch now and then the soft interior and the sweetness from the honey and sugar. YUM!! Pinned 🙂 Thanks for sharing, Kathleen!
Aren’t they just the cutest? And yes, totally addictive. Thanks, Dawn 🙂
“Earth-shatteringly crispy” has my name written all over it! I watched your video on FB and couldn’t wait to run over and say – Yaaaaas, lady! I am loving this!
Lol, who can resist a crispy exterior and creamy inside, right? Thank you my dear 🙂
These look so delicious and the way you describe them makes me drool even more 🙂 Gorgeous! Pinning to try them!
Thanks Mira 🙂
Oh my word!! Seriously, so much drool going on over here, girlfriend!! This, “Earth-shatteringly crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside” description made my tummy do a happy dance for sure!! I’ve had lumpia before, but never Turon. Clearly that needs to change immediately because these are all sorts of fabulous! Love love love! Pinned! Cheers!
Oh Cheyanne, you’ve gotta give these a try! Serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you’re tummy will definitely do a happy dance!
These look gorgous and delicious…I am definitely inspired to make these…thanks
Thanks Lyn! I’m sure you’re going to love them! 🙂