Sourdough Banana Fritters [crispy + delicious]

These sourdough banana fritters are crispy, sweet and all things delicious! You can use this sourdough banana fritter batter to make sourdough banana waffles or even banana pancakes.

This recipe works with sourdough discard or fed, active starter - use whatever you have on hand. You'll need 150g of starter.

It takes just a few minutes to mix up the batter (in which time you can be heating the oil). Fry them until golden and dust with cinnamon sugar and you've got a treat that will become your signature dish!

If you love all things deep fried, you might also love these sourdough apple fritters, sourdough elephant ears, fried sourdough donuts or sourdough onion rings. Or maybe these sourdough banana waffles or sourdough banana bread is more your style.

What Is A Fritter?

A fritter can refer to various types of fried food, generally consisting of small pieces of meat, vegetables, fruit, or dough.

Some fritters can be made from a pancake type batter with small pieces of meat and vegetables. Others are more like a dough with yeast or baking powder to leaven them.

Fritters can be of various textures, but most are between a pancake and a donut.

Fritters can be sweet or savory (like these sourdough zucchini fritters).

While you're frying a batch of banana fritter, you might like to try these fried sourdough onion rings.

What Do Sourdough Banana Fritters Taste Like?

These sourdough banana fritters are like the perfect combination of a donut and a pancake with a sweet banana twist. Seriously they are out of this world delicious.

They have a crispy fried outter and a soft, bready inside - much like the texture of a donut ... only better!

These fritters are sweet because they are made with overripe bananas. However, adding just 50g of sugar means they aren't sickly sweet. They are definitely better with a dusting of cinnamon sugar.

If you've got even more overripe bananas to use up, why not try this easy sourdough banana bread?

Can I Use Sourdough Discard?

The great thing about these sourdough banana fritters is that you can use either sourdough discard or active, bubbly sourdough starter. Much like this sourdough banana muffins recipe, it really doesn't matter.

I often feed my starter a bit extra in the morning so that I can make these for dessert with fresh starter. You can find instructions for doing this here.

But if you have a jar of discard in the fridge that needs to be used up, that would work just as well.

How To Make Sourdough Banana Fritters

Sourdough banana fritters really are the most simple recipe! I love making these as a treat for my boys - they are great for a quick easy dessert. But we love them on a cold, rainy day too.

There's just something about these deep fried, crispy banana fritters!

You literally need just one bowl and a fork to mix up the batter! How easy is that?

And if you don't want to deep fry the fritters, you can use the batter for waffles or even pancakes.

Here's how to make sourdough banana fritters:

1. Before you starter, turn on your deep frier or pot of oil (I have used my Dutch Oven that I bake bread in, filled with 2L of vegetable oil).
   
2. Mash the overripe bananas with the back of a fork until they have turned into a puree (a little chunky is fine).
   
3. Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla to the bananas and whisk together until foamy.
   
4. Now add the sourdough starter, flour, baking powder and salt and whisk until it forms a batter. It will be spoonable, but you don't want it too thick.
   
5. Once the oil is at temperature, test a small drop of batter. If it sizzles and floats, the oil is ready.
   
6. Spoon blobs of sourdough banana fritter mixture into the hot oil. They don't have to be perfect, they will be funny shapes and that's ok! Allow them to fry in the oil for a few minutes before using a metal scoop to turn them.
   
7. They will turn a dark golden color. After 5 minutes in the oil, remove them and place them on a paper towel to drain.
   
8. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar if desired.

Best Tips & Troubleshooting

While this recipe is super easy to make, there are a few things that can ensure you get the best possible fritters!

Here are my best tips for ensuring success every time:

• Overripe bananas will give you the sweetest, crispiest fritters. Keep a bag of frozen overripe bananas in your freezer for when fritter cravings hit!
  
• Always use baking powder (not baking soda) to ensure you get puffy, light fritters.
  
• The consistency of your batter will depend on your sourdough starter - if your starter is a little runny, you might need a little extra flour to thicken up the batter.
  
• The batter needs to be spoonable, but still runny enough to be light when fried. They can be messy but don't worry. They make up for it in taste! You can use a piping bag to drop it into the hot oil if you want to, but it's not essential.
  
• Make sure your oil is hot. If the oil isn't hot enough the fritters won't fry and will be really oily. Hot oil means the oil stays on the outside, leaving the inside soft and fluffy. Aim for oil at 350F to 375F (176C to 190C). A thermometer will ensure your oil is at the optimum temperature.
  
• You don't need to have a fancy deep fryer to make these. As you can see in the photo below, I simply use the Dutch Oven I make sourdough bread in. I fill it with 2L of vegetable oil.
  
• Make sure you have a metal scoop that will allow you to remove the cooked fritters. You don't want to use plastic. I love this metal net scoop set (it's great for bagels too!).

What Else Can I Make?

This sourdough banana fritter batter makes really lovely sourdough banana waffles and banana pancakes.

You can use the batter as it is for the most delicious waffles. I like to brush the waffle irons with a little butter before I put the mixture in. This ensures it really crisps up! I serve the waffles topped with slices of banana, chopped macadamia nuts and a generous serving of honey cinnamon butter.

To make pancakes, you may need to thin the batter down just a little with some milk. Then cook the pancakes as you normally would, using a little melted butter in the pan. You could also use this recipe for sourdough banana waffles.

How To Serve Sourdough Banana Fritters

These sourdough banana fritters can literally be eaten warm, straight out of the fryer! Seriously it's a challenge not to eat them as you make them.

But if you want to take them to the next level, you could try some of these ideas:

• Serve fritters warm, drizzled with chocolate fudge sauce alongside some good quality banana ice cream (this is my kids favorite!!!).
  
• Add pineapple to the batter for a tropical twist!
  
• Serve on a fruit platter with chocolate dipping sauce.
  
• Drizzle with butterscotch sauce and crushed nuts and serve with caramelised banana slices.
  
• Use any leftover fritters to make a delicious bread and butter pudding or French Toast casserole.

Want More Recipes?

If you are loving this recipe for sourdough banana fritters, you might also enjoy these recipes:

• Sourdough Zucchini Fritters
• Sourdough Onion Rings
• Fluffy Sourdough Discard Pancakes
• No Wait Sourdough Waffles
• Whole Wheat Sourdough Pancakes with Banana and Oats
• Easy Sourdough Banana Bread

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