Sweet Plantains with Homemade Syrup

Sweet Plantains with Homemade Syrup (Amarillos en Almíbar) are yellow plantains that are fried in oil and then cooked in a homemade spiced syrup.   Amarillos are yellow plantains that are sweet and ripe.  Amarillos mean “yellow” and Almíbar means “syrup” in English.

We normally just fry the yellow plantains in oil until they turn a golden-brown color.  They tend to caramelize with crispy edges due to the high sugar content and then you serve them warm to accompany your main course.  However, when you combine the fried sweet plantains with a homemade syrup (Sweet Plantains with Homemade Syrup), you definitely bring this dish to another level of sweetness.

For this recipe, I will be preparing a much healthier version.  The ripe plantains will be fried in margarine made with olive oil, but you can use regular oil or butter.   I just arrived from Puerto Rico after a 2-½ month stay, and this dish was frequently listed on the menus as one of the side orders.

Food History!

The plantain is believed to have originated in Southeast Asia.  They are a member of the banana family but are longer, thicker and much starchier than the familiar banana.  The plantain may be prepared and eaten at various stages in its ripeness.

Peeling and Cutting the Yellow Plantains!

This is a yellow (ripe) plantain.  Cut off both ends with a knife.

Note:  You can use plantains that are riper with black spots as long as the plantains are firm.

Make a slit lengthwise barely touching the flesh from top to bottom. 

Peel the yellow plantain with your hands. 

Cut the yellow plantain into 1 to 1½-inch diagonal slices.  Depending on the size of the plantain, it will normally yield 5 to 8 slices. 

We just finished cutting 2 ripe plantains into diagonal slices.

Frying the Sweet Plantains!

The next step is to fry the ripe plantains.  In a 10-inch skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of margarine made with olive oil over medium heat.  If you prefer, you can use butter. 

Add the plantain slices once the margarine has melted.  Fry the plantain slices until they have a golden-brown color on one side. This should take approximately 4 to 10 minutes.  The timing can vary depending on the ripeness of the plantains and the temperature of the skillet. 

The plantain slices are golden brown after 7 minutes of frying. 

We can now turn them over to brown the other side.

After 5 minutes of frying, the plantain slices are golden brown on both sides.  The next step is to prepare the homemade syrup.

Preparing Sweet Plantains with Homemade Syrup!

We can now add the following ingredients:  3 cinnamon sticks, 5 cloves, and ½ cup of water.

Continue by adding ¼ cup of white cooking wine (this is optional).    

Note:  If you choose not to use the cooking wine, then increase the water to replace the quantity of wine. 

Lastly, add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. 

Stir all the ingredients until well blended.   Reduce heat to low medium.  Simmer until the sugar completely dissolves and the liquid reduces the syrup to the thickness you desire.   

 

The syrup still needs to thicken after several minutes of cooking.

Let’s check the consistency of the syrup.  It has the right thickness.  Immediately turn off the heat because the syrup will continue to thicken.  Remove the plantain slices from the skillet.  Place them in a bowl or on a plate.  

After removing the cloves and cinnamon sticks, pour the remaining syrup from skillet into a container or small pitcher to pour over the plantain slices.

Serving the Sweet Plantains with Homemade Syrup!

The Amarillos en Almíbar are coated with the homemade spiced syrup.  

Let’s pour a small amount of the remaining homemade syrup over the fried plantain slices for a sweeter taste.

We usually serve the Sweet Plantains with Homemade Syrup (Amarillos en Almíbar) warm and as a side dish to accompany the main course (meat or fish).  The amarillos are tender, sweet and tasty due to the homemade spiced syrup.  This dish can also be served with ice cream as a dessert.

Note:  Some recipes list star anise as an ingredient.  This spice has a sweet licorice flavor.   If you like licorice flavor, then try this spice. 

Click on the button below to watch my YouTube video on how to prepare Amarillos en Almíbar (Fried Sweet Plantains with Spiced Homemade Syrup)!

 

Recipe and Nutritional Facts!

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only.  Please refer to our Nutritional Facts Disclaimer for more information.

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