Sweet Baked Plantains with Bacon

These Sweet Baked Plantains with Bacon are the perfect bite-sized appetizers! They’re AIP, Paleo and gluten-free and definite crowd-pleasers.

Skip the frying! Make these easy oven-baked sweet plantains wrapped in bacon as your next fun appetizer or snack that’s gluten-free, paleo and AIP! 

First, let’s talk a bit about plantain.

Sweet plantains are absolutely delicious and a hallmark of many Caribbean, Latin American and West African dishes. They offer a delicious sweet, almost creamy complement to many savory and spicy dishes.

Plantains aren’t bananas, but you might think of them as their starchy cousins. They’re eaten cooked, rather than raw, and have a thick exterior. Plantains are super versatile and one of my favorite foods.

What’s the best way to cook plantain?

Growing up in Trinidad we ate sweet fried plantains almost weekly. I have fond memories of my mother shooing me away from the stove as a kid, because I was so eager to eat them! I would always try to sneak a slice of hot fried plantain just as it was transferred from the skillet to a cooling rack.

Now that I’m the cook, I find it much easier and less labor intensive to bake rather than fry my plantains. Not only does baking plantains save on time and effort, but greatly reduces the amount of oil needed.

In this 2-ingredient recipe, you slice sweet ripe plantains, wrap them in bacon, and then bake them in the oven for a perfect sweet and savory bacon appetizer. No oil necessary! This is truly the perfect easy AIP snack or appetizer!

How do you know when a plantain is ready to cook?

You can cook plantains when they are green, ripe or over-ripe.

• Green plantains are green in color, very firm to the touch, and not sweet.
• A ripe plantain is one that is a warm, bright yellow with black spots on it. It is just slightly firm to the touch, but definitely has some give to it. The best way to cook ripe sweet plantains is by baking them and that’s exactly why we use them in this bacon-wrapped plantain recipe.
• On the other hand, over-ripe plantains are mostly black in color, much softer in texture and much sweeter in taste. It’s possible to use them in this recipe but they’re harder to work with since they’re softer in texture and so more difficult to slice.

This easy appetizer recipe pairs sweet ripe plantains with bacon to achieve a complex umami taste alongside the salty, rich bacon. *chef’s kiss*

What you’ll need to make these Bacon Wrapped Plantains

• two large, ripe plantains – as I mention above, a ripe plantain is yellow with a few black spots on it. Ripe plantain is key to getting the sweetness in this sweet and salty AIP snack. 
• one (12 oz) pack of bacon – if you’re following the autoimmune protocol, you’ll want to ensure ingredients are AIP compliant.

How to prepare plantain and bacon

• Using a paring knife, cut the ends of each plantain.
• Run the knife vertically along the plantains to score the skin.
• Peel back the skin and discard.
• Slice the plantain into 1/2 inch rounds and lay onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Cut the entire pack of bacon strips in half.
• Wrap each half of bacon strip around the sliced plantain and replace onto baking sheet.

Tips for making Sweet Baked Plantains with Bacon:

• If your plantains aren’t as ripe as you’d like them, brush the bacon with some maple syrup once you’ve wrapped it around the slices of plantain.
• When prepping your bacon appetizers, place the folded side of the bacon down on baking sheet. This way the bacon will stick onto itself creating neat little bite-sized treats.
• Want to try a different variation? Drizzle the finished appetizer with maple syrup and dust with some cayenne (AIP reintroduction) or powdered ginger once out the oven.
• Pop some toothpicks into the appetizers for easy serving!

FAQs

WHERE DO YOU PURCHASE PLANTAINS?

Here in Toronto, plantains can be found at most major grocery stores including Whole Foods and No Frills. The Caribbean market I shop at also carries these.

Can you use frozen plantain in this recipe?

Yes, it should work, however, I would allow to defrost before wrapping in bacon and baking.

How do you store these sweet baked plantains with bacon?

These are best served hot, immediately out the oven. Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven.

Try these other AIP and paleo plantain recipes for grain-free diets:

• Plantain Casserole 
• AIP Beef Patties 
• Zucchini Carrot Muffins 

More easy paleo and AIP appetizers: 

• Sticky Honey Garlic Meatballs
• Easy Grain-free Nachos
• Stuffed Sweet Potato Cakes

If you try these Sweet Baked Plantains with Bacon I would love if you could give the recipe a star rating and short review. Be sure to snap a picture of the finished product and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @healmedelicious

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