Dessert during the September Challenge? Heck yeah! Especially if it’s a Caramelized Banana and Peanut Butter “Quesadilla!” I’ve been buying bananas because they’re one of the cheapest produce items available to me, but sometimes I get a little tired of them and I’m not a fan of overly browned bananas… well, not by themselves anyway. Pair them with some brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and peanut butter and I’m on board!
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That’s Not a Quesadilla!
Yeah, yeah, I know, the “quesa” in quesadilla means cheese and there is no cheese in this caramelized banana and peanut butter “quesadilla.” Sometimes recipe names are figurative, especially dessert recipe names. Dessert pizza isn’t really pizza, but the world keeps turning.
Use Your Over-Ripe Bananas
If you’re like me and just have one banana that’s past your prime, or not enough to make a batch of banana bread, these caramelized banana quesadillas are a great answer. Just a few minutes and a couple of pantry staples and you’ve got yourself one of the most decadent, ooey-gooey, sweet desserts around! And if you happen to have some vanilla ice cream on hand, make sure to add a scoop on top!
Other Uses For Caramelized Bananas
These sticky sweet caramelized bananas are great for more than just dessert “quesadillas.” You could totally scoop them onto your oatmeal, a bowl of ice cream, add them to some yogurt with granola for a parfait, or scoop them onto some banana pudding.
Caramelized Banana and Peanut Butter Quesadilla
Servings 1Ingredients
- 1 ripe banana ($0.22)
- 1 small flour tortilla ($0.10)
- 1 Tbsp peanut butter ($0.06)
- 1/2 Tbsp butter ($0.07)
- 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.02)
- 1 dash cinnamon ($0.02)
Instructions
- Slice the banana. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add the sliced banana and brown sugar. Cook the banana in the butter and brown sugar until the slices turn golden brown and slightly sticky. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Spread the peanut butter over half of the quesadilla. Scoop the caramelized banana slices onto the peanut butter. Sprinkle a dash of cinnamon on top. Fold the empty half of the tortilla over the filled side.
- Place the quesadilla in a clean dry skillet and cook over medium heat until golden brown and crispy on both sides. Slice the quesadilla into triangles using a large knife or pizza cutter, then serve.
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Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!More Uses for Ripe Bananas:
- Yogurt Banana Bread
- Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal
- Banana Flax Muffins
- No Sugar Added Banana Nut Granola
How to Make Banana Peanut Butter Dessert Quesadillas – Step by Step Photos
Start with one ripe banana. Ripe bananas have a higher sugar content, which is really important for the flavor and caramelizing action.
Slice the banana and spread 1 Tbsp peanut butter over half of one small flour tortilla.
Melt 1/2 Tbsp butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add the sliced bananas and sprinkle 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar over top. Cook the bananas in the butter and sugar.
Cook until the bananas get a golden brown coating from the caramelized butter and sugar. They should be sticky and gooey. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Scoop the caramelized bananas onto the peanut butter side of the tortilla. Add a dash of cinnamon (my cinnamon came out REALLY fast. Ooops.)
Fold the tortilla closed, then cook in a clean dry skillet over medium heat until the tortilla is golden brown and crispy on both sides. Yes, I used two skillets because the sugar left over in the caramelized skillet would have made the tortilla stick, but it’s SO worth it.
Slice the quesadilla into triangles. You can use a large knife, but I find that a pizza wheel works the best. If you cut from the “open” side in towards the folded edge, you’ll get less oozing.
Yaassssssss. So warm, sweet, and delicious. This Caramelized Banana and Peanut Butter Quesadilla is the perfect little treat.
Hi, I’m a young college student who’s lazy and doesn’t have a lot of time to make stuff. This recipe IS SO EASY and SO good.
The only change I made was I drizzled a little bit of chocolate syrup on the slices!!! This was so yummy. Thank u.
WOW!!! The Caramelized Banana and Peanut Butter Quesadilla is so good!!!! I had a terrible sweet tooth when I came home from work, and wanted to make something simple. I forgot to add the cinnamon to the filling, but it was delicious anyway. I’ll definitely make this recipe again. Thanks, Beth!!! :-)
you beautiful genious, you
Delicious, and super filling! I had one for breakfast about 3 hours ago and am not at all hungry yet. I only used 1/2 tsp of brown sugar, and it was plenty sweet. Will definitely make again!
Quesadilla comes from “Queso” and “tortilla” this recipe lacks the only mandatory thing on a quesadilla: queso.
Wow. You suck as a human being.
Who cares!!!!
Banadilla
I’ll have to agree… he DOES suck as a human.
Your thought didn’t need to be expressed. It didn’t actually clarify anything. Every individual here, including you, got the point she was making. Every individual here, including you, knows she’s fully aware of what a quesadilla technically is. If you don’t have any creativity or flexibility, that’s your short-coming, not hers.
Fantastic! Every time I buy a handful of bananas I always think I will eat them all and then somehow they start going bad before I do. I’m certain by this weekend I’ll have at least one to try this out. Looks so yummy!
I also like to have banas in the house but they often go bad before anyone eats them. Now when they start to get tose brown spots on the peel I peel them, put the bananas in plastic wrap to freeze them and throw out the brown peel. then I defrost them in a few days when someone wants one in a PB sandwich or a smoothie.I can’t wait to try this recipe!!Have you ever put the PB and sliced bananas in the microwave and heated them in the micro?I know the fruit wouldn’t be carmelized, but I wonder if it would tast good, anyway, looking for dorm cooking ideas for my daughter…