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    Home » Africa » Baked Banana Recipe (Akwadu) from Equatorial Guinea

    Baked Banana Recipe (Akwadu) from Equatorial Guinea

    Published on Jan 27, 2021 Modified: Jan 25, 2021 by The Foreign Fork This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

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    Baked Bananas (Akwadu) from Equatorial Guinea is a perfect recipe for breakfast OR dessert! The bananas are baked in orange juice, lemon juice, brown sugar, and coconut and can be served with honey!

    fork holding baked bananas with coconut on top

    “Hello Reader! I try my hardest to research recipes as best as I can before posting to ensure I am representing each culture correctly. If this recipe is from your country and I have made a mistake or you have suggestions for how to make it more authentic, I would love to hear! Please leave a comment below letting me know what should be different, and I will rework the recipe. It is always my intention to pay homage and respect to each cultural dish that I cook. Thanks for reading!”

    Recipe Origins

    Akwadu is a recipe popular in many African countries, especially Equatorial Guinea. It is made with sliced bananas that are drizzled with orange juice, lemon juice, coconut and brown sugar. 

    Akwadu is a popular breakfast recipe in Equatorial Guinea, but we ate it more like a dessert in my house. Feel free to enjoy it either way! It can also be made with plantains if you’d prefer to try it that way. 

    Why Make this Recipe

    1. Fruity Dessert: I love this dessert idea because it’s different than the normal chocolate, cookies, and cake I’m used to! Don’t get me wrong, I know the sugar on the bananas isn’t the healthiest, but knowing I’m eating bananas for dessert makes me feel a bit better about indulging!
    2. “Travel” to Equatorial Guinea: If you’ve never been to Equatorial Guinea before, this recipe is a great one to try to get a sense of the country. You can experience the “culture” of the country without ever leaving your home! 

    What Ingredients are in this Recipe

    Labeled ingredient shot
    1. Bananas: Peel the bananas and cut them into rounds about ½ of an inch thick. 
    2. Brown Sugar: I used dark brown sugar, but you can use light brown if that’s what you have on hand.
    3. Coconut: I used sweetened, shredded coconut
    4. Lemon Juice: ⅓ cup is about 1 lemon 
    5. Orange Juice: ⅓ cup is about 1 orange (I used clementine juice when making this as I forgot to grab and orange from the store) 
    6. Optional additions: Honey, cinnamon. 

    How to Make Baked Bananas

    Step 1: Prep the Recipe

    Collage of bananas in a baking tray

    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

    Cut the bananas into rounds about ½” in thickness and lay them in a shallow baking dish. Pour orange juice, lemon juice and butter over the bananas. 

    Sprinkle the brown sugar, coconut, and cinnamon on top. 

    Step 2: Bake the Bananas 

    Bananas sprinkled with cinnamon and coconut

    Place the baking tray in the oven for 15 minutes. When they are done baking, turn the oven to broil and broil for about 2 minutes, until the coconut is toasted on top. 

    Serve with honey if you so desire. Enjoy! 

    Expert Tips

    • If you’d prefer, you can try making this recipe with plantains as opposed to bananas. Make sure to use a browner plantain, as it will be sweeter! Don’t forget to take the skin off. 
    • The baked bananas would be absolutely delicious served in oatmeal for breakfast. If you want to go the dessert route, you can scoop them over ice cream! 
    • If you don’t want your bananas sitting in liquid when you are done, you can decrease the amount of liquid in the recipe
    • Drizzle the bananas with honey for an extra touch of sweetness. 

    Recipe FAQs

    Should I Use Green Bananas or Ripe Bananas? 

    Baked bananas (akwadu) with brown sugar and coconut

    I would recommend using riper bananas for this recipe. The riper the banana, the sweeter they will cook to!

    I used newly-yellow bananas the first time I made this recipe and wished I had used some riper ones.

    Can I Roast my Bananas on the Stove instead of in the Oven? 

    To caramelize your bananas on the stove, make sure to use a cast iron skillet. Follow this recipe for Caramelized Bananas in Pineapple Sauce from Benin to get your desired result.

    You can always switch out the pineapple juice in the recipe with orange juice/lemon juice like this baked banana recipe calls for. 

    Did you like this recipe for Baked Bananas (Akwadu) from Equatorial Guinea? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you:

    • Caramelized Bananas from Benin 
    • Corn Succotash from Equatorial Guinea
    • Banana Fritters from Djibouti
    • Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

    Baked Bananas (Akwadu) from Equatorial Guinea

    Baked Bananas (Akwadu) from Equatorial Guinea is a perfect recipe for breakfast OR dessert! The bananas are baked in orange juice, lemon juice, brown sugar, and coconut and can be served with honey!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast, Dessert
    Cuisine: african, Equatorial Guinea
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 17 minutes
    Total Time: 27 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 276kcal
    Author: The Foreign Fork

    Ingredients

    • 4 bananas, cut into ½ inch rounds
    • ⅓ cup orange juice
    • ⅓ cup lemon juice
    • 3 tbsp butter, melted
    • ¼ cup brown sugar
    • ¼ cup shredded coconut
    • ⅓ tsp Cinnamon
    • Honey, optional

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
    • Cut the bananas into rounds about ½” in thickness and lay them in a shallow baking dish. Pour orange juice, lemon juice and butter over the bananas.
    • Sprinkle the brown sugar, coconut, and cinnamon on top.
    • Place the baking tray in the oven for 15 minutes. When they are done baking, turn the oven to broil and broil for about 2 minutes, until the coconut is toasted on top.
    • Serve with honey if you so desire. Enjoy!

    Notes

    Recipe copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational or personal use only. 
     
    • Bananas: Peel the bananas and cut them into rounds about ½ of an inch thick. 
    • Brown Sugar: I used dark brown sugar, but you can use light brown if that’s what you have on hand.
    • Coconut: I used sweetened, shredded coconut
    • Lemon Juice: ⅓ cup is about 1 lemon 
    • Orange Juice: ⅓ cup is about 1 orange (I used clementine juice when making this as I forgot to grab and orange from the store)
    • Optional additions: Honey, cinnamon.
    • If you’d prefer, you can try making this recipe with plantains as opposed to bananas. Make sure to use a browner plantain, as it will be sweeter! Don’t forget to take the skin off. 
    • The baked bananas would be absolutely delicious served in oatmeal for breakfast. If you want to go the dessert route, you can scoop them over ice cream! 
    • If you don’t want your bananas sitting in liquid when you are done, you can decrease the amount of liquid in the recipe
    • Drizzle the bananas with honey for an extra touch of sweetness.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 95mg | Potassium: 529mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 384IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @TheForeignFork or tag #TheForeignFork!

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    Hi there! My name is Alexandria. Thanks for stopping by! Spices, ingredients, utensils, techniques… we’ll learn it all, together. Join me for me for struggles and laughs and some crazy concoctions. Learn More...
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