Turon (Filipino Banana Springrolls)

Turon is a classic Filipino street food where ripened bananas are wrapped in spring roll wrappers to create a light and crispy snack! Paired with thin strips of jackfruit, this turon is not only tropical and delicious, but also incredibly simple to make at home.

Bananas are found everywhere in the Philippines, and so there’s no surprise why Filipinos are such huge fans of them.

When the bananas are rolled in brown sugar, wrapped in spring roll wrappers, and deep fried, the result is a light and addictive snack that can be eaten at any time of the day or even for dessert!

Ingredients

Bananas: The traditional bananas used in most Filipino dishes/desserts are Saba bananas, which you can either find fresh or most likely frozen in Western markets. You can find these in most Filipino or Asian groceries *(More information on bananas in the below section)

Brown sugar: Turon isn’t Turon without the sugar. You’ll need brown sugar for this, but feel free to use white sugar or coconut sugar if you prefer. The taste won’t be as caramelized, but I’m sure it would still taste great.

Spring roll wrappers: You can find this in most Asian groceries. Be sure not to confuse these with egg roll wrappers, which tend to be thicker in texture. We want these spring rolls to be light and crisp! *(More information on bananas in the below section)

Cornstarch: A little starch mixed with our water will help form a slurry to adequately seal our Turon to prevent unraveling.

Langka (jackfruit): This is optional, but my parents always put slices of jackfruit into their Turon to make it more tasty and a little more interesting. Canned or fresh jackfruit should work.

Bananas: Which to use?

The two most common bananas used for Filipino turon are either Saba bananas or Plantains.

Saba bananas can be found either fresh or frozen. In the West, fresh ones can be difficult to find, so I usually go for the frozen options.

You’ll typically find saba being sold in most Asian or Filipino groceries. This is my go-to whenever I make turon since these are a tad-bit more firm (allowing it to hold up to frying and wrapping), and sticker/starchier (perfect for coating in brown sugar!)

Plantains are another great option. The darker in color they are, the sweeter and more perfect they are to use for our turon. I’ve had a lot of luck finding fresh plantains in most standard supermarkets, so make sure to check your local grocery if they carry any.

Of course, you could always use the regular/standard bananas (Cavendish) for turon. It won’t exactly be the same, but I’m sure it would still taste just as good. Due to their softer nature, they do tend to become slightly more mushy when heated, so the texture may also be slightly different.

Spring Roll Wrappers

Any spring roll wrapper should work for this recipe! I typically go for the “Spring Home” wrapper brands. They’re relatively cheap and sturdy enough to resist ripping and to keep all the bananas and jackfruit inside.

If you really wanted to go for authentic turon, I’d highly recommend visiting your local Filipino grocery or supermarket (if accessible) to find the Filipino springroll wrappers (aka. lumpia wrappers).

Unlike standard spring roll wrappers that are square, lumpia wrappers are much thinner and circular in shape. When fried, they take on a signature lightness and crisp that one would usually taste whenever eating fried Filipino foods.

Instructions

Cut the saba bananas in half, lengthwise (if using plantains or regular bananas, you might need to section these into smaller pieces since they tend to be larger), and slice the jackfruit into thin strips (if using).

Coat the banana slices evenly with brown sugar, then place it in the middle of your spring roll wrapper along with the jackfruit strips.

Roll the banana and jackfruit tightly with the wrapper and seal shut using the cornstarch slurry mixture. Repeat this for the rest of the remaining ingredients.

There are 2 ways that you can fold turon:

• Standard spring roll method: With the banana and jackfruit strips in the middle of your wrapper, lift the bottom corner to envelop/cover the filling. Fold the left and right corners to the centre and gently roll upwards, keeping the roll tight to prevent unravelling. Just before finishing the roll, brush some of the cornstarch slurry mixture on the remaining top section of the wrapper to act as the “glue” in order to seal the turon shut.
• Traditional “one-roll” method: With the banana and jackfruit strips in the middle of your wrapper, lift the bottom corner to envelop/cover the filling. Gently roll upwards, keeping the roll tight, and making sure the filling stays in the middle of the wrapper (not coming out of the sides). Just before finishing the roll, brush some of the cornstarch slurry mixture on the remaining top section of the wrapper to seal the turon.

*The traditional method is my preferred way of rolling these since the end parts become extremely crunchy after frying!

Pour enough oil to deep fry the turon in a wide pan or pot and heat the oil to around 350 F. Once the oil is hot, spoon in around 2 teaspoons of brown sugar directly into the oil. Gently swirl the sugar around until it floats to the surface.

Place your turon into the oil, frying for about 2-5 minutes, or until the turon is golden brown and crispy. The sugar should begin to caramelize and coat the turon. Make sure to turn and flip occasionally to prevent burning on one side.

Drain the turon on a wire rack and let cool completely before serving. Enjoy!

Cooking Tips

• Cover your spring roll wrappers: The wrappers tend to dry up very easily when exposed to air. To prevent them from becoming brittle awhile you’re rolling, cover the unused wrappers with a moist paper towel or a damp kitchen towel until use.
• Strain out the excess sugar when frying multiple batches: Sugar can quickly become bitter when overcooked or burnt, so I’d recommend straining/scooping out most of the melted sugar leftover in the oil. For best results, always ensure to add new spoonfuls of brown sugar to the oil for each batch of Turon you fry.
• Don’t overcrowd your pan: Overcrowding not only drops the temperature of your oil, but it also increases chances of sticking due to the sugar coating on the surface. You’ll need some patience if you plan on frying multiple batches, it’s worth it.
• Cool on a wire rack: When finished frying, cool the turon on a wire rack (if you have one). Paper towels can leave the bottom-side of the turon soggy; and because of the sugar glaze, it may also stick to the turon itself.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

How long do these last?

Turon should typically be consumed as fresh as possible, to take advantage of their crunch. They can last for a few hours at room temperature, but anything longer than a day, and the turon ends up becoming soggy from the sugar glaze essentially melting.

If you did want to save them for future eats, these should be good for up to 2-3 days, though they might not be as crunchy.

To reheat, you can either place these in an air fryer, toaster oven, or microwave until fully heated-through.

Can I freeze these?

Turon freezers incredibly well, just like lumpia! To freeze, place these in an airtight container or inside Ziploc bags. for up to 3-4 months.

To fry, there’s no need to defrost. Simply fry from frozen until the outside is golden and the filling warmed.

Can I add more ingredients to my turon?

You definitely can. Apart from jackfruit, you can experiment with filling the turon with ube jam (halaya), coconut strips, chocolate, or even processed cheese.

And you aren’t limited to bananas either! Though non-traditional, some other fruits you can try include mangoes, peaches, apples, or strawberries (the method of instructions would follow the same).

How do I serve turon?

Turon is mainly eaten as a quick snack, normally served street-side by vendors in the Philippines. Otherwise, you can serve turon as more of a main dessert, by pairing it with ice cream, caramel, condensed milk, or even with halo halo!

How do I bake/air fry these?

While I haven’t personally tried this myself, some readers suggested you could try baking or air-frying the turon in a parchment-lined baking sheet at 425 F for 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway. To help with browning, you could try brushing the outside with some butter or an egg wash.

If you give this method a try, let me know, I’d be curious to see how this method works!

If you love CRISPY recipes as much as I do, then you’ll love some of my favorites!:

• Traditional Lumpia (Filipino springrolls)
• Fried Enoki Mushrooms
• Peach Mango Pocket Pies (Jollibee copycat)
• Crispy Roasted Potatoes