Making dried plantains isn’t hard to do! Just follow a few simple steps and you’ll be snacking away in no time at all!
How to Make Dried Plantains!
*UPDATE* I just learned that ghee is allowed during the 30 Day Reset! I am jumping for joy over here! I own an early review version of the book, and apparently, that recommendation has been modified. Page 46 now states, “ghee is permitted because it contains only trace amounts of dairy proteins and lactose”. Woo-hoo! Game-on! Let’s do this! Who’s in?!?
After talking about it for over a month, I am finally going to get started with a 30 Day Reset this upcoming Monday! If you aren’t sure what a 30 Day Reset is, it is the Paleo protocol outlined by Chris Kresser in his new book, Your Personal Paleo Code. Which, by the way, is now a New York Times Bestseller! I am a big fan of this book. You can read my full review here.
The 30 Day Reset is not going to be easy for me. It requires that you avoid all dairy for a 30 day period, including butter and ghee. I eat SO much butter and ghee! I ate butter by the spoonful when I was pregnant. True story! I even wrote a section in my new cookbook called, “For the Love of Butter”. So, you get the gist. I really like butter.
It is going to be toughest when I have to resist the bites of food Indyanna offers me. She is so insistent on sharing her food and feeding everyone around her. It must be the half-Armenian in her, feeding people is in her blood!
Also, no dark chocolate for this 30 day period. 🙁 Although dark chocolate is a nutrient-dense food, many people that are intolerant of gluten are also intolerant of proteins in dark chocolate. I am curious to see if I am one of these people, as I have never gone long without dark chocolate.
I don’t think I have shared this with you before, but I am allergic to tomatoes. They are one of the foods that trigger my headaches. I plan to write more about this soon(ish).
You have probably noticed that tomatoes show up in my recipes regularly. I find it really difficult to develop recipes without them. They add such a perfect savory flavor. Plus, I am not just developing recipes for me, I am developing them for you! And most of you don’t have a tomato allergy. I cook with tomatoes often, but I just take a bite or two to taste for flavor (even then I sometimes get a headache from it) and then I eat something else for dinner, while my family enjoys the tomato filled culinary creation. So, for this 30 day period, I am also going to completely avoid tomatoes, not even taste tests.
I’ll plan on doing a weekly check-in about my 30 Day Reset here, plus sharing any tomato-free recipes that I come up with that are good enough to post!
Now that the 30 Day Reset is set in stone, and I can’t back out, we can move on to the dried plantains recipe!
How to Make Dried Plantains
We usually fry up plantains in some coconut oil, which is a really delicious way to eat them. I really love plantains, they are slightly sweet and starchy. I personally find that I feel better with a little more carbs in my diet.
I decided to try something different this time and dehydrate them. I figured they would make a good on-the-go snack this way. It looks like I will be going on a little book tour in the beginning of April. I am so excited to get a chance to meet some of you! Dates and locations aren’t quite set, so I will share more, as soon as I have more details.
Some of that time, I will be traveling with a toddler, so I know that we will need some healthy Paleo snacks to keep us both feeling good. These ended up being a clear winner. Indyanna and I ate them all in a matter of 2 days. I don’t even think Brooke got any!
I sliced these thinly using my mandolin, which I have been obsessed with ever since I got it for Christmas. I just love how evenly it slices everything. It is the best for making sweet potato chips! I used to be nervous about using one because they are so sharp and I am so clumsy! But, I haven’t had any problems with this one. If you don’t have a mandolin, you can just slice these with a knife.
You will need a dehydrator for this project. I use this one. It’s a really simple one that cost less than $35. It works great. However, it doesn’t allow you to adjust the temperature. It is set at 160F, which actually hasn’t been a problem for me. If I was going to buy it again, I would consider spending a little more and getting this one, with an adjustable temperature gauge.
Dried Plantains
Ingredients
4 plantains, thinly sliced (I used plantains with yellow peels, and some black spots)
2 tablespoons avocado oil (I use the Avohaus garlic avocado oil, you can also substitute melted coconut oil)
sea salt
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Dried Plantains
Ingredients
- 4 plantains, thinly sliced (I used plantains with yellow peels, and some black spots)
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl combine the plantains and avocado (or coconut) oil. Gently toss to make sure the plantains are well coated. Lightly sprinkle with some sea salt.
- Line the dehydrator with the sliced plantains, making sure not to overlap.
- Dry for 7 hours at 160F. I wanted mine on the crispier side. If you want them chewier, dry for 4 to 5 hours.
- Store in an air tight container.
Have you done a 30 Day Reset? If not, are you interested in trying it? Let us know below!
How ripe are the plantains that you used for this recipe?
That is a great question, Lynne. I will update the post to reflect this information. I used plantains that were mostly yellow with some black spots.
I’m super new to your website (as in…this is the first post I’ve read) so I haven’t seen what you’ve been saying about the 30 day reset. Can you tell me more about it and why you’re doing it? Thanks!
Hi Laura! Thank you so much for stopping by my site. Chris Kresser’s 30 Day Reset, is similar to a Whole30 program – basically a clean Paleo diet. But, I really like his approach as after the 30 days he walks you through adjusting your diet so it fits your individual needs.
I have been following a Paleo diet for 5 years, but lately I have been really stressed and I’ve been eating treats like ice cream and dried fruit more often than is good for me. I thought doing a 30 Day Reset would be helpful in improving my own health, and also in encouraging my blog readers to give Paleo a try! I highly recommend reading Chris’ book, if you are new to the Paleo lifestyle.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Could I use coconut oil if I melted it slightly? Will this work on regular bananas? My only attempt was using bananas and coconut oil. They were mushy. Never dried. Used them as a fruit topping. Also very dark. Unappetizing looking. Maybe I needed less oil or do I need to switch to plantains??
Hi Leslie! Coconut oil will work just fine. I have never dried bananas myself, but I have eaten them and they were brown and mushy. But, they did taste good!
Is your reset starting this Monday, February 10? If so, I’m interested.
Yes! I am going to start Monday. I plan to post weekly check-ins and some recipes for you. I would love it if you joined me, Leslie! I highly recommend reading Chris Kresser’s book for best results.