According to the Trader Joe’s website, fried, batter-dipped bananas are a popular street food in Thailand. Since no one on Freezer Meal Frenzy’s staff has actually been to Thailand, we’re going to have to take TJ’s word for it. As for what such a snack might taste like, though, we don’t have to remain in the dark, because we can try Trader Joe’s Thai Banana Fritters, which is exactly what we’re doing today.
Heating these is simple, and it’s pretty fast in the conventional oven. Just preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, place the banana fritters on a lined baking sheet, then cook for three minutes per side. (If you want to read the full cooking instructions straight off the box, scroll to the bottom of this review and check out the package scan.)
These do make for an interesting snack. They get a little bit crispy on the outside, but not quite as much as we were expecting (especially after eating some ludicrously crunchy chicken recently). The consistency of the banana inside is also just a tad bit firmer than we would have thought. Overall, we’d say this is comparable, consistency-wise, with a really soft piece of fried fish (though obviously without the fishy flavor or texture).
The flavor is quite good. The banana portion has a strong sweetness to it, which is only enhanced by the batter shell. In fact, this tastes a little bit like the fried bread you’d get at the fair. We even think that tossing a bit of powdered sugar on these would really make them pop, though we think some honey might work well too.
Even though Trader Joe’s shows these with a side of vanilla ice cream on their website, the fritters themselves are vegan-friendly. (If you want to read about some of our favorite vegan foods at Trader Joe’s, we put together a pretty handy little list.)
According to the package, there are two servings per box. If you stick with the half-box recommendation, you’ll be consuming 270 calories and 100 mg, which isn’t bad for a fried snack. If you eat the whole box at once, though, you’re up to 530 calories and 200 mg of sodium. And keep in mind that a single serving isn’t much — our entire box contained seven fritters in total.
The Trader Joe’s Thai Banana Fritters make for a lovely snack. While you definitely don’t want to make a meal of these, they’re great to munch on while you’re sitting out on the patio, enjoying the fleeting days of summer. If you’re looking for a street-food-type dessert that you can make at home, these fritters are a great option.
To learn more about the nutrition content, ingredients, or cooking instructions for these banana fritters, check out our package scan below.
