Banana Cinnamon Fritters {AIP, Paleo, Video Tutorial}

I don't often make treats but when I do, I like to think about how to make them healthily. These banana cinnamon fritters are a great choice and I'll tell you why. I also made a video tutorial, so scroll down for that too. Yay!

Why a good choice?
As well as containing a source of healthy fat to help slow down absorption of the glucose into the blood stream, cinnamon acts as an insulin substitute since it helps increase the uptake of glucose into the cells. When sugar (from anywhere, including in the form of fructose) hits the bloodstream, insulin's job is to transport and facilitate getting it into the cells to be used as energy. The only trouble is, if those cells are already full (and the muscles have taken enough for their needs), excess glucose will sit on top of the insulin receptor sites. When this happens time and time again, the glucose eventually hardens and, in doing so, blocks the receptor sites. This leads to insulin resistance, pre-Diabetes ... and you know the rest. So in order to drive down and avoid further inflammation, it's best to avoid the more sugar-laden treats as much as you can.

Having said that, I'm a strong believer in "everything in moderation", and to concentrate on eliminating as much stress as possible. In other words, if you're going to get anxious because you can't have a treat, you're putting your body under stress, just as if you were eating something you're sensitive to, or a cookie *. I'll be writing a post on this in the near future. So make wise choices. Save the sugary cakes for really special occasions.

Funnily enough, I bought my bag of cassava flour back in 2016, but it's been sitting unopened in a basement cupboard up until now. I told you I don't have many treats! My favourite flour is tigernut as it happens (check out this scrumptious very low sweetener cake). I love the nutty flavour, despite it not being a nut at all (it's a tuber that dates back to ancient Egyptian times) and as for the slight grittiness that puts some people off? I really love that, it adds a lot of character.

banana cinnamon fritters
Don't like bananas? No worries, you can use this batter mix with other fruits instead.
Serves 4
Print the recipe here!

100g cassava flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
small pinch ground cloves
pinch fine sea salt
1+1/4 cups coconut milk
3-4 tbsp coconut oil or avocado oil
3-4 large just ripe bananas

Put the cassava flour into a large bowl, together with the spices and sea salt. Now pour in the coconut milk and whisk till the batter is smooth.

Peel the bananas, cut them in half widthways and again lengthways, so each banana yields 4 large pieces. Heat a tablespoon of coconut (or avocado) oil in a large frying pan or skillet. A cast iron griddle would be perfect for the job. Dip each banana piece into the batter and place flat side down into the pan. Cook for around 4 minutes on each side, until golden and crispy. Depending on the size of your pan, you will probably do this in 3-4 batches.

Remove from the pan and transfer to a large plate lined with absorbent paper. Sift over some more cinnamon if you like and serve.

Note: If you have any left over batter, you can grab another banana, or make the mixture into pancakes.

* I am NOT suggesting eating gluten. No way. That is going to do you way more damage than a slice of cake.