What Is Banana Akara? The Sweet Sierra Leonean Banana Fritter Explained
Banana akara is a sweet Sierra Leonean fritter of mashed ripe banana and rice flour, fried until golden and crisp outside and soft within. Here is what it is and how it is made.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Banana akara is a sweet Sierra Leonean and West African fritter made from very ripe bananas mashed and mixed with rice flour, a little sugar and often a pinch of nutmeg, then spooned into hot oil and deep-fried until golden and crisp outside and soft within. Despite sharing the name akara, it is quite different from the savoury bean fritter, because banana akara is sweet and built around fruit rather than black-eyed peas. It is a popular breakfast and street snack, and a much loved way to use up bananas that have gone soft and over-ripe. In the UK the ripe bananas, rice flour and other ingredients to make it are sold by African food shops, which you can find near you on African Stores.
What to remember
- Banana akara is a sweet Sierra Leonean fritter of mashed ripe banana and rice flour.
- It is also called banana fritters and is a popular breakfast and street snack.
- Despite the name, it is sweet and fruit-based, unlike the savoury bean akara.
- It is often made with rice flour, which is naturally gluten free.
- It is a clever, tasty way to use up over-ripe bananas.
A bowl of bananas that have turned soft and freckled is not a problem in a Sierra Leonean kitchen, it is the start of something good. Mashed with a little sugar and rice flour and dropped into hot oil, those tired bananas become banana akara, golden and fragrant, the kind of snack that disappears from the plate before it has properly cooled. It is breakfast on a busy morning, a treat handed to children, and a familiar sight at roadside stalls across Freetown.
There is a quiet cleverness in it too. Nothing is wasted, and something humble becomes something everyone wants a piece of. For Sierra Leoneans in Britain, frying a batch fills the kitchen with a warm, sweet smell that carries straight back home, and passing one to a friend is an easy way to share a taste of Salone with someone who has never tried it.
What Banana Akara Actually Is
Banana akara, also known simply as banana fritters, is a sweet Sierra Leonean and West African snack made from very ripe bananas. The bananas are mashed to a smooth pulp and mixed with rice flour, sometimes with a little wheat flour, along with sugar and often a pinch of nutmeg for warmth. The batter is then spooned into hot oil and deep-fried until each fritter is golden and crisp on the outside and soft, almost custardy, within. It is eaten as a breakfast dish and as a street snack, and it belongs to the wider family of Sierra Leonean food that turns simple ingredients into everyday comfort.
The name can be a little misleading if you know akara from elsewhere, so it is worth being clear about what banana akara actually is. Here, akara has come to mean a fried fritter, and this version is sweet, soft and fruit-led rather than savoury, which is exactly what makes it such a welcome way to use up bananas that are past their best.
How Banana Akara Differs From Bean Akara and Puff-Puff
The most important thing to understand is that banana akara is not the same as the classic akara, the savoury fritter made from peeled and blended black-eyed peas. That version is spiced with onion and pepper and eaten as a savoury snack, while banana akara is sweet and built entirely around ripe fruit. They share a name and the method of deep-frying spoonfuls of batter, but the flavour and the main ingredient are worlds apart.
It is also different from puff-puff, the round, yeasted dough balls that are sweet but plain and rely on flour and yeast rather than fruit. Banana akara gets its sweetness and soft texture from the bananas themselves, so it has a distinct fruity flavour that puff-puff does not. And while fried plantain is another sweet fried favourite, that uses whole slices of plantain rather than a mashed batter, giving a firmer bite. Banana akara sits happily among all of these as its own sweet, tender, banana-rich fritter.
How Banana Akara Is Made and Served
Making banana akara begins with the ripest bananas you can find, the soft, heavily speckled ones, because only really ripe fruit gives that deep sweetness and smooth texture. The bananas are mashed well and mixed with rice flour, or a mix of rice and wheat flour, along with sugar to taste and often a little nutmeg. The batter should be thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon. Spoonfuls are dropped into hot oil and fried until golden on all sides, then lifted out and drained. They are best eaten warm, on their own or with a hot drink.
Banana akara is naturally simple and flexible. On the allergen side, it contains gluten only if wheat flour is used, and it is often made with rice flour alone, which is naturally gluten free, so it can suit many diets with a small change. As with any fritter it is deep-fried in oil, so it is a treat rather than an everyday health food. Beyond that there is little to worry about, which is part of why it is such a reliable, welcoming snack to make for a crowd.
Where to Buy Banana Akara Ingredients in the UK
Banana akara is a homemade and street-food dish, and everything you need is easy to gather in Britain from African food shops. The essentials are very ripe bananas, which are cheap and easy to ripen at home, and rice flour, which shops serving West African customers stock reliably; sugar and a little nutmeg finish the batter. If you prefer a gluten-free result, rice flour on its own does the job. None of it is hard to find, so banana akara is a simple, satisfying thing to fry up at home. You can find African food stores near you to see what is nearby.
Frequently asked questions
What is banana akara?
Banana akara is a sweet Sierra Leonean and West African fritter made from very ripe bananas mashed and mixed with rice flour, sugar and often a pinch of nutmeg, then deep-fried until golden and crisp outside and soft within. It is a popular breakfast dish and street snack. Despite the name akara, it is sweet and fruit-based rather than savoury.
How is banana akara different from bean akara?
Bean akara is a savoury fritter made from blended black-eyed peas with onion and pepper, while banana akara is sweet and made from mashed ripe banana and rice flour. They share the name akara and the method of frying spoonfuls of batter, but the main ingredient and the flavour are completely different. Banana akara is a sweet snack, not a savoury one.
Is banana akara gluten free?
Banana akara is often made with rice flour, which is naturally gluten free, so it can be gluten free when no wheat flour is added. Some cooks use a little wheat flour as well, which would contain gluten, so it depends on the recipe. If you need it gluten free, use rice flour alone. As it is deep-fried in oil, it is best enjoyed as a treat.
What does banana akara taste like?
Banana akara is sweet, soft and almost custardy inside with a crisp, golden outside from frying. The very ripe bananas give it a deep, fruity sweetness, and a pinch of nutmeg adds gentle warmth. It is comforting and moreish, which is why it is such a well loved breakfast and snack.
Where can I buy banana akara ingredients in the UK?
Banana akara is made at home, so African food shops are the place to buy the ingredients: very ripe bananas, rice flour, sugar and a little nutmeg. Shops serving West African customers stock rice flour reliably and often sell ripe bananas ready to mash. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks them.