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Green Plantain Crackers are a delicious accompaniment to any snack, meal, appetizer platter or lunchbox. This snack or side dish is a great option for Paleo, AIP, Low-FODMAP and Gluten-free diets.
Green Plantain Crackers are made in the dehydrator. By dehydrating, instead of baking, we are preserving the resistant starch present in green plantains.
Jump to Recipe
Why use green plantains
Green plantains contain resistant starch (RS). Resistant starch is a prebiotic, which means it feeds probiotics and is great for colon health.
Once heated, resistant starch changes and no longer offers the same health benefits.
That’s why Green Plantain Crackers are dehydrated at a low temperature.
Once ripe, yellow or black plantains have significantly less resistant starch.
Green plantains are not palatable on their own. While you can add green plantains or plantain powder to your smoothies to try to mask the flavor and texture, we really enjoy having these crackers!
Plain dehydrated plantain slices are pretty good, too, but not as good as these crackers.
Green Plantain Crackers ingredients
Four simple ingredients go into these crackers:
- 3 large green plantains (about 9″-10″ long each)
- maple syrup
- lemon juice
- gelatin
All four of these ingredients are needed. You can’t, for example, omit the gelatin. It’s needed, like the maple syrup, to create the right texture and hold the crackers together.
Two other ingredients play a supporting role: water and a bit of Ancestral fat that greases the trays or pans you use.
Also, for Low-FODMAP, it’s important to use maple syrup in this recipe. But if you’re making the recipe and not doing that diet, you may use honey.
More recipes with plantains
If you’re looking for me recipes with plantains, I think you’ll enjoy these:
- Paleo & AIP Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- Plantain Waffles (also Paleo & AIP)
- Paleo & AIP Taco Shells
Green Plantain Crackers (Paleo, AIP, low-FODMAP)
Equipment
- dehydrator
- trays or cookie sheets
Ingredients
- 3 green plantains large
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup maple syrup (or honey is okay for non-Low-FODMAP)
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons gelatin sustainably-sourced <— Use link and code BEAUTIFUL10 for 10% off your entire order. 3rd party tested pesticide-free, best gelatlin
- Ancestral fat of choice for greasing trays
Instructions
- Peel the green plantains by first cutting the ends off. Next, cut plantains in half lengthwise, then width-wise. Insert your thumb between the sticky peel and the fruit, and pry the peel off each quarter. Cut each quarter into 3 to 4 chunks, and place in blender.
- Add water. Sprinkle gelatin evenly over the surface. Add maple syrup and lime juice.
- Blend for 30 to 50 seconds, until sweetener has fully dissolved and the plantains are smooth (like a smoothie consistency; this will take a little longer if you choose the honey option). If any pieces of plantain that get stuck down by the blade, dislodge them, and re-blend.
- If you have dehydrator trays, grease them (usually 2 trays, depending on their size) with tallow, lard, coconut oil or coconut oil spray. (If you have a larger space in which you dehydrate, grease a large rectangular cookie sheet, ideally 12" by 18". If you want thicker crackers, use a slightly smaller sheet or multiple small trays.)
- Pour plantain purée into greased trays, rotating the pan(s) to spread the purée out evenly — 1/8" to 1/4" thick, the best you can.
- Dehydrate the crackers at 140° (or lower) Fahrenheit until the purée is leathery and pliable.
- At this point, use a long knife to cut desired cracker shapes, about 2" by 2" squares. (You may also wish to cut triangles if you want them to look like chips.) Cutting the crackers at this pliable stage avoids cracking. If you wait until they are crispy, some breaking will happen.
- Return pan to dehydrator until crackers are crisp and crunchy.
- Cool completely before storing in a sealed container.
Notes
Nutrition
You can Pin Green Plantain Crackers here:
Tash @ HolisticHealthHerbalist says
These sound perfect for homemade deli platters!
Megan Stevens says
Sounds perfect!
Chloe says
Yum! These sound amazing! We’d like these with Mexican food in place of corn chips.
Megan Stevens says
Yes, such a great alternative to corn, well said! 🙂
Oh Snap! Let's Eat! says
Yum! I’ve never thought about making plantain crackers before!
Megan Stevens says
🙂 So good. They’re the family favorite for Low-FODMAP!
D.G. says
These look fabulous. I’m just beginning to learn about using plantains and other gluten free starches, so this looks like a yummy way to start.
Megan Stevens says
So glad, yes, it’s an easy and delish recipe. 🙂 And rewarding, a fun process!
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish says
What a cool idea! I love all of your delicious recipes!
Megan Stevens says
Thanks, Emily!! 🙂
Rachel says
Now I’m hungry!
Megan Stevens says
Ha ha, me too! 😉 Thanks, Rachel.
Loriel says
I’ve been seeing a lot about green plantain lately… this is a great recipe to try!
Megan Stevens says
I’m so glad, Loriel. Yes, it’s a great one! 🙂
Anna @GreenTalk says
I find green plantains to be bitter. Do you?
Megan Stevens says
Yes, I agree, a little bit due to the unripeness. You don’t taste that in the crackers, though. Good question.
linda spiker says
As always, I am impressed!
Megan Stevens says
Thanks, Linda! <3
jes says
How did you make the chips?
Marianne says
Do you have the time until it reached the leathery/pliable stage? Looks like total time is 12hrs.
Megan says
Hi Marianne, I think it’s about 8 hours, but it depends on your dehydrator, too. Let us know what your timing is if you’re making them. 🙂
Rita says
I bought plantains before I saw somewhere that people on VAD shouldn’t eat resistant starch. Do you know the reason why? I’m not sure if I saw it on here or on the LYL.
Megan says
Hi Rita, yes. RS churns up action in the colon, causing toxic bile to be reabsorbed instead of exiting. I tried it years ago, and it’s really true. Best to avoid RS sources. However, no problem to do reheated rice or beans or oats, but we stay away from foods naturally high in RS.
Rita says
Oh ok very interesting. Thank you for your help.
Megan says
Happy to help! 🙂
Hélène says
50 crackers has 1g carbs, 1g fiber and 1g @ fat & protein? Or is it per cracker for the nutrition values?
Are they very filling so u only eat 3 or 4? Or are they quick to eat 10 or 15 before u know it? Then I can figure out a svg size as I’m pretty sure the program didn’t do it for u lol
Megan says
Hi Helene, Can you check the nutritional data now and see if it looks correct? The serving size is 1+ crackers (just slightly more than one cracker). Right, they’re decently sized and satisfying, so you might eat 4 to 5 crackers at a sitting. We always have them with a meal with protein and produce.
Hélène says
It would be very helpful to have the nutrition info say per cracker as the servings amount up above just says 50 crackers.
Hélène says
So tostones have no RS as they’re cooked?
I also wonder about adding salt to make them more cracker or chip like. I think I will try a scant 1/2tsp. I’ve only ever added plantains to smoothies where it gave a slight banana taste but not the banana carbs (I love banana in kefir/yogurt smoothies that I crack eggs into along w/other fruit & vanilla)
Megan says
Right, because these are green plantains, they don’t have a strong banana flavor. Adding salt would be fine. The cooling of the RS gives tostones some resistant starch.