I recently came up with these Crispy Chocolate Almond Banana Date Dumplings late at night while seeing the foods I had in my kitchen.
It’s only 5 main ingredients and basically all pantry items, but MY GOD it. is. delicious. 🙂
Turning 1-Ingredient Rice Paper into Dumplings
Transforming rice paper into a dessert-worthy crispy dumpling is a game-changer for anyone looking to whip up a quick, healthy, and indulgent treat!
Most of my recipes are inspired by minimal ingredients or that are easy to put together. Using rice paper is a really easy and innovative way to stay gluten free while creating some of the best textures cooking up.
Rice paper, typically used for savory spring rolls, is incredibly versatile. With a little bit of water, it becomes pliable and easy to work with.
When pan-fried, rice paper crisps up beautifully, adding a delightful crunch to these sweet dumplings.
What Rice Paper to Use
You can find rice paper at asian markets or in the asian section at most grocery and health food stores. I often get mine online because I love this Blue Dragon brand and I like to always have on hand in my pantry.
Some rice papers are better quality than others but most all will get the job done.
The Secret to the making it EXTRA CRISPY
The secret is not just using oil when pan frying or air-frying but adding a little maple syrup! This helps get a crispy exterior, flavor the rice paper and use a little less oil 🙂
If completely oil free, you can try using only maple syrup to cook.
Make this recipe Nut Free
You can tweak the recipe to fit your dietary preferences by subbing nut butter for seed butter. Sunflower butter or tahini works great in this recipe!
They pair really well with all the other ingredients. You could even remove nut butter all together if you want and it will still be delicious!
The Ingredients and Their Health Benefits
- Bananas: Packed with potassium, vitamin B6, and fiber, bananas bring natural sweetness and a creamy texture to the filling. They also provide a quick energy boost and support digestive health.
- Almond Butter: Rich in healthy fats, protein, and vitamin E, almond butter enhances the flavor and nutritional profile. You can swap almond butter for other nut or seed butters like peanut, cashew, sunflower seed, or tahini to suit your preferences or any food allergies.
- Dates: Nature’s candy! Dates are loaded with fiber, antioxidants, and natural sugars that lend a caramel-like sweetness to the dumplings without needing additional sweeteners.
- Chocolate (or Carob): Dark chocolate brings a decadent touch and is rich in antioxidants. If you’re avoiding caffeine or chocolate, substitute with carob chocolate. I love using Better Carob brand, which offers a creamy, caffeine-free alternative that tastes amazing!
Check out my other Rice Paper Dumpling Recipes:
Crispy Rainbow Sushi Sandwich
Savory “Gyoza” Rice Paper Dumplings
Apple Pie Dumplings
Peach Cobbler Dumplings
Crispy Chocolate Almond Banana Date Dumplings
Ingredients
- 1 Banana
- 2 dates pitted
- 2 tbsp nut butter or seed butter of choice I use crunchy salted almond butter or peanut butter
- 6 inch pieces of chocolate sub carob bar
- 4 pieces of rice paper see brand recommendation above
For cooking
- 1 tbsp avocado or coconut oil
- 3 tsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Fill a large shallow plate with water and soak rice pepper (making sure the entire rice paper gets coated with water for about 5 seconds.
- Remove to place on another clean plate.
- Place 1/2 banana sliced down the middle into the middle of the rice paper into a rectangular shape.
- Top with 1 tbsp of nut or seed butter spread on top, one pitted date opened flat and then topped with a few pieces of chocolate.
- Fold in each rice paper side over the middle and finally bring the last rice paper end to complete your dumplings.
- Repeat the process of soaking another piece of rice paper and placing on to a clean dry plate. Place the dumpling into the middle to repeat the folding process to double wrap each dumpling.
This makes 2 double wrapped dumplings.
- To a nonstick sauce pan, add avocado oil and maple syrup and mix together and heat on medium heat. Cook the dumplings using tongs on each side for about 5-7 minutes or until desired crispiness.
Air fryer option:
- Mix together oil and maple syrup in a bowl use a pastry brush to coat each dumpling with this mixture on both sides, alternatively you can spray with avocado oil.
- Place into the air fryer at 400F for 6 minutes. Flip with tongs and cook for an additional 6 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Cool for a few minutes and cut in half with a sharp knife.
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