Sweet ripe bananas baked with coconut cream, citrus juice, and a dusting of cinnamon until caramelized and bubbling. A tropical dessert of elegant simplicity.
Nutrition & Info
Equipment Needed
Instructions
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1
Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a baking dish with butter or coconut oil.
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2
Peel the bananas and cut them in half lengthwise. Arrange them cut-side up in a single layer in the baking dish.
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3
Mix the coconut cream with orange juice, lime juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl until well combined.
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4
Pour the coconut-citrus mixture evenly over the bananas. Sprinkle the shredded coconut on top.
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5
Bake for twenty to twenty-five minutes until the bananas are soft, the sauce is bubbling, and the coconut is lightly toasted.
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6
Serve warm directly from the baking dish. The caramelized sauce becomes a rich, tropical syrup.
Did You Know?
Akwadu is one of the few traditional Central African desserts, as most meals in the region end with fresh tropical fruit rather than a prepared sweet course.
Chef's Notes
Equipment Tips
- baking dish
- mixing bowl
- oven
- sharp knife
The Story Behind Akwadu
Akwadu reflects the abundance of tropical fruit in Equatorial Guinea, where bananas, coconuts, and citrus grow with almost no cultivation required. This simple baked dessert likely evolved from the practice of cooking ripe bananas over fire, enhanced over time with coconut cream brought by traders and citrus introduced during the colonial period. The dish is particularly popular on Bioko Island, where coconut palms line the coast and bananas grow in every garden.
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