Turon: Crispy Filipino Banana Lumpia
Recipe Guy
Filipino merienda | Banana lumpia | Caramel crunch
A thin wrapper and firm, ripe banana make turon worth frying just before serving. Brown sugar melts against the fruit inside, while an optional caramel coating adds another layer of crunch outside. Jackfruit lends a fragrant note without taking over the filling.
Why make it: This version uses easy grocery bananas and gives frying cues so the wrapper crisps before the sugar burns.
Fresh From the Kitchen
These photos show the colors, textures, and serving style to look for when making Turon.
About This Recipe
Choose fruit that can hold its shape while you roll it. Soft banana is difficult to enclose neatly and can press through the wrapper. The sugar belongs close to the fruit, with only enough filling to let the edges fold and seal securely.
Frying gives the wrapper its brittle shell, so leave space between the rolls and drain them on a rack. The optional sugar in the oil needs close attention. Let the finished turon cool briefly before biting into the hot fruit and caramel.
Cooking Notes
- Keep unused spring roll wrappers covered while assembling the turon. Dry edges resist folding and sealing, making it harder to contain the banana and melting brown sugar.
- Return the oil to the specified 350 F between batches. Adding too many rolls at once makes it harder to keep the wrapper crisp while the fruit warms through.
Ingredient Notes
For bananas
Saba is classic. Ripe plantains or firm bananas are practical substitutes.
For wrappers
Thin spring roll wrappers crisp better than thick egg roll wrappers.
Turon Recipe
This version uses easy grocery bananas and gives frying cues so the wrapper crisps before the sugar burns.
Shopping List
- saba or ripe plantains
- lumpia wrappers
- brown sugar
- jackfruit optional
- neutral oil
Ingredients
Filling
- 6 ripe but firm saba bananas, peeled and halved lengthwise (12 pieces), OR 3 ripe plantains, peeled, halved crosswise and then each half split lengthwise (12 pieces total)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup jackfruit strips, optional
Wrapping and Frying
- 12 spring roll wrappers
- Water for sealing
- Neutral oil for frying
For Serving
- Vanilla ice cream, optional
Instructions
- Prepare 12 fruit pieces using the cut specified for saba or plantains. If making the optional outer caramel coating, reserve 1 tablespoon from the listed 1/2 cup brown sugar; roll the fruit in the remaining sugar.
- Place one fruit piece and one-twelfth of the optional jackfruit on each of the 12 wrappers.
- Roll tightly and seal with water.
- Heat oil to 350 F.
- Fry in uncrowded batches. For the optional caramel coating, divide the reserved tablespoon of sugar among batches and sprinkle carefully into the oil; do not add extra unmeasured sugar.
- Turn until golden and crisp.
- Drain on a rack and cool briefly before eating.
Nutrition Estimate
Approximate values per piece based on the listed ingredients and yield. Actual nutrition will vary by brand, exact portion size, and cooking changes. Estimate is for the ingredients before frying oil is added, not the finished fried turon. Absorbed frying oil adds calories and fat; its amount has not been measured.
Tips For The Best Turon
- Seal tightly: Loose wrappers leak sugar.
- Do not crowd oil: Crowding lowers temperature.
- Use ripe but firm fruit: Too-soft bananas can burst.
- Cool briefly: Caramel is extremely hot.
How To Serve And Store
Serve warm for merienda or dessert. Recrisp leftovers in an oven or air fryer.
Common Questions
Can I bake turon?
Yes, brush with oil and bake hot, though it will not caramelize the same way.
Can I use regular bananas?
Yes, choose firm bananas.
Is jackfruit required?
No, but it adds aroma.
Why is my turon oily?
The oil may have been too cool.
Does turon need jackfruit?
No. Banana and brown sugar are the core filling here. Use the optional jackfruit when you want its aroma, but keep the strips inside the folded ends so they do not interfere with the seal.
Why does sugar leak out of my turon?
Look for gaps at the folded ends or a seam that has come unstuck. Roll snugly without stretching the wrapper, moisten the final edge with water, and keep loose sugar away from the sealing surface.
Do you like turon plain, with jackfruit, or with ice cream? Share your family version or testing notes in the comments.
Recipe inspiration and technique reference: Filipino dessert and bakery source research from Panlasang Pinoy, Kawaling Pinoy, The Dusky Kitchen, and Filipino-American dessert sources in the site roadmap.
Technique and food-safety references: kawalingpinoy.com.
