Saba Con Yelo Recipe: Plantain banana in syrup with ice
Banana is one of the raw produce that’s very versatile. You can add it to savory dishes but also in desserts. The Philippines is a local producer of different bananas.
We’re a tropical country, so the bananas harvested here are topnotch. Most Filipino households have many ways to prepare this fruit (which in truth is a herb).
Some of the more popular are putting it on Ginataang Halo-halo, Maruya, and streetfood staples banana cue and turon. A sweeter and creamier way to prepare it is to make saba con yelo.
It’s a sweet dessert dish made of Minatamis na Saging, shaved ice, and cream or milk. This Saba Con Yelo recipe is the perfect way to beat the heat.
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Saba Con Yelo Recipe and Preparation Tips
The Saba Con Yelo recipe is simple to prepare. Yet, using only fine ingredients ensures you’re family or friends will enjoy it.
There are still “bad bananas” out there despite the country being a major banana supplier. You’ll notice that a good “Saba” banana is firm yet soft and sweet when cooked.
Take time to discard the parts that have dark or hard flesh because these won’t get tender even when you cook it for a long time. Some people wait for the bananas to ripe well.
Saba Con Yelo Recipe – Plantain Banana in Syrup
Ingredients
- 6 medium ripe Sliced Saba bananas
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 3 cups water
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- evaporated milk
- crushed ice
- Sago ( Optional )
Instructions
- Pour a tablespoon of sugar in a saucepan, turn on heat and cook until sugar melts and partly burns (the slightly burnt taste gives an extra flavour but do not burn it too much, it will taste bad).
- Pour the water then let it boil. Once boiling add the remaining sugar and salt, let the sugar dissolve in medium heat then simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the bananas then cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until saba is tender but still firm.
- Remove from heat, let it cool overnight
- Prepare a deep bowl or a large glass, fill it up with ice then top it with sweetened bananas, its syrup and drizzle some evaporated milk. Serve.
Nutrition
Nowadays, people like to add other ingredients in the Saba Con Yelo recipe. The ones mentioned above are the most common.
But some people like to add pandan leaf, vanilla flavoring, and other local ingredients. Brown sugar and water are used to make the syrup.
You can also substitute the brown sugar with the finer type like Muscovado. Both will turn out thick when you mix the right proportions and cook on a low fire.
Using Muscovado sugar will make your syrup more caramelly.
The difference of Saba Con Yelo recipe from the Minatamis na Saging is the addition of shaved ice and milk in the former.
This is why more upscale restaurants offer the creamy version. It becomes a sophisticated dessert. The best part of eating this dessert is that it’s not as heavy as cakes with buttercream frosting.
It’s the perfect dessert on a sunny day when you just want to relax. It’s easier to make and also to store in the fridge to eat for later.
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Bitemybun's family recipes with complete meal planner and recipe guide.
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Joost Nusselder, the founder of Bite My Bun is a content marketer, dad and loves trying out new food with Japanese food at the heart of his passion, and together with his team he's been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with recipes and cooking tips.