Written by Gustavo De Obaldia and Natasha Gomez Akel

These Crispy Baked Green Plantains are a healthy version of the widely known, fried, Patacones or Tostones of Latin America. Plantains are a significant component of daily cuisine in Panama, as they are in any part of Northern South America, the Caribbean, and Central America.

This Latin American finger food or side dish traditionally fried, has been present in my life since the day I started chewing. These thick plantain chips are the Central American and Caribbean countries' answer to french fries.

As children, we would eat them with ketchup on top, but now that I'm older, I'd put whatever I can think of on them, or eat them with a dipping sauce like hummus or this vegan dairy-free ranch .

Our mother used to make us a quick tuna salad (see our veganized tuna mayo version), which we would scoop on top of the fried plantains, and that was a quick dinner that we all loved.

But... can you bake green plantains to avoid deep frying them and eat them healthily? Yes, you can, and this tostones recipe explains how.

Jump to:

🧾 Ingredients
🔪 Instructions
📖 Variations
🎥 Video
📋 Recipe
💬 Reviews and Comments

🧾 Ingredients

Green plantains
Avocado oil (coconut oil and olive oil also work)
Salt

Optional: garlic or garlic powder.

See quantities and complete instructions in the recipe card.

Making these baked green plantains is super easy.

🔪 Instructions

Preheat the oven to 440 ºF (220ºC).

Wondering how to peel plantains?

Make sure you pick the greener plantains for this tostones recipe; this will facilitate the pealing process and ensure they don't have any trace of sweetness.

Season

Then, place them in a mixing bowl, season with oil, generously sprinkle with salt, and add a teaspoon of garlic powder (or minced garlic clove).

Bake

We replicate the same process followed by the traditional, twice-fried recipe with this plantain recipe.

You need to bake the plantains twice. The first time, to make the soft and be able to smash them and then place them back in the oven as a second bake to achieve the final desired consistency.

First bake

Place them in a prepared baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake the sliced plantains to make them softer until you see the plantains have turned from a pale pink-salmon color to yellow. You will also notice the brown veins look more prominent.

Second bake

Press them with the bottom of a glass to make small discs, and brush them with oil.

Press the plantain chunks after the 1st bake.

Make discs using a glass or a round stone.

These tostones or baked plantains recipe calls for avocado oil, but you can use extra virgin olive oil or a cooking spray instead.

Top tip: use a plastic bag to prevent the smashed-baked plantain slices from sticking to the glass.

Bake them again on the same large baking sheet with parchment paper until golden brown.

Enjoy the crispy baked tostones with your favorite dipping sauce, like Green Goddess dip, pico de gallo, mayo-ketchup, thick marinara sauce, or Lebanese hummus recipe. They taste great in every form.

Baked Green Plantains with Marinara Sauce

Baked plantains make the perfect side dish for any recipe, where you would use potato wedges.

For the detailed steps please scroll to the recipe card or watch the video.

Notes: To make the traditional fried version, you need to follow the exact procedure, but instead of baking the plantains twice, a deep frying method is used instead, using a frying pan, and neutral oil... also cooked twice.

Both fried and baked versions of these green plantain fritters get mushy if not eaten immediately.

Plantains stain; do not touch your clothes after opening.

📖 Variations

You can add garlic powder or minced garlic to the plantains before baking them. Use only one garlic or 1 teaspoon.

If you want to make plantain chips, the process is way simpler! You just need to bake the thinly sliced plantains once, using olive oil (or cooking spray), salt, and lay all the plantain chips on a prepared baking sheet with parchment paper.

Use a carrot slicer to thinly slice the green plantains.

Traditional plantain chips (or banana chips) are also made deep-fried (only once), instead of baking plantains.

Try these Sweet Plátanos en Tentación (Plátano Pícaro)

⭐ If you try this recipe, let us know! 💬 Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag us @ourplantbasedworld on Instagram. Cheers!

🎥 Video

📋 Recipe

Baked Green Plantains (Patacones or Tostones)

Author: Gustavo De Obaldia and Natasha Gomez Akel

These Crispy Baked Green Plantains are the healthy version of the Latin America widely known Patacones or Tostones, which are usually fried.

4.9 from 29 votes

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Total Time 35

Course Appetizer, Basics & Preparations, Breakfast & Brunch, Side Dish

Cuisine Comfort Food, Latin American

Servings 2 Servings

Calories 233 kcal

Equipment

our favorite rectangular silver baking tray.

Rectangular Baking Tray

Brush

Ingredients

▢ 1 plantain green
▢ 1 clove garlic grated
▢ 1 tablespoon avocado oil

Optional:

▢ 1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

Pre-heat the oven at 440 ºF (220ºC). Cut the green plantain with a lengthwise cut.
1 plantain
Introduce a small knife at the edge of the plantain and keep opening the peal with your hand.
1 plantain
Cut the peeled plantain in ¾ inches (about 2 centimeters).
1 plantain
Add the plantain chunks to a bowl and mix them with the grated garlic, salt, and half of the oil.
1 plantain, 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 tablespoon avocado oil
Place a parchment paper with the oil and salt coated plantain chunks on a baking tray and make its way to the oven.
1 tablespoon avocado oil
Bake for 15 minutes.
Take them out and pick a plastic bag. Place each chunk, one by one, inside the plastic bag and press it with a glass or plate, placing them back on top of the parchment paper.
Brush the mashed plantains with the remaining oil.
Place them back in the oven for another 15 minutes.
Take them out of the oven and enjoy hot.

Video

Notes

To make the traditional version, you just need to follow the exact procedure, but instead of baking the plantains, you need to fry them.

Both fried and baked versions of these green plantain’s fritters get mushy if not eaten immediately. Plantains stain, do not touch your clothes after opening.

Try the all-times favorite Sweet Plátanos en Tentación (Temptation Plantains).

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 233kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 1gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 1166mgPotassium: 447mgFiber: 2gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 1009IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 3mgIron: 1mg

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The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice. See our full Nutritional Disclosure here.

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Gustavo De Obaldia

Website | + posts

As the lead content writer and recipe developer at Our Plant-Based World, he combines his passion for health and sustainability with a Plant-Based Nutrition Certification to create accessible, delicious vegan recipes. His expertise in plant-based cooking supports the blog's mission of fostering a healthier, environmentally conscious lifestyle through simple and seasonal dishes. His commitment to making vegan cooking enjoyable and inclusive for everyone shines in each recipe and article.

Natasha Gomez Akel