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You've just landed on the ultimate recipe for the most delightful Filipino turon! This recipe takes less than 20 minutes to make, and blows regular turon out of the dang water! Sweet saba bananas and juicy jackfruit slices are encased in a crispy, lightly spiced caramel-coated wrapper. My tried and true method to achieve the perfect balance of crispy, sweet, and fruity goodness, whether you're frying or air-frying.
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Turon, also known as lumpiyang saging, is a beloved Filipino street food made from bananas and either sweet ripe jackfruit, mangoes or other fruits wrapped in a crispy spring roll wrapper.
If you are a freak for Indonesian pisang goreng, Vietnamese kem chuoi, Malaysian cekodok pisang, or any of the other Southeast Asian banana desserts I share here, you are def going to want to add this one to your list!
Often sold by street vendors in the Philippines, this dessert version of lumpia is a delightful, kinda, addictive treat with its thin crepe-like spring roll filled with ripe bananas and jackfruit, then either fried or air-fried to a golden crisp. Think of it as a dessert spring roll that's both crunchy and sweet, making it a perfect snack or dessert to serve alongside tom yum fried rice, Filipino tofu sisig, or even vegan drunken noodles.
I've spent a lot of time perfecting this recipe, and having it double-triple-checked by recipe testers to make sure it's easy even for a bumbling fool to follow and yields results that your family will love the everlasting heck out of every single time. Let’s dive in and get these bad boys in your hands asap!
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🥰Why you'll adore this turon recipe
✊ Vegan AF: Like all of my vegan dessert recipes, this banger doesn’t rely on any ingredients that harm animals, or even make them feel a little bit bad. Heck, the rescued Wallaby, Doyle, who lives in my house (yes, it's true) even ate one, so I guess you could say that I have tested these on animals, but like, in a good way!
🔪 Perfectly Spiced: Most turon recipes are bland and boring. I decided to give both my filling and the caramel a tiny hint of aromatic spices to unlock some extra dimensions in this dessert. And I will tell you this, I am NEVER going back to unseasoned plain-ass turon again.
🌱 Fresh Ingredients, Better Taste: My recipe doesn’t call for canned jackfruit or anything else that would cut back on the important balance of crispy sweet outside, to fresh and fruity inside.
💨 Air Frying Instructions Included: You in that health craze? When you see recipes that tell you to fry stuff, do you have a slip, trip and fall, down the stairway of despair, where you spend the rest of the evening curled up in a ball, sobbing to yourself quietly? Don’t stress. I got you with some killer air frying instructions.
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide: Like all of the vegan recipes I share, after tweaking and perfecting it, I shared this turon recipe with a massive team of testers of all skill levels who replicated it successfully all around the world.
🤫 Learn the secrets for perfect vegan Filipino meals
This guide to my most popular plant-based recipes from the Philippines is 100% FREE, & you'll love the actual heck out of it 🥰
🍌 Ingredients for homemade turon
Bananas
Traditionally turon is made with saba bananas, known as "cardaba" in the Philippines. While you can find them in well-appointed Asian grocery stores, if you can’t get your hands on saba bananas, regular ripe bananas work well too.
Yellow Jackfruit
If you cook a lot of “meaty” recipes with jackfruit, like my vegan drumsticks, kathal ki sabji, or my vegan tamales, keep in mind that the jackfruit in this recipe is NOT that same canned young green jackfruit you might be used to messing with.
No siree - this is the ripe, sweet jackfruit that most Asian and Indian grocery stores sell giant fresh chunks of. You will discard the hard white seeds, and all the fiberous stuff between the fruit and just slice the fruit up for this recipe. Canned RIPE jackfruit can be used if fresh jackfruit is not available, but it will have to be rinsed thoroughly of the sickly sweet syrup it’s usually canned with.
Palm Sugar
This natural sweetener that is made from palm nectar provides a rich, caramel-like flavor to the turon, both inside and out. It is 100% my ride-or-die sweetener of choice in Southeast Asian desserts like Filipino Vietnamese Che Khoai Mon, Suman Malagkit, and Indonesian kolak biji salak. Coconut sugar and brown sugar are great substitutes, and can be plugged into this recipe measure for measure.
Spring Roll Wrappers
These thin, flour-based wrappers, known as "lumpia wrappers" in the Philippines, become wonderfully crispy when fried. They are the same wrappers you'd use to make Thai vegan spring rolls. If you are gluten-free, you can swap them out for briefly soaked rice paper wrappers (the same as you would use for banh trang tron or goi cuon salad rolls). If you are a level 5 vegan like me who doesn't eat anything that casts a shadow, don't use egg roll wrappers, as they contain (you guessed it): eggs.
Lemongrass Powder
Lemongrass powder is a shortcut that makes imparting lemongrass’s heavenly aroma into your caramel sauce super-easy. If you have made recipes like mee rebus, or sambal goreng tempeh, you know fresh lemongrass is super fibrous and hard to mince by hand.
That’s why it’s convenient to use the powdered stuff in this recipe, and also in recipes where you need the lemongrass to be dry, like in my vegan banh mi, bakwan sayur and tempeh mendoan.
Can’t find powdered lemongrass at your local Asian supermarket? A couple of drops of lemongrass oil also work great in this caramel, as does pandan or ube extract if you want to take it in a different direction.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
📖 How to make Turon
Nail this on your first shot by following these step-by-step photos with helpful tips. Or scroll down to the bottom of this page for the easy-to-print recipe card.
Step One
I’ll Slice Ya:
Peel and slice the bananas in half lengthwise, then cut them into thin slices about one centimeter thick. Cut the jackfruit into thin strips, roughly half a centimeter thick.
Step Two
Spice ‘Em Up:
In a small bowl, mix the palm sugar, cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt. Toss the banana and jackfruit slices in this spiced sugar mixture until well-coated.
Step Three
Gangster Wrappers:
Working one at a time, place a spring roll wrapper on a clean surface with one edge facing you. Put about three tablespoons of the fruit mixture near the bottom edge.
Step Four
Rolling with The Homies:
Fold the bottom edge over the filling, then fold in the sides, and roll up tightly like a small burrito. Seal the edge with a mixture of cornstarch and water to keep it closed. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
Step Five
Hot Summer Heat:
Heat an inch (2.5 cm) of neutral-tasting oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F (175°C). Fry the turon in batches, cooking for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy.
✅ To Air-Fry: Preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C). Arrange the turon in a single layer in the air fryer basket, ensuring they do not touch. Air-fry for 10 to 12 minutes, turning halfway through, until they are golden and crispy.
Step Six
'n Drain, in the Membrane:
Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a wire rack to drain excess oil.
Step Seven
Lemongrass Caramel:
To make the caramel: in a dry, medium-sized stainless steel saucepan, cook the sugar over medium heat, stirring with a dry metal spoon occasionally, for 3-4 minutes until the sugar melts. Turn off the heat and whisk in lemongrass powder, nutmeg, cardamom and coconut cream until smooth.
Step Eight
Serve it up Looking Glorious:
Using a pastry brush, brush the hot caramel on the crisp, warm turon, and allow them to cool and set for 6-7 minutes before serving, so no one scorches their whole face off and looks like Freddy Krueger for the rest of their life.
💡Serving Ideas
Like tupig, buko pandan, and karioka, turon is a fantastic traditional dessert that can be served as part of a Filipino feast!
Here are a few great dishes to serve before dessert (I know, booooring - life should ONLY be about dessert, but sadly it isn’t):
Adobong Sitaw: a hearty dish made with long beans, tofu, and young green jackfruit that mimics the flavors of pork.
Ginisang Munggo: a comforting mung bean and spinach soup, that you can serve with a side of smokey Ensaladang Talong or crisp vegan sisig.
Ginataang Kalabasa: the Filipino coconut curried kabocha squash and spinach dish you are gonna want to make all year round to serve over turmeric rice or Indonesian coconut rice.
👉Top tips
- Don't go Nuts Overfilling the Wrappers: Overfilling can cause the wrappers to tear or burst during frying. Stick to about three tablespoons of filling per wrapper to ensure they roll tightly and fry evenly.
- Seal Wrappers Well: Make sure to seal the edges of the wrappers with the cornstarch-water mixture to prevent the spring rolls from unfurling as they cook, letting in a mouthful of frying oil that will ruin your day.
- Dial in the Oil Temperature: If you aren’t using a countertop deep fryer or airfryer, keep the oil at a consistent 350°F (175°C) to ensure even cooking. If the oil is too hot, the wrappers may burn before the filling is cooked through; too cool, and they will absorb excess oil and become greasy. Using a frying thermometer makes temperature control easy! And you are gonna need one anyway to make any trust-worthy donut recipe that suggests an exact temperature, like my picarones, Korean donuts, vegan apple cider donuts, or Italian bomboloni or zeppoli.
- Toss Proper: Make sure each banana slice gets thoroughly coated in the spiced sugar mix. That way, the moisture of the fruit and sugar combine forces to make for a juicy, caramel-like filling.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
Store leftover fried banana rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a day or in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in an air fryer or oven to restore crispiness. Ideally, add the caramel to the reheated dry turon, rather than reheating it with caramel on it, which might burn upon reheating.
The best way to freeze turon is once they are wrapped but BEFORE you cook them. Simply warp them and set the edges with the cornstarch slurry. First, freeze them on a baking sheet, and once they are frozen solid, transfer them to an airtight container or reusable freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Make sure to label them so you know what the heck they are in a couple of months in case you have forgotten all about them.
Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable, canola, or peanut oil, for frying turon.
The cooking oil used for this project will barely have any noticeable flavor after making the turon. Because of that, it’s awesome for reusing in other fried dishes like tofu katsu, tahu goreng, vegan fried chicken, or Indian bhaji.
To store the oil for later use, strain out any food particles to prevent them from becoming rancid. Let it cool, then store it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. Use it within a few weeks, and avoid reusing it more than once or twice. If the oil darkens after subsequent uses, even slightly, dispose of it.
Turon in Spanish is turrón, a completely different sweet made with almonds and honey that’s popular around Christmas. Don’t confuse it with the Filipino turon roll, which is all about fried banana and jackfruit wrapped in a crunchy lumpia wrapper. They might sound similar, but they’re worlds apart in both taste and origin.
There’s no fancy rename. Turon in English is still called turon. But if you’re describing it to someone unfamiliar, banana lumpia or sweet fried spring roll gets the point across. A typical rolls turon setup includes ripe banana, jackfruit, and a golden, shatter-crisp wrapper.
They’re wrapped in the same lumpia wrapper, but that’s where the overlap ends. Classic lumpia is savory and often filled with minced veggies or tofu, while turon filled with banana and jackfruit is sweet, golden, and crisp. Think of turon as the sticky-sweet cousin to your usual lumpia eats.
Both are real words, but not interchangeable. Turrón is Spanish nougat made with almonds. Turon is a beloved Filipino dessert made with banana, jackfruit, and a crackly wrapper. When you're talking about frying up a recipe turon for dessert, you're firmly in Team turon, no accent required.
✌️A few other sweets that go great with turon:
Learn to make absurdly good vegan food from the Philippines in a super-fun recorded cooking class with Chef Adam Sobel!
Turon With Lemongrass Spiced Caramel
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 medium-ripe regular bananas or 3 ripe saba bananas
- 1 cup yellow jackfruit cut into strips
- ¼ cup palm sugar coconut sugar, or brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 8 spring roll wrappers
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch arrowroot, or tapioca starch, mixed with 2 tablespoons water
- Oil for frying or air-frying
Lemongrass Spiced Caramel (optional):
- ⅓ cup palm sugar coconut sugar, or brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons lemongrass powder
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ cup coconut cream
Instructions
- Peel and slice the bananas in half lengthwise, and then into thin 1 cm. slices. Cut the jackfruit into thin strips about ½ cm. in thickness.
- In a small bowl, combine the palm sugar, cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt. Then, toss the fruit in the spiced sugar mixture.
- Working one at a time, using spring roll papers that have thawed enough to be soft to the touch, lay a spring roll wrapper on a clean surface with one edge facing towards you.
- Place roughly a 3-tablespoon portion of filling into the center of the bottom edge of the spring roll wrapper.
- Fold the edge closest to you over the filling, then fold in the sides, and roll up tightly like a little baby burrito. Seal the edge with a mixture of water and cornstarch to ensure it stays closed. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
- Heat oil in a deep pan or pot over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F (175°C). Fry the turon in batches until golden brown and crispy, about 2-3 minutes per side. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a wire rack suspended over a baking pan to drain excess oil.
- For air-frying: preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C). Arrange the turon in a single layer in the air fryer basket, ensuring they do not touch. Air-fry for 10-12 minutes, turning halfway through, until they are golden and crispy.
- To make the caramel: in a dry, medium-sized stainless steel saucepan, cook the sugar over medium heat, stirring with a dry metal spoon occasionally, for 3-4 minutes until the sugar melts. Turn off the heat and whisk in lemongrass powder, nutmeg cardamom and coconut cream until smooth.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the hot caramel on both sides of the crisp, warm turon, and allow them to cool and set for 6-7 minutes before serving, so no one scorches their whole face off!
Notes
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Reshyll says
Turon is my absolute fave snack (I can't imagine life without it), but this recipe made it taste even more heavenly. It's like I tasted it again for the first time, but 10000x better.