Ripe Plantain Waffles
These Ripe Plantain Waffles are sweet, soft, and a little crisp on the edges, everything you love about ripe plantains in waffle form! They’re made with just a few ingredients and can be served plain or filled with cheese for an irresistible mix of sweet and savory.
What are ripe plantain waffles?
Ripe plantain waffles, called gofres de plátano maduro in Spanish, are made from mashed boiled ripe plantains that are pressed in a waffle iron until golden and slightly caramelized. The sweetness of the plantain balances beautifully with savory fillings like cheese or toppings like eggs and chimichurri. They’re naturally gluten-free, easy to make, and full of flavor!
Keep in mind that these are made with yellow plantains. If you have green plantains on hand, you can make my green plantain waffles recipe instead!
Ingredient Notes
- Ripe plantains: The key ingredient! Look for plantains with mostly black skins or deep yellow with black spots. The riper they are, the sweeter and softer your waffles will be.
- Butter: Adds richness and helps the dough come together smoothly.
- Precooked corn flour: Used only if the dough is too soft! It helps bind the mixture without changing the flavor. Arepa flour like PAN works best.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness of the plantains and enhances the overall flavor.
- Cheese: For stuffed waffles! Queso fresco, quesillo, mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or Oaxaca cheese all melt beautifully. You can also make them plain if you prefer.
- To serve: Fried eggs, extra cheese slices, sal prieta, chimichurri sauce, or your favorite hot sauce.
Tips for the Best Sweet Plantain Waffles (Waffles de Plátano Maduro)
- Choose ripe but firm plantains. You want them soft and sweet, but not overly mushy! They’ll be easier to handle.
- Don’t overcook the plantains. Boil just until tender. Overcooked plantains will make the dough too soft. You can also roast them or bake them.
- Remove the seed core. Cutting out the center seed helps create a smoother, more even dough.
- Adjust texture as needed. If the dough feels sticky or too soft, add a little precooked corn flour. If it’s dry, add a tablespoon of the cooking water.
- Control the heat. Ripe plantains caramelize easily, so keep your waffle maker at medium heat (around 350°F / 175–180°C) to prevent burning.
How to Serve Them
These waffles walk the line between sweet and savory, so you can dress them up either way:
- Brunch Style: Top with a fried or poached egg, extra cheese, and a sprinkle of sal prieta or chimichurri.
- Cheese Stuffed: Serve stuffed waffles with melted cheese and a drizzle of hot sauce.
- Sweet variation: Skip the salt and top with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup or even guava sauce for a sweet waffle or a not too sweet dessert!
They’re best served warm, right out of the waffle maker, when the edges are crisp and the centers are soft and sweet. I love serving them for breakfast, but they work at any time of the day!
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between ripe and green plantains?
Green plantains are firm and starchy, similar to potatoes. Ripe plantains are sweet and soft, with a flavor closer to caramelized banana.
What kind of cheese works best for filling?
Soft, melty cheeses like mozzarella, quesillo, Oaxaca, or Monterey Jack work perfectly. Avoid hard cheeses like parmesan.
Do ripe plantain waffles taste sweet or savory?
They lean naturally sweet because of the ripe plantains, but the cheese and savory toppings create a perfect balance.
How do I store or freeze ripe plantain waffles?
You can store cooked ripe plantain waffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat them in a toaster, oven, or skillet over medium heat until warm and slightly crisp again.
To freeze, let the waffles cool completely, then place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container, separating layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking. They’ll keep for about 2 months. Reheat directly from frozen in a toaster oven until heated through and crisp on the edges.
(Waffles de Plátano Maduro) Ripe Plantain Waffles
Ingredients
- 4 ripe plantains
- 1 tbs of butter room temperature
- ¼ cup of precooked corn flour arepa flour, if needed
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup grated or crumbled cheese queso fresco, quesillo, mozzarella, monterrey jack, oaxaca cheese, etc – to fill them – optional, you can also make them plain
To serve:
- Fried eggs
- Extra cheese slices
- Ecuadorian sal prieta
- Chimichurri sauce
Instructions
- Wash the ripe plantains.
- Cut the ends of the plantains, but leave the skins/peels on. Cut each plantain into 3 pieces.
- Bring water to boil in a large pot. Add the ripe plantain pieces and cook for about 15- 20 minutes or until they are tender, but be careful not to overcook or they might be too mushy.
- Let the ripe plantains cool down a little, but make the dough while the plantains are still warm. Save some of the plantain water in case you need it when making the dough.
- When safe to handle, peel the plantain pieces and cut them in halves lengthwise, use a knife to remove the center seed core – this will result in a smoother dough.
- Use a potato ricer to mash the ripe plantains into a smooth mix. You could also use a regular wood masher, a fork, or even a food processor.
- Add the butter and mix well. If the ripe plantain mix is too dry you can add some of the water from the cooking process (add 1 tablespoon at a time). If the dough is too soft (happens with very ripe plantains), add in ¼ cup of precooked corn flour. Mix well and adjust either the liquid or the corn flour if needed.
- Form the dough into a ball and let the ripe plantain dough cool down to room temperature.
- Form the dough into small to medium sized balls, if you want to stuff them with cheese make a hole in the middle of each ball. This will need to be done gently as the ripe plantain dough is more fragile than the green plantain dough. Fill each hole with some grated cheese and close it while shaping it into a thick patty.
- Let the patties rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or until ready to cook (optional).
- Pre-heat the waffle maker and add the ripe plantain patties, if you can adjust the heat settings on your waffle maker, set it to 175C-180C or about 350F. The ripe plantain dough can burn very quickly so it is best to not use a high heat setting.
- Cook the ripe plantain waffles for 5-7 minutes or until they are golden and crispy.
- Carefully remove them from the waffle maker.
- Serve the ripe plantain waffles topped with a fried egg and/or with extra cheese. You can also sprinkle some Ecuadorian sal prieta on top or some chimichurri sauce or your favorite hot sauce.
Step by step preparation photos for ripe plantain waffles:
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