You can walk into any patisserie in Mauritius and guarantee that you will find Tart Banann. Read on to learn about this popular banana tart and discover how you can make your own at home.
INGREDIENTS
7
RECIPE STEPS
10
TOTAL TIME
2 h 20 m
Why You Need This Recipe
- This recipe is a fantastic way to use up leftover overly ripened bananas
- Includes an easy pastry recipe – you can replace the banana filling with a different filling like berries, cherries or apple and cinnamon for an alternative dessert
- Great option for entertaining because the Tart Banann can be made ahead of time and reheated just before serving with a dollop of ice cream or whipped cream
- Making the pastry lattice is a fun way to engage the young and old in a creative activity!
About Tart Banann
Tart Banann (also known as Tarte Banane) is a popular Mauritian bakery sweet treat. Whilst, it is believed the banana tart originated from France, it has spread to different countries, including colonial Mauritius, to become a beloved dessert worldwide.
Filled with cooked ripe banana, this buttery and crumbly pastry item will be sure to give you and your loved ones a delightful afternoon or after-dinner indulgence!
What You Will Need
Tart Moulds
You can use tart moulds of a range of sizes but our recommendation is to use 10 cm ones. Anything smaller will make it very challenging to do the pastry lattice.
Star Ingredient
Bananas (Banann)
Undoubtedly, bananas are one of the world’s most popular and versatile fruits. These sweet and delicious fruits are packed with essential nutrients and are a great source of energy. As a matter of fact, they are rich in vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, and potassium.
READ MORE: Why Bananas are such as popular ingredient in Chinese & Mauritian cuisine →
Other Ingredients
- Plain Flour (also known as All-Purpose Flour)
- Unsalted Butter, cold
- Water, cold
- Sugar
- Vanilla Essence
- Egg Yolk, beaten
Scroll to the bottom to find the full list of ingredients and detailed recipe.
Prepping Tips
How to make the lattice pattern with the pastry:
1
Roll out the pastry dough to a ½ cm thickness and cut into 1cm wide strips.
2
Take 4 strips and lay them vertically over a tart mould with even spacing between them.
3
Allow about 1 cm of each strip to hang over bottom edge of the tart mould and press down on each of the strips on the top edge to cut off the excess dough (see photo below).
4
Take another strip of pastry with your right hand and place it horizontally on top of the 4 vertical strips. Allow approximately 1 cm of the strip to hang over the left edge of the mould and press down on the pastry on the right edge to cut off the excess.
5
Pick up the left end of the horizontal strip with your right hand, then lift the second vertical strip from the right. Weave the horizontal strip underneath the vertical strip. Your tart should look like the photo below.
6
Pick up the left end of the horizontal strip again. This time weave it underneath the last vertical strip from the right. Press down on the pastry dough on the left edge to cut off the excess. You have made your first weave!
7
Add another horizontal strip of pastry to the tart and repeat the weaving process again. This time, weave the horizontal piece underneath the first and third vertical pieces.
8
Repeat with a third horizontal piece of pastry dough. Weave the third horizontal piece underneath the second and last vertical pieces from the right. This is the same pattern as the first horizontal piece. Cut off any excess pastry and you’re done!
Complete Recipe Steps
Here’s a summary of the steps you need to follow to make Tart Banann.
1
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan-forced.
2
To make the tart casing, cut the butter into cubes and rub into the flour using your finger tips. If you have a food processor, you can use the food processor to mix the flour and butter. Make sure the bowl of the food processor is cold (leave it in the fridge for about 20 minutes before using). You want the mixture to look like breadcrumbs once it has been mixed thoroughly.
Scroll to the bottom for the printable recipe card
3
Add 3 tablespoons of cold water to the flour and butter and mix until just combined. Don’t overmix the dough – it doesn’t need to be extremely smooth.
4
5
6
7
8
9
Brush the tops of the tarts with beaten egg yolk and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes at 180°C. Check on the tarts, they should be golden brown.
10
Allow to cool slightly before removing from the tart shells and enjoy!
How to Serve Tart Banann
Tart Banann is best served warm with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. It is best to enjoy Tart Banann within 1-2 days of baking as the bananas can go brown and the bottom of the pastry can go soggy over time
If you have any leftover Tart Banann, you can store them in the fridge in an airtight container. Finally, to keep Tart Banann for longer, wrap each individual tart tightly in a cling wrap or aluminium foil and place inside an airtight container. You can thaw the tarts in the fridge overnight before serving.
Recipe FAQs
How can I make my Tart Banann more interesting?
If changing the bananas to another fruit is too adventurous, you can add other ingredients to the banana filling for some variety. You might consider: crushed almonds, dark chocolate or a dash of spiced rum.
How ripe do the bananas need to be before I can use them in this Tart Banann recipe?
The bananas should be ripe but not overly soft. Ripe bananas will have a yellow skin with brown spots, and will be sweet and flavourful. They are too ripe if the skin of the banana is completely brown. Overly ripe bananas can turn to mush when baked, which can ruin the tart pastry.
How do I keep the bananas from browning in the tart?
You can prevent the bananas from browning by brushing them with a little bit of lemon juice and sugar before baking. This will help to slow down the oxidation process and keep the bananas from turning brown.
Printable Recipe Card
Tart Banann
Equipment
- Tart moulds
- Food processor optional
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
- 220 g plain flour
- 150 g butter cold, unsalted
- 3-4 tbsp water cold
- 3 bananas large, ripe
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 egg yolk beaten
Complete Recipe Steps
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan-forced.
- To make the tart casing, cut the butter into cubes and rub into the flour using your finger tips. If you have a food processor, you can use the food processor to mix the flour and butter. Make sure the bowl of the food processor is cold (leave it in the fridge for about 20 minutes before using). You want the mixture to look like breadcrumbs once it has been mixed thoroughly.150 g butter, 220 g plain flour
- Add 3 tablespoons of cold water to the flour and butter and mix until just combined. Don’t overmix the dough - it doesn’t need to be extremely smooth.3-4 tbsp water
- Put the dough in an airtight container (or wrap with cling wrap) and place in the fridge for 45 minutes to chill.
- While the dough is resting, roughly chop the bananas and cook on a medium heat with the sugar and vanilla essence until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and lightly mash the bananas with a fork. Set aside to cool.3 bananas, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp vanilla essence
- Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it on a lightly floured surface to a ½ cm thickness. Then, cut out circles using a cookie cutter to a size slightly larger than your tart moulds.
- Grease the tart moulds, and gently work the dough into the grooves of the mould. Return the dough in the tart moulds back to the fridge to chill for another 15 minutes.
- Once the dough is cold, fill each one with 1 heaped tablespoon of the cooked bananas. Cover each tart with the remaining dough. You can make a lattice pattern by cutting the dough into 1cm wide strips and weaving them on top of each tart. (See my prepping instructions for a step-by-step tutorial on how to make a lattice pattern).
- Brush the tops of the tarts with beaten egg yolk and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes at 180°C. Check on the tarts, they should be golden brown.1 egg yolk
- Allow to cool slightly before removing from the tart shells and enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe can be made with an alternate filling for an entirely different flavour! Simply replace the bananas (approximately 600g) with an equivalent amount of a different fruit such as: blueberries, cherries, raspberries, peaches, apples or pears for a completely different dessert!
- The thickness of the banana mixture can cause it to splatter, have the heat down low and be cautious!
