Colombian plantains in coconut milk, simmered with panela and spices for a gently sweet, creamy dish you'll definitely make on repeat.

I didn’t plan on falling for a bowl of plantains in coconut milk. We were in Cartagena, in the thick of the afternoon heat, the kind that makes your dress cling to your back and your hair stick to your neck.
I ordered the plantains on a whim, something to eat next to the grilled fish. I wasn’t expecting much. But then came the scent: coconut, cloves, cinnamon, and citrus. All wafting up before the plate even touched the table.
It was a plastic chair, a sticky menu, the low hum of conversation and distant horns outside, and somehow, that plate of plantains felt like the only calm thing in the room. They were soft, warm, steeped in coconut milk and kissed with orange zest. Not too sweet. Not too heavy. Just right.
That trip changed how I saw plantains. I’d eaten them fried before, either in the form of green chips or as plátanos maduros, golden and crisp on the edges, caramelizing in the pan. But this dish? It was gentle and lush, not trying to prove anything. Just offering comfort.
Back home, I started looking for ways to recreate it. And that’s when I pulled down one of my most treasured cookbooks from the shelf.
Colombiana: A Cookbook That I Always Go Back To

Mariana Velásquez Colombiana goes beyond recipes. It’s a deeply personal tribute to her roots, filled with dishes that come wrapped in memory
As a food stylist and recipe developer, Velásquez brings her deep personal voice to every page. She writes like someone stitching memories together, layering recipes with stories, rituals, and a sense of time and place that made me feel like I wasn’t just cooking Colombian food, I was being welcomed into a Colombian home.
Her version of plantains in coconut milk is adapted from the iconic 1960s cookbook Cartagena de Indias en la Olla by Teresita Román de Zurek, a culinary force in Caribbean-Colombian food culture. Velásquez speaks of Román with great respect, highlighting how the Román family shaped Colombian kitchens not just with their Kola Román soda (the world’s oldest soda), but with their rich food traditions. When Mariana included this recipe in Colombiana, she called it “sacrilegious not to.” And I couldn’t agree more.
This variation leans more wholesome, spiced with cinnamon and cloves, gently sweetened with grated panela, and then finished with orange zest. It’s not quite a dessert, though it could be. And it’s not quite breakfast, but I’ve eaten it that way. It lives somewhere in the middle, like many of my favorite comfort foods.
Loving Plantains in Every Form

When I first moved in with my Colombian husband, I’ll admit I didn’t understand the obsession with plantains. Back then, I hadn’t yet fallen for the crispy edges of plátanos maduros, fried to a deep golden hue with a sprinkle of salt, something I later wrote about in this post.
I didn’t know how versatile plantains could be. How they shift from starch to sweet, from crisp to custard-soft, depending on how they’re cooked and ripened.
Now in our little kitchen with both kids underfoot, I found myself grating plantains for plantain latkes. But when I want to return to something slower, something you can spoon into a bowl and eat warm while sitting barefoot at the table, it’s these plantains in coconut milk I come back to.
And perhaps that’s the power of this dish. It holds centuries of Colombian kitchens, stories from Mariana Velásquez and Teresita Román, and the quiet moments of my own home. Where the kids ask if they can stir the pot and I say yes, just like my mother said to me.
Because food like this doesn’t just fill you. It’s the kind of dish that wraps around you. And even when it’s gone, you still carry the comfort it left behind.
Ingredients

- Very Ripe Plantains – When the peels turn deep yellow with black spots, you know they’re ready. Ripe plantains go soft when cooked, taking on a custardy texture that melts into the coconut milk. In Cartagena, this is exactly how they were served. Tender, sweet, and barely holding their shape. Underripe plantains won’t bring the same warmth to the plate.
- Unsweetened Canned Coconut Milk – Rich and creamy, coconut milk is what wraps this dish in comfort. It balances the sweetness of the plantains and carries the spices beautifully. I always go for unsweetened to control the flavor better.
- Grated Panela – Traditional Colombian sugar with notes of molasses and caramel. You can substitute with dark brown sugar, but if you can find panela at your local Latin market, it’s worth it. It gives the syrupy sauce a depth that feels essential to this dish.
- Ground Cloves and Cinnamon Sticks – These are the quiet backbone of the dish. Cloves bring that earthy spice that reminds me of the holidays, while cinnamon adds a slow-building warmth. I always use whole sticks for cinnamon, it infuses the sauce without overpowering it.
See the recipe card for full list and exact quantities.
How to Make This Plantains in Coconut Milk Recipe

This plantains in coconut milk simmers gently and fills the kitchen with the cozy scent of orange, spice, and a slow sweetness. Whether you're making this on a quiet weekend morning or as a dessert after dinner, it’s the process that turns simple ingredients into something that warms you up. Here’s how to bring it together:
Prep the Plantains

Peel the ripe plantains, their skins should be deep yellow and spotted. Almost black in places is perfect. Leave them whole for now.
Simmer the Base

In a wide skillet, combine the coconut milk, water, grated panela, cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, and fresh orange juice. Stir gently and set the skillet over medium heat. Let it come to a soft simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, until the liquid thickens and reduces by half. The mixture should look glossy and smell deeply fragrant, spiced, citrusy, and comforting.
Poach Gently


Nestle the whole plantains into the sauce. Lower the heat to medium-low and cover the skillet. Let everything cook slowly for about 18 minutes, occasionally spooning some of the sauce over the plantains as they soften. You want them tender but still holding their shape, easy to slice but not mushy.
Remove from the Stove

When the plantains are soft and the sauce has taken on a deeper color, turn off the heat. Slice each plantain into 3 or 4 pieces and place them in a serving bowl.
Finish and Serve

Drizzle the thickened coconut sauce over the top, and sprinkle with orange zest to brighten everything just before serving.
Storage

Plantains in coconut milk are one of those rare dishes that get even cozier after a night in the fridge. Once cooled, I like to transfer any leftovers, sauce and all, into a glass container with a tight-fitting lid. Stored this way, they’ll keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
When reheating, I’ll sometimes warm them gently on the stovetop, adding just a splash of water or coconut milk to loosen the sauce. Just don’t freeze them. The plantains lose their shape and the sauce goes grainy. But honestly, this is one of those dishes that never seems to make it to day four in our house anyway.
Top Tips
Pick Plantains at Their Peak - you want very ripe plantains for this, deep yellow with plenty of black spots. That’s when they’re at their sweetest and softest. I’ve tried making it with firmer ones, and the texture just doesn’t melt the same way into the coconut milk.
Let the Sauce Reduce Slowly - don’t rush the coconut milk reduction. Let it simmer gently until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. I’ve found that turning the heat too high can split the sauce or overpower the cloves and cinnamon. Medium-low is your friend here.
Use a Wide Skillet, Not a Pot - a wide skillet gives the plantains enough space to cook evenly without crowding. I once used a deep saucepan and ended up with steamed plantains that never fully absorbed the flavor. Flat and shallow works better for even cooking and sauce distribution.
Recipe
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Plantains in Coconut Milk Recipe
Equipment
- Zester or Grater
- Ladle
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup grated panela (or dark brown sugar) packed
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- ½ cup juice of 1 large orange
- 4 very ripe plantains skins should be yellow with dark spots
- zest of orange finely grated
Instructions
- In a wide skillet, stir together coconut milk, water, grated panela, ground cloves, cinnamon sticks, and the orange juice. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Let the mixture cook for about 10 minutes until it reduces by half and thickens slightly.
- While the base simmers, peel the plantains. They should be very ripe, soft to the touch with lots of black spots. Leave them whole for now.
- Add the whole plantains to the skillet and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 18 minutes, occasionally spooning the sauce over the plantains to help them absorb flavor. They should be soft but still hold their shape.
- Remove the plantains from the skillet and slice into 3–4 large pieces each. Transfer to a serving dish and drizzle generously with the thickened sauce.
- Sprinkle fresh orange zest over the top just before serving. Serve warm with extra sauce spooned over each piece.
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