bananas substitute
for cooking.

Half a cup mashed sweet potato per cup of banana holds stovetop heat better than banana itself — stable up to 210°F for 10 minutes without scorching. Thin with 2 tablespoons broth or coconut milk so it emulsifies with pan fat; otherwise the dense starch clumps and the texture reads pasty.

Ripe jackfruit swaps 1:1 by cup and brings stringy fibers that hold shape at 200°F where banana would puree. Simmer 6-8 minutes in 2 tablespoons fat per cup to break the strands down. The 16 Brix sweetness tracks banana, but add a pinch of salt to balance its perfumed aroma.

One commercial egg-sub unit replaces a banana's binding role on the stovetop, but it sets at 160°F rather than gelling via pectin. Whisk into warm liquid off-heat then return to burner at medium-low for 3 minutes. It carries no sweetness — add 2 teaspoons sugar per banana replaced.

One avocado per banana unit delivers creamy fat that emulsifies into pan juices at 150-170°F, but it goes bitter above 180°F in 4 minutes. Add off-heat and swirl for 30 seconds. Expect a savory register — dial in 1 teaspoon honey per avocado if the dish needed banana's sweetness.

Custard-apple swaps 1:1 by piece on the stovetop but demands a covered pan. Its open flesh dries at 190°F over 5 minutes; lid on, it softens evenly in 4 minutes at medium. Seed first — seeds above 160°F release a resinous bitter note that banana never brings.