Banana Poke Recipe (Cook Island Desert)

Ingredients

• 6 ripe bananas (the riper, the better)

• 1 cup arrowroot starch (or substitute with cornflour if needed)

• ½ cup sugar (adjust to taste)

• 1 cup thick coconut cream

• 2 Tbsp sugar (for sauce)

• Pinch of salt

Steps

1. Preheat Oven

   • Heat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a baking dish.

2. Mash Bananas

   • In a large bowl, mash bananas until smooth.

3. Mix Base

   • Stir in arrowroot starch and ½ cup sugar until combined.

   • The mixture should be thick and sticky.

4. Bake

   • Spread mixture into the dish.

   • Bake for 30–40 minutes, until set and slightly browned on top.

5. Make Coconut Sauce

   • In a small pot, gently heat coconut cream, 2 Tbsp sugar, and a pinch of salt until warm and slightly thickened.

6. Serve

   • Cut poke into squares or scoop with a spoon.

   • Pour warm coconut cream sauce over the top before serving.

Other Information

• Traditional poke can also be made with pawpaw, pumpkin, or taro – banana is the most common and kid-friendly.

• Best served warm, but still delicious cold the next day.

• Great group dessert – one batch easily feeds 10+ kids.