Bananas Foster
intro
Warm, caramelized bananas in spiced rum-butter sauce, served over cold vanilla ice cream. This iconic flambéed New Orleans dessert is quick, impressive, and luxuriously indulgent.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep all components
Peel the 4 firm ripe bananas, then slice them diagonally into 1.5cm (½-inch) thick slices; set aside. Measure out all remaining ingredients (butter, brown sugar, spices, rum) and place within arm’s reach of your stovetop, as the cooking process moves quickly once started. Scoop 125ml (½ cup) of vanilla ice cream into each of 4 serving bowls and place them in the freezer to stay cold until serving.
Make spiced caramel
Place a 25cm (10-inch) heavy-bottomed cast iron or stainless steel skillet over medium-low heat. Add 113g unsalted butter, 100g packed dark brown sugar, 1 tsp (2g) ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp (0.5g) freshly grated nutmeg, and 1 pinch (0.5g) fine sea salt. Stir constantly with a heatproof silicone spatula for 2-3 minutes, until the butter fully melts, the sugar dissolves, and the mixture forms a smooth, gently bubbling golden caramel sauce.
Sauté banana slices
Carefully add the sliced bananas to the bubbling caramel in a single, even layer, working in two batches if needed to avoid overcrowding the pan. Cook for 1 full minute on the first side, then gently flip each slice with silicone-tipped tongs and cook for 1 additional minute on the second side. Keep heat at medium-low to prevent the caramel from burning; bananas will be tender but hold their shape, fully coated in glossy sauce.
Flambé the spiced rum
Turn the stovetop heat down to low. Pour the pre-measured 60ml (¼ cup) dark spiced rum into the pan, tilting the pan slightly away from your body to distribute the rum evenly. For gas stovetops, the rum will ignite from the pan’s edge; for electric stovetops, carefully light the rum fumes with a long-reach barbecue lighter. Keep your face and loose clothing clear of the pan, and let the soft blue flame burn naturally for 30-45 seconds, swirling the pan gently once halfway through, until the flame extinguishes on its own and the alcohol cooks off.
Plate and serve immediately
Turn off the stovetop heat once the flame is fully extinguished. Retrieve the pre-chilled bowls of ice cream from the freezer. Spoon equal portions (3-4 banana slices per serving) of the warm caramel-coated bananas and thick spiced sauce directly over the cold ice cream. Serve within 1 minute of plating, as the warm sauce will quickly melt the ice cream if left to sit.
Tips
2.Always measure rum into a small heatproof cup before adding it to the hot pan; never pour rum directly from the bottle near an open flame, as fumes can travel up the bottle and cause a dangerous flare-up.
3.If you prefer to skip the flambé step, simply simmer the rum in the caramel sauce for 2 full minutes over low heat before adding the bananas to cook off the alcohol, delivering the same rich spiced flavor without the open flame.
OMG made this for my Mardi Gras potluck last weekend and people were literally scraping the pan! The rum flambé was so dramatic but way easier than I thought it would be — I was so nervous I’d set off my smoke alarm but it went off without a hitch. Served it over vanilla bean ice cream just like the recipe said, and SO good. 10/10 will be making this for every special occasion from now on!
Made this for date night with my wife last night, total game changer. I’ve never done a flambé before and the medium difficulty rating had me a little stressed, but the step-by-step instructions were super clear. Only note: I cut the bananas a little too thick the first time, so they didn’t soften up quite as much as I wanted, but even then it was amazing. My wife said it was better than the version we had at a fancy French Quarter restaurant last year!
Tried this for my roommate’s birthday since she loves banana flavored everything, and it was a huge hit! We didn’t have fancy rum so we used the cheap coconut rum we had leftover from spring break, and it still slapped. Super quick cook time too — perfect for when you forget you’re supposed to bring a dessert until 15 minutes before people show up lmao.
This is so decadent! I made it for my family dinner on Sunday, and my kids loved it — they went back for seconds before anyone even finished their first scoop. I did have a little trouble getting the sugar to caramelize evenly on my old electric stove, but once I turned the heat up a touch it came together fine. Wondering if anyone has tried adding a little pinch of sea salt on top? I feel like that would cut the sweetness perfectly.
Wait, can I make parts of this ahead of time? I’m hosting a brunch next weekend and don’t want to be stuck at the stove while all my guests are mingling. The flambé part seems like it would be fun to do in front of people, but I’m worried I’ll mess up the timing if I try to do the whole thing when everyone’s there.
I’ve been making Bananas Foster since I first had it in New Orleans back in 1978, and this recipe is spot on to the classic version I remember. A lot of modern recipes add too much cinnamon or weird extra add-ins, but this sticks to the traditional ingredients and proportions. Cooked it up for my grandkids when they visited last week, and they kept asking for ‘the banana fire dessert’ for days after. SO good.
Made this last night and it was incredible, but I accidentally used salted butter instead of unsalted and it still turned out amazing? I was panicking I’d ruined it, but the little extra salt was actually really nice. Served it over pecan ice cream instead of vanilla because that’s what I had in the freezer, and the nutty flavor paired so well with the caramel and bananas. Total happy accident!
Wait a second, is there a non-alcoholic version of this? I don’t keep alcohol in the house because of my kids, but this looks so good I’m dying to make it. I don’t want to skip the rum entirely because I know it adds that signature depth of flavor, but I need a substitute that works for my family.