Sliced bananas are tossed in a caramelized buttery rum sauce then lit on fire in this classic Bananas Foster recipe. Serve over vanilla ice cream for an easy yet elegant dessert.
Why You’ll Love This Bananas Foster Recipe
Every once in a while, you just need an easy dessert that’s guaranteed to impress. Here’s why this bananas foster recipe is perfect.
- Easy & impressive. Not only is bananas foster one of the most impressive desserts you can make, simply for the presentation of being set on fire, but it’s also incredibly easy to make.
- Only 8 ingredients. Including the bananas and basic ingredients like cinnamon, this bananas foster recipe requires just 8 ingredients.
- Ready in 10 minutes. It takes just 10 minutes to pull this impressive dinner together, making it perfect for whipping up after a meal with friends and family.
If you love the flavors in this dish, check out my bananas foster cheesecake recipe too.
What Is Bananas Foster?
Bananas foster is a dessert that originated in New Orleans, featuring bananas cooked in a buttery sweet rum sauce. The show-stopping feature of bananas foster is that the rum is lit on fire, which burns off the alcohol.
Recipe Ingredients
This banana dessert is made with just a handful of simple ingredients. Scroll down to the recipe card below for measurements.
- Bananas – Ripe, yellow bananas are best for this recipe.
- Brown sugar – Creates the sweet caramelized sauce.
- Butter – Salted or unsalted will both work here. The base of the sauce.
- Vanilla – The flavor pairs perfectly with the rum and bananas.
- Walnuts – For some added texture.
- Cinnamon – Adds a warm spiced flavor to the dessert.
- Rum – The alcohol cooks off when the dish is lit on fire, so it’s primarily for flavor.
- Vanilla ice cream – For serving.
How To Make Bananas Foster
Although it appears fancy, this dessert is actually surprisingly easy to make. You can find the printable version of the instructions in the recipe card below.
- Slice the bananas. Peel the bananas then slice then in half and then in half lengthwise.
- Make the sauce. Melt the butter then stir in the brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Cook until it becomes sticky and caramel-like.
- Add the bananas. Add the bananas and walnuts. Simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Light the sauce on fire. Turn off the heat, add the rum, and light the mixture on fire.
- Enjoy. Enjoy immediately with vanilla ice cream.
Tips & Variatons
Here are a few helpful things to keep in mind when making bananas foster.
- Use ripe bananas. You want bananas that are ripe but not dark brown. They will turn to mush too quickly.
- Skip the rum. You can skip the rum altogether and the dish will still taste great. If you want the rum flavor without the alcohol, a teaspoon of rum extract will offer the same flavor.
- Skip the fire. You can use the rum and not light it on fire to get the same flavor. Just add the rum along with all the other ingredients and simmer for a few minutes. This will burn off the alcohol as well
- Use care when lighting the fire. If you decide to add the rum and light the fire, make sure to turn off the heat and use a long match so as not to cause an injury.
Serving Suggestions
Bananas foster is a dessert best served immediately, while the caramelized bananas are still warm. It’s typically served over vanilla ice cream, which pairs well with the flavors in the sauce.
More Banana Recipes To Try
- Banana Pudding Cookies
- Banana Crunch Cake
- No Bake Banana Split Pie
- Banana Cream Cupcakes
- Banana Pudding Dip
Bananas Foster
Ingredients
- 3-4 ripe bananas
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/4 cup chopped Walnuts
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup rum
- Vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Peel the bananas and slice them first in half and then slice them in half lengthwise.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat.
- Add the butter and melt.
- Once melted, add the brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Stir together until it starts to become sticky and caramel-like.
- Add the walnuts and bananas and fold them into the mixture.
- Simmer for a minute or two to slightly soften the bananas.
- Turn off the heat and add the rum. With a long match, light the pan mixture on fire.
- It will further caramelize the banana mixture and within a minute the alcohol will burn off and the fire will go out on its own.
- Serve immediately over vanilla ice cream!
Last Step:
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