Our easy Bananas Foster recipe follows the traditional version with caramelized bananas served with vanilla ice cream. It’s an impressive dessert that tastes less than 15 minutes to make.
Want more dessert recipes? Try Baked Apples, Flourless Chocolate Cake, Panna Cotta, Bread Pudding, or Caramel Popcorn!
Let’s make the best Bananas Foster!
I’ve had the privilege of enjoying Bananas Foster made table-side, at Brennan’s restaurant in New Orleans where it was invented in 1951. Watching anything being flambéed is mesmerizing and seems intimidating, but I’m here to tell you, there’s not an easier dessert to make. Bananas Foster is impressive and deceivingly simple. The sauce is just 5 basic ingredients, made in a skillet. It’s straight caramel heaven, in a bowl. Here we go!
How to make Bananas Foster:
Make Sauce: Slice bananas in half vertically then in half horizontally. Add butter to a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once melted, stir in brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook over medium high-heat, stirring constantly for a few minutes until bubbly and slightly thickened to syrup consistency. Stir in vanilla then add banana slices and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Flambé*: Tilt pan away from you and add rum. Use a long lighter to immediately and carefully ignite a flame, to flambé the bananas foster. While the fire is going, carefully lift pan a few inches above the stove burner and shake/swirl it gently back and forth, until the flames subside.
Serve: Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to a bowl, place banana slice on each side and spoon caramel sauce on top. Sprinkle chopped walnuts on top of homemade bananas foster, if desired.
Recipe Variations:
- Rum: You could also substitute bourbon, banana liqueur, or brandy. Add more if you like a boozier flavor.
- Alcohol Free: The flames cook off the alcohol, but if you need a substitute, add 1 ½ teaspoons rum extract, or more, to taste, at the same time as the vanilla. You won’t be able to flambé the sauce.
- Bananas Foster French Toast: Stir in a splash of heavy cream to the sauce then serve over French toast.
More No-Bake Desserts:
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Bananas Foster
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large bananas
- ¼ cup Myers Dark Rum*
- 3 cups vanilla ice cream , for serving
- chopped walnuts , optional for serving
Instructions
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Prep all ingredients and set them on the counter next to the stove where you will prepare the bananas foster. Also have a longer lighter withing reach, for the flambé. Tie hair back, and lift any loose sleeve up.
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Slice each banana once in half vertically, and once in half horizontally.
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Caramel Sauce: Add butter to a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once melted, stir in brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook over medium high-heat, stirring constantly, just a few minutes until bubbly and slightly thickened to syrup consistency. Stir in vanilla.
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Add banana slices and cook for 1-2 minutes.
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Flambé*: Tilt pan down slightly away from you and add the rum. Use a long lighter to immediately and carefully ignite a flame, to flambé the bananas foster. When the fire is going, carefully lift pan flat, a few inches above the stove burner and shake/swirl it gently back and forth, until the flames subside.
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Serve: Add one or two scoops of vanilla ice cream to the center of a bowl. Add one banana slice to each side to cradle the ice cream. Spoon caramel sauce on top. Top with chopped walnuts, if desired.
Notes
Alcohol Free: The flames cook off most of the alcohol, but if you need a substitute, add 1 ½ teaspoons rum extract, or more, to taste, at the same time as the vanilla. You won’t be able to flambé the sauce.
Flambé: Make sure to have hair tied back, sleeves rolled up, and no other burners on, next to the pan.
Bananas Foster French Toast: Stir in a splash of heavy cream to the sauce. Serve over French toast.
Nutrition
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