Bananas Foster is a classic dessert recipe with bananas fried in a skillet with brown sugar, butter and added rum, and then lit on fire.
When I was in college, I worked a catering gig. We catered weddings and other special events. Bananas Foster was one of the “food stations” that I worked. I made hundreds and hundreds of pans of bananas foster during that time of my life. And I never got tired of it. It’s one of those desserts that is just so yummy. The bananas perfectly caramelize in the butter and brown sugar. The rum adds a bit of flavor too. Put it all together with vanilla ice cream, and you’ve got yourself a winner!
This recipe comes from the One Hour Comfort cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen. These are quick, cozy, modern dishes for all your cravings. I’m up for comfort food any day of the week, but this comfort food book is kind of special. The recipes in the book are pretty diverse and include a lot of different ethnic varieties, along with some ageless American classics with a twist.
Here are some recipes in the book that have caught my eye:
- French Style Scrambled Eggs with Rosemary Candied Bacon
- Rum Raisin French Toast Casserole
- Caldo Verde
- Vegetable Lo Mein
- German Potato Salad
- Patatas Bravas
- Bratwurst Reubens
- Panang Curry with Shrimp
- Grown Up Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Asiago and Dates
- Pimento Cheese Spread
Ingredients needed:
- unsalted butter
- dark brown sugar
- cinnamon stick
- lemon zest
- dark rum
- ripe bananas
- vanilla ice cream, for serving
How to make Bananas Foster:
The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.
Flip the bananas; continue to cook until very soft but not mushy or falling apart, about 1½ minutes longer.
Off heat, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of rum and allow the rum to warm slightly, about 5 seconds. Carefully wave a lit fireplace match or wooden skewer over the pan until the rum ignites, shaking the pan to distribute the flame over the entire pan. After the flame subsides (15 to 30 seconds), discard the cinnamon stick and lemon zest.
Divide the ice cream among individual bowls and top with bananas and sauce. Serve immediately. This is one delicious dessert. Enjoy!
Banana Dessert Recipes:
- Banana Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Banana Ice Cream Pie with Peanut Butter Crust
- Banana Pudding Cupcakes
- Nutella Stuffed Banana Cookies
- Classic Banana Bundt Cake
Bananas Foster
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
- One 3-inch cinnamon stick
- One 2-inch strip lemon zest
- ¼ cup dark rum, divided
- 2 large, firm, ripe bananas (peeled, halved crosswise, then halved lengthwise)
- 1 pint vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- In a 12-inch skillet, combine the butter, sugar, cinnamon stick, lemon zest and 1 tablespoon rum. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture has thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add bananas to the pan, spooning some of the sauce over each quarter. Cook until the bananas are glossy and golden on the bottom, about 1½ minutes. Flip the bananas; continue to cook until very soft but not mushy or falling apart, about 1½ minutes longer.
- Off heat, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of rum and allow the rum to warm slightly, about 5 seconds. Carefully wave a lit fireplace match or wooden skewer over the pan until the rum ignites, shaking the pan to distribute the flame over the entire pan. After the flame subsides (15 to 30 seconds), discard the cinnamon stick and lemon zest. Divide the ice cream among individual bowls and top with bananas and sauce. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If preparing this dessert as GLUTEN FREE, just be sure to use all GF ingredients.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
