I’m sharing my Bananas Foster, featuring soft bananas glazed in a glossy brown sugar sauce and flambéed as a finishing glaze over vanilla ice cream or French toast.
I love the drama of a Banana Foster Recipe, that flash of flame and sticky shine that somehow tastes like New Orleans. For me it’s never just dessert, it’s a moment: ripe bananas meeting melted unsalted butter with a whisper of dark rum, glazed and flambeed until the sauce looks almost too good to touch.
It turns an ordinary morning into something people remember, and yes I’ll admit I’ve piled it on French toast more than once which makes it a weirdly perfect French Toast Recipe. You’ll want to try it, even if you don’t know why at first.
Ingredients
- Rich, adds silky fat and flavor, lots of calories little protein, makes sauce luscious.
- Deep molasses sweetness, mostly carbs, no fiber, gives caramel color and sticky texture.
- Warm spice, almost no calories, adds aroma and subtle sweetness, healthy antioxidants too.
- Fruit provides fiber and potassium, natural sugars for sweetness, creamy texture when warmed.
- Rum gives boozy caramel bite, flambe drama, or use juice for fruity sweetness minus alcohol.
- Cold creamy contrast, adds dairy richness, makes dessert indulgent, balances hot caramel sauce.
- Banana liqueur or extract boosts banana flavor, use sparingly, it’s sweet and potent.
Ingredient Quantities
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of fine salt
- 3 to 4 ripe bananas (firm, not to brown), sliced lengthwise or into rounds
- 1/4 cup dark rum (for classic flambe) or 1/4 cup apple juice or orange juice for no alcohol
- 1 tablespoon banana liqueur or 1 teaspoon rum extract (optional, adds extra banana/rum flavor)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream or half and half (optional, for a glossy sauce)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- vanilla ice cream or French toast for serving
How to Make this
1. Peel 3 to 4 firm ripe bananas and slice them lengthwise or into rounds, set aside so theyre ready to go.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, add 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon and a pinch of fine salt; stir until sugar dissolves and the mixture bubbles into a smooth caramel.
3. If using banana liqueur or rum extract add 1 tablespoon liqueur or 1 teaspoon extract now and stir, it boosts the flavor but you can skip it.
4. Add the banana slices in a single layer and cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, spooning the sauce over them so they glaze but dont get mushy.
5. For a glossy sauce stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream or half and half and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract after the bananas are warmed through, then simmer 20 to 30 seconds.
6. To flambe with 1/4 cup dark rum warm the rum a few seconds in a small heatproof cup, remove the skillet from the heat, pour the rum over the bananas, then carefully ignite with a long match or lighter standing back; let the flames burn off naturally and subside before returning to the stove. Keep a lid or baking sheet handy to smother flames if needed.
7. If you prefer no alcohol use 1/4 cup apple juice or orange juice instead; add it to the skillet and simmer a minute or two to reduce slightly, then continue with the cream and vanilla if using.
8. Taste and adjust salt or cinnamon, if the sauce is too thin simmer a little longer, if too thick add a splash more cream or juice.
9. Serve immediately spooned over vanilla ice cream or over French toast, and enjoy right away while the sauce is warm and silky.
Equipment Needed
1. Large heavy skillet (10 to 12 inch), nonstick or cast iron, for caramelizing the bananas
2. Cutting board
3. Sharp knife for slicing the bananas
4. Measuring cups and spoons (1/2 cup, 1 tbsp, 1 tsp)
5. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula to stir and spoon the sauce over the bananas
6. Small heatproof cup or ramekin to warm the rum or hold juice/liquer
7. Long kitchen lighter or long match for flambéing, plus a lid or baking sheet to smother flames if needed
8. Ladle or large serving spoon and bowls or a scoop for serving over ice cream or French toast
FAQ
Bananas Foster: A New Orleans Classic! Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Unsalted butter: swap for the same amount coconut oil or vegan butter, or use salted butter and skip the pinch of salt, it still browns nice.
- Dark brown sugar: use light brown sugar, or 1/2 cup white sugar plus 1 tablespoon molasses, or coconut sugar for a slightly caramel note.
- Dark rum (for flambé): use brandy or cognac for the flame, or for no alcohol use apple juice, orange juice, or apple cider and add a splash of rum extract if you want that rum taste.
- Heavy cream: replace with half and half for a lighter sauce, or full fat coconut milk or coconut cream to keep it dairy free and glossy.
Pro Tips
1) Pick firm ripe bananas, not mushy ones. Slice them fairly thick and try to keep each piece the same size so they cook evenly, otherwise some will turn to mush while others stay underdone.
2) Don’t rush the caramel. Let the sugar and butter get glossy and just start to brown, but watch it closely or it will go bitter fast. Cook the bananas only briefly in that sauce, spooning it over them so they get glazed not soggy.
3) Flambé with respect. Warm the alcohol a bit, remove the pan from the heat before adding and lighting it, use a long match or lighter, keep a lid or baking sheet handy to smother flames, and never pour liquor from the bottle into a hot pan.
4) For a shiny, silky sauce add a little cream or a splash of juice at the end and simmer just a moment. If it’s too thin reduce it a bit, if it’s too thick add a tiny splash more liquid—go slow, small changes.
5) Serve hot and fresh, but if you must prep ahead keep the sauce and bananas separate until reheating. Rewarm gently in a skillet and freshen the flavor with a squeeze of citrus or a pinch of salt right before serving.
Bananas Foster: A New Orleans Classic! Recipe
I’m sharing my Bananas Foster, featuring soft bananas glazed in a glossy brown sugar sauce and flambéed as a finishing glaze over vanilla ice cream or French toast.
4
servings
336
kcal
Equipment: 1. Large heavy skillet (10 to 12 inch), nonstick or cast iron, for caramelizing the bananas
2. Cutting board
3. Sharp knife for slicing the bananas
4. Measuring cups and spoons (1/2 cup, 1 tbsp, 1 tsp)
5. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula to stir and spoon the sauce over the bananas
6. Small heatproof cup or ramekin to warm the rum or hold juice/liquer
7. Long kitchen lighter or long match for flambéing, plus a lid or baking sheet to smother flames if needed
8. Ladle or large serving spoon and bowls or a scoop for serving over ice cream or French toast
Ingredients
-
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
-
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
-
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-
pinch of fine salt
-
3 to 4 ripe bananas (firm, not to brown), sliced lengthwise or into rounds
-
1/4 cup dark rum (for classic flambe) or 1/4 cup apple juice or orange juice for no alcohol
-
1 tablespoon banana liqueur or 1 teaspoon rum extract (optional, adds extra banana/rum flavor)
-
1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream or half and half (optional, for a glossy sauce)
-
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
-
vanilla ice cream or French toast for serving
Directions
- Peel 3 to 4 firm ripe bananas and slice them lengthwise or into rounds, set aside so theyre ready to go.
- In a large skillet over medium heat melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, add 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon and a pinch of fine salt; stir until sugar dissolves and the mixture bubbles into a smooth caramel.
- If using banana liqueur or rum extract add 1 tablespoon liqueur or 1 teaspoon extract now and stir, it boosts the flavor but you can skip it.
- Add the banana slices in a single layer and cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, spooning the sauce over them so they glaze but dont get mushy.
- For a glossy sauce stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream or half and half and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract after the bananas are warmed through, then simmer 20 to 30 seconds.
- To flambe with 1/4 cup dark rum warm the rum a few seconds in a small heatproof cup, remove the skillet from the heat, pour the rum over the bananas, then carefully ignite with a long match or lighter standing back; let the flames burn off naturally and subside before returning to the stove. Keep a lid or baking sheet handy to smother flames if needed.
- If you prefer no alcohol use 1/4 cup apple juice or orange juice instead; add it to the skillet and simmer a minute or two to reduce slightly, then continue with the cream and vanilla if using.
- Taste and adjust salt or cinnamon, if the sauce is too thin simmer a little longer, if too thick add a splash more cream or juice.
- Serve immediately spooned over vanilla ice cream or over French toast, and enjoy right away while the sauce is warm and silky.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 152g
- Total number of serves: 4
- Calories: 336kcal
- Fat: 12.9g
- Saturated Fat: 8.1g
- Trans Fat: 0.18g
- Polyunsaturated: 0.4g
- Monounsaturated: 3g
- Cholesterol: 43mg
- Sodium: 38mg
- Potassium: 350mg
- Carbohydrates: 46.5g
- Fiber: 2.3g
- Sugar: 33g
- Protein: 1.1g
- Vitamin A: 368IU
- Vitamin C: 7.8mg
- Calcium: 18mg
- Iron: 0.18mg
