Bananas Foster

Bananas Foster is a simple and elegant dessert meant to impress and entertain! Freshly sliced ​​bananas are coated in a buttery caramel brown sugar sauce and then flambéed – set on fire intentionally! The hardest part is lighting the rum. But don’t worry, I’ll show you step by step how to do it.

You’ve most likely seen this delicious dessert on restaurant menus – I always order it. It’s a classic American dessert that has its origins in New Orleans. I always serve mine with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream to bring out its delicious, restaurant-quality sweetness and drama.

Bananas Foster may look intimidating, but it’s SO easy! First, prepare the sauce by caramelizing the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Then toss the freshly cut bananas in the sauce. Add dark rum and lightly light to burn off the alcohol and leave a noticeable rum flavor. The bananas and sauce are then served with vanilla ice cream for the best contrast between hot and cold. It is magic!

How to flambé at home like a pro

Flambéing simply means adding some alcohol, like rum, to a meal and lighting it up very briefly. Sure, it’s mostly for fun and to impress, but it leaves a subtle rum flavor even without the alcohol.

If flambéing at home makes you nervous, don’t worry, I have tips! These are not intended to intimidate you, but to equip you with the skills to do so safely. Experts also take precautions when flambéing.

• Roll up your sleeves and keep loose clothing and kitchen towels away from the flame.
• Turn off all other burners on the stove.
• Turn off the fan or fan in the kitchen. It can suck up the alcohol fumes and make the flame burn higher.
• First turn off the burner. Only then pour the rum into the pan. This is especially important if you are working with a gas stove. You don’t want the alcohol to catch fire when you pour it into the pan.
• Use a stick lighter or a long match. This will help you keep a safe distance from the pan.
• When lighting the alcohol, never lean too close to the stove as it will ignite immediately.
• Keep a safe distance between the pan and other people in the kitchen. Flambéing should always be done on the stove, not at the table.
• Have a large metal lid or fire extinguisher handy to smother and extinguish the flame if it gets out of control.

Tips for the best banana care

• Bananas should be ripe but not overly ripe: I buy bananas when they are green and wait until they are perfectly yellow or even have a few brown spots. Bananas that are too ripe will be soft and won’t hold their shape and will mash when cooked.
• rum: You will notice the rum flavor in the sauce, so I recommend using a quality brand like Bumbu Rum Company or Cruzan Rum.
• Play with the flavors: This dessert is versatile and can be made with flavored rum and other warm spices. Aged or spiced rum, extra cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ginger, or cardamom would be delicious.
• Serve with ice: Bananas served hot over ice cream make all the difference – ice cream takes it from great to amazing.

Make it your own Bananas Foster

• For a non-alcoholic banana care use rum extract, grape juice, orange juice or vanilla extract. So you can also do without the flambé!
• Instead of rum, use bourbon, brandy, or whiskey.
• Dark brown sugar works just as well as light brown sugar.
• Add chopped walnuts or almonds to your banana fosterer for texture.
• Vanilla ice cream is a classic, but you do it and opt for chocolate, caramel, or banana flavors.
• This recipe calls for unsalted butter. Use salted butter for an extra salty caramel flavor.

How to plan ahead

You can prepare the bananas and the sauce ahead of time, without the rum. Refrigerate and store tightly closed for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, heat in a pan and flambé.

Bananas for bananas

• Banana Cream Cake
• Banana Sheet Cake
• banana cookies
• Banana Nut Muffins
• Coconut Banana Cream Cake