Bananas Foster Recipe
With Mardi Gras just days away, I thought I’d practice my flambé skills and whip up a Bananas Foster Recipe, a classic New Orleans dessert.
Bananas Flambé is an impressive dessert with minimal ingredients and maximum deliciousness!
Why You Must Make
- This traditional New Orleans dessert is perfect for Mardi Gras AKA Fat Tuesday.
- Bananas Foster is an easy, decadent dessert.
- Fat Tuesday is one last day to gorge and a dessert your flambé will be especially memorable!
Mardi Gras is upon us. Going into this Lenten season, I’m toying with giving up my guilty pleasure, cookie dough, or maybe sweets altogether. There is one last day to gorge, so it’s the perfect time to make a traditional New Orleans dessert.
This easy, yet decadent Bananas Foster was created in 1951 by Paul Blangé at the iconic Brennan’s Restaurant in New Orleans. Their recipe uses banana liqueur along with the rum, but I elected to use vanilla extract instead (my palate is forever scarred after taking liquid banana Dramamine before our family vacations. I’m sooooo wary of banana-flavored anything). This dessert was named after one of their patrons and a friend of the owner, Richard Foster.
Ingredient Notes
- Kitchen Staples – Butter, Cinnamon
- Dark Brown Sugar (affiliate link) – Has extra molasses added for a deeper caramel flavor.
- Bananas – Peel and slice on the diagonal right before cooking so they don’t oxidize (brown). Don’t use over-ripe or under-ripe bananas. They should be yellow without green on the peels, or they won’t have enough banana flavor.
- Pecan Halves – Gently heat in a dry skillet to bring out their essential oils before using for the most flavor, especially if they’ve been sitting in your pantry for months.
- Real Vanilla Extract (affiliate link) – Don’t use artificially flavored vanilla. I use the Nielsen-Massey brand.
- Dark Rum – Most of the alcohol will burn off as it’s heated. Note: alcohol is a flavor enhancer.
- Vanilla Ice Cream – To serve. Use your favorite brand.
Expert Tips
This is one simple delectable dessert, but it takes some patience. Bananas are sliced and sauteed in a mixture of butter, cinnamon, and dark brown sugar along with some pecans. After the alcohol is added, it is ignited for a show-stopping presentation.
- Be patient while melting the brown sugar. If it still looks granular after a few minutes, lower the heat and give it more time.
- For the grand finale, rum and vanilla are added to the pan. Add a banana liqueur, too, for a more traditional recipe.
- With a flick of a lighter, the dessert is flambéed for a dramatic effect right before serving.
- Use an 80-proof rum for the best flambé. Note that much of the alcohol, but not all, will burn off during this process.
- Be very careful, though, as the flames shoot high and nobody needs a kitchen fire! Or singed eyelashes. If you have long hair, tie it back and be prepared to step back quickly after igniting the rum.
- Spooned over vanilla ice cream, these boozy and caramelized bananas will impress your guests. Whipped cream is another delicious alternative.
- If you happen to purchase some extra bananas, these Banana Muffins are outstanding!
I’m rethinking my view on banana desserts as this flambéed Bananas Foster was marvelous. If you’re a fan of banana desserts, try this Sour Cream Banana Cake, too!
Frequently Asked Questions
Bananas Foster is an impressive dessert that was created in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1951 at Brennan’s Restaurant. The name Foster came from a regular patron of the restaurant at that time. It’s meant to be prepared and served tableside.
Bananas Foster is a Bananas Flambé once it’s lit. The term flambé is the culinary term for a dish where alcohol is added and ignited.
Much of the alcohol will burn off when the bananas foster is ignited, but there is a high likelihood that there is still some alcohol in the dessert when the flames die down. Be cautious when serving to children.
Though rum is classic in bananas foster, other options include bourbon, brandy, or cognac.
You May Also Like:
- Bananas Foster French Toast by A Mind “Full” Mom
- New Orleans Mardi Gras Beignets by Big Bear’s Wife
- Easy King Cake
- Jambalaya Soup
- Roasted Creole Edamame
- Chicken Gumbo
- Shrimp and Grits
- More Holiday Recipes
Bananas Foster
The classic New Orleans dessert. Adapted from Allrecipes.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- ⅔ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 bananas, peeled, then cut on the diagonal
- ¼ cup pecan halves
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 3 ½ tablespoons dark rum
- Vanilla ice cream, to serve
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add sugar and cinnamon and mix to combine.
- When the mixture starts bubbling, continue cooking until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the bananas and pecans.
- Spoon the sugar syrup over bananas and cook till bananas are hot, only a couple of minutes.
- Add vanilla and rum, and using a lighter, ignite alcohol if desired (be VERY careful as flames will shoot high!).
- Serve over ice cream.
Notes
You can also add Banana Liqueur before you ignite for a more traditional version.
Have a lid available to cover the flames if they get out of control.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 437Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 127mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 3gSugar: 48gProtein: 3g
80 Comments on “Bananas Foster Recipe”
Good for you that you did the flambe of the banana… that part always scares me. 🙂 This is always such a decadent treat over vanilla ice cream. Love all the Mardi Gras recipes. 🙂 Happy Fat Tuesday.. Skinny Chick. Sorry had to throw that one in. 🙂
You are sending me over to the sweet side…
Hi, Before this blog hop I wasn’t sure what Banana Foster was, but heard of it. Totally cool dessert! I need to make it! You make the recipe seem easy. I would love to make it flame to! Plus it would scare my Husband! lol He gets nevous when I use the blow torch for melting marshmallows, imagine a big flame in my skillet. he he
Love the recipe and the history of Banana Foster!
These look delicious! Maybe one of these days I will get over my fear of the flaming and make some of these for hubs – he loves it! Great pick!
you know I love me bananas. I was just telling one of our cooking friends, how I put bananas in all cakes, cupcakes, muffins… because back when I was a kid we were poor and I ate bananas maybe tree times a year (bananas were caviare for me back then, and coca cola a champaign) 🙂 so now I try to cure my childhood yearnings 🙂
Congrats on your awards and this recipe. I’ve flambeed bananas once and was shaking in my boots. I’d love this over French vanilla ice cream.
Bravo on the flaming! That part always makes me a little nervous. I also always end up with mushy bananas. Yours look perfect!
Mmmmmmmm. I have nothing more to add!
Liz, these bananas flambées look very impressive! And rum+banana can only create delightful flavours.
A delicious combination! Yum yum! 🙂
Your blog also promoted me to look up lent and the reason why we had pancakes at work today. Now I know:)
Oh this reminds of my favorite French Vietnamese restaurant – they serve fried banana with coconut ice cream… and they cook the banana with rum in front of you showing off this flame! I’m going to make this this week or weekend. It’s not fried banana, so it’s easier to cook, too.I’m so excited but kids will be extra excited for sure! 😉
Looking at the other posts from the blog hop it seems that Bananas Foster is a bit of a craze at the moment. I have to say I have never heard of them before!
I must try this some day, because I have never tasted this. I knew a lady whose family had this tradition of serving Banana Fosters for dessert every Sunday. This sounds so fun and delicious to make.
I am going to try this one the weekend. It looks super cool and delicious 🙂
Simple yet with a wonderful outcome. This is for me to try out.
Awesome!! That flame adds the perfect touch!
P.S – Congrats on the well deserved award 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
These bananas look exquisite – definitely my ideal dinner 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
This looks delicious, Liz! Good luck giving up cookie dough….I know that is quite a sacrifice for a baker chick!
These look soo yum!
I love the flavor of rum with bananas!!