Bananas Foster it’s classic elegant dessert that will make you lick your bowl.
Elegant Bananas Foster made with sweet bananas cooked in a bubbling mixture of brown sugar, butter, rum and cinnamon, served over ice cream. Can’t get any better if you ask me. Oh and don’t forget you don’t need to travel all the way to New Orleans to get this amazing dessert. You can make this and will taste even better than any New Orleans restaurants.
What is Bananas Foster?
Bananas Foster is a dessert made from bananas and vanilla ice cream, with a sauce made from butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, dark rum, and banana liqueur. The butter, sugar and bananas are cooked, and then alcohol is added and ignited. The bananas and sauce are then served over the ice cream.
Created at Brennan’s restaurant in New Orleans in 1951, this classic dessert was named after loyal customer Richard Foster.
Firm, ripe bananas are sautéed in a rum-infused caramel sauce, then flambéed in front of diners and spooned over vanilla ice cream. For extra pyrotechnics, throw a pinch of cinnamon onto the sauce as it flames.
This dessert is rich and creamy, and the dark rum adds depth and warmth to the dessert. Creating it never fails to astonish dinner guests, not just because it smells phenomenal as you cook it, but the taste of it is dazzling. While Bananas Foster can be enjoyed on its own, it can be served over some crepes, pancakes or waffles.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS RECIPE?
- Takes 15 minutes to have this elegant dish
- Perfect dish for the Holiday Season Dinner or Mothers day Brunch
- Made with easy to find natural ingredients
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- Slice the bananas right before you start cooking. Once sliced, the bananas begin to oxidate and won’t keep well for long.
- A light-colored or stainless steel pan is ideal as it is more challenging to keep an eye on the dark caramel sauce in a dark pan.
- When igniting the rum, make sure you don’t have any other burners on. Keep your sleeves rolled up, hair tied back, and keep a large metal lid handy in case you have to smother the flame.
- Don’t have ice cream? Try adding a dollop of Whipped Cream or Whipped Topping instead is good too.
- Add a splash or two of heavy cream for an even richer and creamier Bananas Foster sauce.
Can I make it with out alcohol?
If you want to skip the alcohol, try adding rum extract along with grape juice, pineapple juice, or apple juice. You won’t be able to flambé the pan, so cook on low heat for a couple of extra minutes instead. Is not gonna be the same as the original version, but still delicious.
What is mean to flambe?
Another name for this dish is banana flambé. Flambéing is a French cooking technique where alcohol is added into the hot pan and creates a burst of flames. The flames cook off the alcohol content of the dish but leave the flavor behind.
What alcohol can be used instead Rum?
While the original recipe calls for Rum, you can substitute for , bourbon, dark cachaca, brandy, or banana liqueur. There may be slight differences in the flavor, but it will still be delicious.

Bananas Foster
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon - optional
- 4 large bananas - halved lenghtwise
- 1/3 cup rum
- ice-cream to serve
Instructions
- In a large saucepan or skillet, heat butter and add the bananas. Cook , gently turning them on both sides to cook until tender about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the sugar stirring often until sugar is melted and mixture is bubbly, about 2 minutes.
- Add the rum and remove from heat. Using a long lighter or long match, carefully ignite rum, swirling pan constantly, until flames die out, about 30 seconds. (If you feel unsafe doing this step, simply add the rum and continue cooking for about 1 minute before removing it from the heat.)
- Serve immediately with ice cream.
Notes
- Slice the bananas right before you start cooking. Once sliced, the bananas begin to oxidate and won’t keep well for long.
- A light-colored or stainless steel pan is ideal as it is more challenging to keep an eye on the dark caramel sauce in a dark pan.
- When igniting the rum, make sure you don’t have any other burners on. Keep your sleeves rolled up, hair tied back, and keep a large metal lid handy in case you have to smother the flame.
- Don’t have ice cream? Try adding a dollop of Whipped Cream or Whipped Topping instead is good too.
- Add a splash or two of heavy cream for an even richer and creamier Bananas Foster sauce.