This post may include affiliate links.
This bananas foster recipe takes 10 minutes to make caramelized bananas in a buttery rum sauce. Here’s how to make it and safely flambé at home!
What’s a more romantic dessert than bananas foster? Sautéed bananas float in a dreamy sauce of caramelized sugar and rum, topped with melty vanilla ice cream. I get hungry just thinking about it! Of course there’s a flame too, to bring in over the top drama.
It might be the ideal dessert: because it’s also fast and easy to whip up after dinner. Here’s our perfect bananas foster recipe that works for two, though the quantities can be enough for four small dessert portions. The best part: you can make it in 10 minutes!
What Is Bananas Foster?
This delicious banana dessert comes from New Orleans. It consists of sliced bananas cooked in a butter and rum sauce, often prepared tableside using a flambé where the rum is set on fire in a dramatic flame.
Where does “foster” come from? I used to think it was a fancy French term pronounced “fos-TERRE”. Nope, it’s just plain old Foster! The dessert was created at a New Orleans restaurant called Brennan’s in 1951 by Chef Paul Blangé. It was named after Richard Foster, a friend of the restaurant owner (Foster was the chairman of the New Orleans Crime Commission). Myth debunked! No more bananas fos-TERRE for me.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Bananas: You’ll want them to be ripe but kind of firm: yellow with some brown, but not totally brown or black like for banana bread or healthy banana muffins.
- Butter: This is the base of the sauce; you can use salted or unsalted. I typically eat olive oil on the Mediterranean diet but this is a dessert where I splurge!
- Brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg: These add beautiful sweetly spiced flavor notes.
- Creme de banana: This really adds to the intense banana flavor.
- Dark spiced rum: This is essential for the flambe. More on this below.
- Vanilla ice cream: Of course, it’s best a la mode! My homemade vanilla ice cream is wonderful here.
How to Make Bananas Foster
Ready to get started making bananas foster? There is a flame involved, so let’s talk through some of the safety elements:
- Heat the bananas foster sauce: Throw butter, brown sugar and spices into a pan and cook until thickened. Add the bananas, sliced long-ways.
- Light the rum with a stick lighter, and keep a fire extinguisher handy! Many restaurants burn off the rum by lighting a flame at the table. Can you do this with a homemade bananas foster recipe? Yes! Just be very, very careful: use a stick lighter, stand away from the fire, and keep a fire extinguisher nearby.
- Serve with vanilla ice cream! Once the flame subsides, you’re ready to go! Serve bananas foster with vanilla ice cream or our homemade whipped cream and it’s a little bit of heaven.
The great thing about this recipe is that it takes about 10 minutes to put together with no advanced planning. When I’m looking for simple dessert recipes, it’s one of my biggest criteria: how easy is it to whip up after I’ve cooked an entire meal? It’s perfect for a Friday night, great as a winter treat or even Valentine’s Day!
What Kind of Rum for Bananas Foster?
You can use any rum, 80 proof or higher, for this bananas foster recipe. I like to use 100 proof spiced rum, which adds flavor and ignites easily. This recipe also uses creme de banana, a banana flavored liqueur.
Please note that high-proof alcohol is flammable and extreme caution should be used when making this recipe. Be sure to have a fire extinguisher on hand in case of an accident.
How to Flambé Safety
This most important part of this recipe is making sure you’re safe with the flame:
- Use a long-handled stick lighter. Do not use a match!
- Be sure to keep your face away from the flame and tie back your hair if it’s long. Make sure there are no towels hanging near the range.
- Pour the rum into a small cup first, then into the pan (not right from a bottle).
- Keep a fire extinguisher nearby, just in case!
- Don’t carry a flaming pan. Let the flame burn out over the stovetop.
Can You Make Bananas Foster Without Alcohol?
Yes and it still tastes great! Skip the rum and creme de banana and instead add a splash of orange juice, ½ teaspoon of vanilla, and a pinch or two more cinnamon. Then cook the sauce for an extra minute.
Storage and Make-Ahead Notes
Technically, you can make bananas foster ahead of time, save it refrigerated, and then reheat it prior to serving. But the bananas do lose some of their texture after refrigeration. Since the cook time is so short for this one, we’d recommend preparing it just before serving.
To save time, you can measure out all the sauce ingredients in advance. Then, all you have to do is peel and slice the bananas, throw the sauce ingredients in the pan, and heat them for a few minutes!
Dietary Notes
This bananas foster recipe is grain free, gluten free, and vegetarian. For vegan, substitute coconut oil for the butter and use vegan ice cream or Coconut Whipped Cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s named after Richard Foster, a friend of New Orleans restaurant Brennan’s owner Owen Brennan. It was created at the restaurant in 1951.
Not all of it. The flambé burns off some of it, but there is some left behind. See my notes above on if you want it without alcohol.
No. The flame is more about drama: it’s not functional. You can just let the sauce simmer a little bit more if you want to skip it.
Ripe but firm: you’ll want it yellow with some small brown spots.
Vanilla ice cream! It’s pretty much required.
Easy Bananas Foster
This bananas foster recipe takes 10 minutes to make caramelized bananas in a buttery rum sauce. Here’s how to make it and safely flambé at home!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 (or 4 small servings) 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 bananas
- 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon creme de banana
- 2 tablespoons dark spiced rum (80 to 100 proof)*
- 2 scoops vanilla ice cream (vegan if desired, or use our vegan Cinnamon Ice Cream recipe or Vegan Whipped Cream)
Instructions
- Peel the bananas, then cut them in half crosswise and lengthwise.
- In a medium skillet over medium low heat, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and creme de banana. Cook about 2 minutes until bubbly and thickened.
- Add the bananas and turn them until coated with the sauce. Very carefully, add the rum, making sure not to drip any on the stove or the sides of the pan.
- Stand back from the pan and use a stick lighter to ignite the alcohol. Use extreme caution to stay away from the flame! Allow the alcohol to burn off, then continue cooking, stirring and flipping the bananas until the sauce is thickened and the bananas are tender, about 3 minutes.**
- To serve, place the bananas in a dish and top with vanilla ice cream. Pour over the remaining sauce and serve warm. (Or, you can serve it right in the skillet!)
Notes
*What kind of rum for bananas foster? Any rum, 80 proof or higher, works for this bananas foster recipe. We like to use 100 proof spiced rum, which adds flavor and ignites easily. **Caution: This alcohol is highly flammable and extreme caution should be used when making this recipe. Be sure to have a fire extinguisher on hand in case of an accident.
I substitute Irish cream liquor for the banana liquor and rum.
We do this with agave syrup instead of brown sugar and a bit of cayenne. The heat is awesome and fabulously cooled off by the ice cream.
Agave syrup sounds like a great substitute! I’d love to try that.
lovely recipe!
I’m so down.
You guys!