The Best Bananas Foster

A classic New Orleans dessert, bananas Foster consists of warm, caramelized bananas bathed in rum sauce and served with vanilla ice cream. If you’ve never flambeed anything at home before, you’re in for a treat—this technique (which involves pouring a high-proof alcohol in a pan, warming it and igniting the alcohol to add a lovely smoky flavor to this dish) is highly impressive but very easy to execute. Just be sure to use a long-reach lighter to stay away from the flames, and have a lid ready just in case. Keep reading for a decadent bananas Foster recipe that’ll instantly transport you and your loved ones to the Big Easy.

Ingredients for Bananas Foster

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• Butter: Feel free to use either salted or unsalted butter here.
• Dark brown sugar: Dark brown sugar gives this dessert its essential deep, caramelly taste.
• Ground cinnamon: Ground cinnamon provides a nice warmth and depth to this dish.
• Medium bananas: Slightly underripe bananas work well in this recipe, as they’ll maintain their shape during the cooking process.
• Creme de cacao or banana liqueur: Creme de cacao lends a nice chocolate flavor to bananas Foster, though banana liqueur works, too (you could also leave these out completely if you don’t have them on hand).
• Dark rum: The rich, robust flavors of dark rum blend beautifully with the caramelized bananas and brown sugar.
• Vanilla ice cream: Melted vanilla ice cream pairs well with this warm dessert.

Directions

Step 1: Melt the butter

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In a large skillet or flambe pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat.

Editor’s Tip: We do not recommend using a nonstick skillet for this recipe. Flambeeing in a nonstick skillet will ruin the coating of the pan and contaminate your food.

Step 2: Stir in other ingredients

Jonathan Melendez for Taste of Home

Stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon until combined. Cut each banana lengthwise and then widthwise into quarters; alternately, cut into 1/4-inch slices. Add the banana to the butter mixture and cook, stirring gently, until glazed and slightly softened, three to five minutes. Stir in the creme de cacao; heat through.

Step 3: Heat the rum

Jonathan Melendez for Taste of Home

In a small saucepan, heat the rum over low heat until vapors form on the surface. Carefully ignite the rum and slowly pour over the bananas, coating evenly.

Editor’s Tip: Keep the liquor bottles and other flammables at a safe distance when preparing this dessert.

Step 4: Shake and serve

Jonathan Melendez for Taste of Home

Leaving the skillet or pan on the cooking surface, gently shake the pan back and forth until the flames are completely extinguished; serve over ice cream.

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Bananas Foster Recipe Variations

• Add toasted pecans: Toasted pecans add a nice crunch to this dessert.
• Serve over breakfast foods: We love spooning the banana mixture over pancakes, waffles and crepes.

How to Store Bananas Foster

Bananas Foster is best served fresh, but the sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to two days after it’s made.

Can you freeze bananas Foster?

This recipe does not freeze well. However, we recommend trying another frozen banana recipe, such as these cereal pops.

Bananas Foster Recipe Tips

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Why do they call it bananas Foster?

This classic dessert was created in 1951 at Brennan’s in New Orleans and named for a guest of honor, Richard Foster.

What can I use something other than rum?

You can use a tablespoon of rum extract in your sauce for a flame-free (and less boozy) version.

Can you make bananas Foster ahead of time?

No. You’ll get the best results by making this quick-cooking dessert right before serving.