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 you flambe will be especially memorable!
Fat Tuesday AKA 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 Brennan’s Restaurant. 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 friend of the owner, Richard Foster.
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.
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 with serving this 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
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 bananas, peeled, then cut on the diagonal
- 1/4 cup pecan halves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 1/2 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.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 437Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 127mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 3gSugar: 48gProtein: 3g
74 Comments on “Bananas Foster Recipe”
You are a busy bee girl-2 posts in one day. You must have a clone or several helpers.
This dish does remind me of Jamaica and it is one of those tropical indulgences I love. Yours does look like it has all the delicious qualities I look for. Amazing pictures-yum!
I have a soft spot for bananas foster. My mom used to make it whenever we had a birthday in the family and I love it to this day. Your recipe looks great and it was fun to remember an old classic!
I will mark this bananas foster recipe for sure,looks delicious,I can’t wait to try :0
Ridwan
Ever since a studenty party on a budget, and discovering banana liqueur on arrival in Paris, I haven’t eaten a banana since. Guide’s honour. But perhaps I may just start bananas for lent, Liz. You have a power of persuasion, my friend.
Who knew bananas could look so pretty?
I love bananas foster! Best of luck with giving up cookie dough! I know that has to be tough, but you can do it!
Wow Lizzy! You’re giving up cookie dough, that’s a good one. I don’t think I could do it! Your bananas foster sounds incredible! On top of all of the other banana recipes floating around I’ve decided to pick up some bananas on the way home & I’ll definitely be whipping up something similar! Congrats on the award, you deserve them all!
I feel your pain on the banana flavored medicine. Fake banana is probably one of my least favorite flavors EVER. I usually double up the rum when I make Bananas Foster at home. Happy Mardi Gras!
Banana foster is so good and it looks amazing. Funny enough my first time eating some was in New Orleans…a banana foster cheese cake.
This is a NOLA classic, beautifully presented…and I’m scarred just thinking about the banana dramamine.
wow lizy u killing me with super delicious recipe..wll try on some week end
I never realized how easy it was to make banana’s foster; I think my Banana’s that are sitting on my Kitchen counter are calling out to me ” make me into Banana’s Foster”; this may just be on the list for tonights dinner!
Oooh Lizzy, you chose to make the real deal Bananas Foster, which BTW I’ve never tasted. Looks so decadent and rich; just what I crave for a dessert! I made Bananas Foster muffins for this theme. So much fun for pre-Lenten sacrifices! Now I truly need to experience New Orleans someday!
Two posts in one day, you go girl!
I need to make your recipe for my husband’s birthday, he would L O V E it! We enjoyed bananas foster at Commander’s Palace in NOLA a couple of years ago, and we still talk about it!
::falls down:: I’m going to need some bananas foster to revive me >) Love the look and simplicity of this dessert – so few ingredients but so much to love. Oh, and thanks for the (unnecessary) shout-out…
Mm, I never heard of bananas foster, but they’re a bit like a flambéed banana dish I make sometimes, though I use brandy instead of rum, and don’t add the nuts. I’ll have to give this a try next time! Looks delish!
This is a delicious combination of rum bananas with vanilla ice cream. I liked that last picture.
This bananas Foster looks so delicious right now, especially since I skipped lunch. Congrats on the Liebster!
Oh yummm, I love caramelized bananas! These look like a glorious rendition!
Cookie dough? That would be tough to give up. Does that mean no cookies until April, or will you actually not eat the dough. I am not sure I could do that!
I have never had bananas foster before, it looks delicious!