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Bananas Foster

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desserts•creole•vegetarian, gluten-free, contains dairy, contains alcohol
15 minutes•4 servings•

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 4 banana – peeled, split lengthwise, then halved crosswise
  • 1/4 cup banana liqueur (crème de banane)
  • 1/4 cup dark rum
  • vanilla ice cream – for serving
Bananas Foster

Instructions

  1. 1.

    Prep the bananas: Peel, split lengthwise, then cut each half in half to make 8 long pieces; set near the stove.

  2. 2.

    Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until foamy, 1–2 minutes.

  3. 3.

    Add the brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbling and glossy, 2–3 minutes.

  4. 4.

    Lay the banana pieces in the skillet cut-side down. Cook until lightly glazed and just tender, 1–2 minutes per side; avoid overcooking so they keep their shape.

  5. 5.

    Pour in the banana liqueur and simmer 20–30 seconds to warm and reduce slightly.

  6. 6.

    Remove the pan from direct heat. Add the dark rum. If using a gas flame, return the pan to the heat and tip slightly to ignite; otherwise, ignite carefully with a long match. Let flames subside naturally, 10–20 seconds.

  7. 7.

    Scoop vanilla ice cream into bowls. Spoon bananas and plenty of sauce over the ice cream and serve immediately.

Bananas Foster is a showstopping New Orleans dessert of buttery caramelized bananas flambéed with rum and spooned hot over cold vanilla ice cream. The sauce balances deep brown-sugar caramel, gentle spice from cinnamon, and the aromatic lift of banana liqueur and rum. Silky, just-tender bananas meet the chill of ice cream for a lush contrast in temperature and texture that delights table-side and tastes as dramatic as it looks.

Created for tableside theater, the dish captures the Creole love of hospitality and spectacle. It was developed in the early 1950s at a famed French Quarter restaurant, marrying Louisiana’s river-port access to bananas with classic French pan-sauce technique. Named in honor of a local civic leader, it quickly became a signature of New Orleans dining and helped popularize flambé desserts across America.