New Orleans Bananas Foster

New Orleans Bananas Foster is an easy yet elegant and impressive dessert to serve any night of the week. This traditional dessert is a classic and basic recipe to have on hand.

I’m not sure if I’m the only one, but I just love being able to impress my friends and family with a surprise meal. One thing that makes this New Orleans Bananas Foster my go-to fancy knock-their-socks-off dessert isn’t because it tastes amazing (which it does!) but because of how easy it is.

Did you know that Banana’s Foster originated in New Orleans? It does and you will find it on a ton of menus not only in Louisiana but all over the World.

It is just that good, but I bet you never guessed it was as easy to make right at home. Literally, in under 15 minutes, you have the most sophisticated dessert around and nobody will know, just you and me!

So simple, just 6 ingredients, and you’re ready to go.

Melt some buttah, add brown sugar with cinnamon and nutmeg, add ripe bananas, add alcohol of choice, and flambé! Make sure your guests watch you now because not only is this dessert but the entertainment too.

Then, let everything get bubbly and caramelized. Serve your New Orleans Bananas Foster over simple vanilla ice cream or dessert of your choice; simple, easy, delicious, and ready in no time!

Some of our other favorite basic easy dessert recipes that we have on our site include: Rice Krispies Treats Recipe, Chocolate Pudding Cake, and Cherry Dump Cake.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

1. A classic yet easy recipe that is sure to impress.
2. Ready in under 15 minutes.
3. A fun flambé step to entertain guests.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE BELOW):

• Ripe bananas
• Salted butter
• Dark brown sugar
• Ground cinnamon
• Ground nutmeg
• Spiced rum
• Vanilla ice cream to serve

HOW TO MAKE NEW ORLEANS BANANAS FOSTER:

1. Cut the bananas in half, then cut the halves in half lengthwise and set aside.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir constantly until the butter and sugars are melted and combined, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the cut bananas to the pan and coat them in the sauce.
4. Take off the heat. Add the rum and, using a torch or lighter with a long handle, VERY CAREFULLY light the rum on fire, and allow the rum to cook off fully. The flame will disappear when ready.
5. Place the skillet back on the stove and continue to cook until the bananas are soft and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 4 more minutes.
6. Serve the bananas with scoops of vanilla ice cream, and pour more of the sauce on top.

DO I HAVE TO USE DARK BROWN SUGAR?

No, if all you have on hand is light brown sugar, that works!

Dark brown sugar just has more molasses in it, which makes it a little richer in flavor, but you don’t have to buy it just to make this recipe.

IS THIS KID FRIENDLY?

The recipe, as written is not kid-friendly, since there is rum in it. We do flambé the dessert and let the fire burn itself out but there still may be traces of alcohol.

I suggest adding apple juice or pineapple juice instead of the rum. Doing this, you will have to skip the flambé step since there is nothing to light on fire now.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH NEW ORLEANS BANANAS FOSTER?

We love to keep it simple most of the time and serve it over vanilla ice cream, but here are some other options.

• Pancakes
• Waffles
• French Toast
• Pound Cake
• Cheesecake
• Bread Pudding
• Crepes

CAN I USE BOURBON IN PLACE OF RUM?

Yes, technically, you can use any alcohol in place of rum that you want. Bourbon and rum are the two classics to use.

We use spiced rum to give the overall dessert a little extra flavor.

HOW TO STORE:

This recipe is best eaten immediately, but you can store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, do so in the microwave or skillet until warm.

If reheating in the skillet, add a splash of water or apple juice to loosen it up. Also, the bananas may become mushy from sitting but that is normal and should be expected.

I do not recommend freezing this recipe.

TIPS AND TRICKS:

• Make sure to use ripe bananas but not overly ripe, so they don’t become mushy.
• Use bourbon in place of rum.
• I do not recommend freezing.
• Lots of fun options to serve with this dessert, see above on my recommendations.
• Only kid friendly if you use apple or pineapple juice instead of alcohol.
• Use rum extract to amp up the rum flavor, especially if not using alcohol. 
• Make sure you do the flambé step in a well-ventilated area away from cabinets and kitchen towels.

Looking for that recipe that is sure to impress? You must try this New Orleans Bananas Foster at your next dinner party!

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• • Banana Cream Pie
  • Banana Icebox Cake
  • Banana Blondies with Cream Cheese Frosting

If you’ve tried this NEW ORLEANS BANANAS FOSTER recipe, let me know how it turned out in the comments! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!