Bananas Foster
Bananas Foster was invented in New Orleans and was a spectacle from the start: the rum is set alight at the table. The flame is not just theatre — it burns off part of the alcohol and lifts the rum aroma in the caramel, though a fair amount of alcohol remains, so this is a dessert for adults. The whole dessert takes twelve minutes.
Your own work in that: 0 min.
- Preparation 5 min
- Butter caramel 4 min
- Flambéing 3 min
Step by step
0 / 5 donePrepare everything first
Halve the bananas lengthways, measure the rum into a glass and take the ice cream out of the freezer. The frying and flambéing take only a few minutes — there will be no time to look for anything.
Ingredients: 4 pcs bananas · 60 g butter · 100 g brown sugar · ½ tsp cinnamon · 1 pinch salt
TipSwitch off the extractor and check nothing hangs above the hob. The flame can reach half a metre.
Make the butter caramel
Melt the butter in a wide pan, add the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt and stir for 2 minutes until the sugar dissolves and starts bubbling. The caramel should be smooth and glossy.
Ingredients: 4 pcs bananas · 60 g butter · 100 g brown sugar · ½ tsp cinnamon · 1 pinch salt
Bubbling caramel — time to add the bananas.Cook the bananas
Lay the banana halves cut side down and cook for 90 seconds, then turn and cook another minute, spooning caramel over them. They should gild without falling apart.
Ingredients: 4 pcs bananas · 60 g butter · 100 g brown sugar · ½ tsp cinnamon · 1 pinch salt
Set the rum alight
Take the pan off the heat, pour in the rum and vanilla, return to the heat and tip the pan towards the flame or light it with a long match. The flame burns for 30–60 seconds and goes out on its own once the alcohol is gone.
Ingredients: 60 ml rum · 1 tsp vanilla extract · 400 ml vanilla ice cream · 40 g pecans
TipNever pour alcohol from the bottle over a flame — the fire can travel inside. Measure the rum into a glass first, keep your face and hair away from the pan and have a lid to hand: covering the pan puts the flame out.
The blue flame dies out by itself within a minute.Serve immediately
Put a scoop of vanilla ice cream in each bowl, lay the hot bananas on top and pour over the caramel from the pan. Scatter pecans. The contrast of hot caramel and cold ice cream is the point of this dessert.
Ingredients: 60 ml rum · 1 tsp vanilla extract · 400 ml vanilla ice cream · 40 g pecans
Before you start
Without the flame
Pour in the rum and simmer 2 minutes over medium heat until most of the alcohol evaporates. The flavour is almost identical, minus the theatre — though this version still leaves a little alcohol in the sauce.
Choosing bananas
Bananas with greenish tips hold their shape best. Overripe ones with brown spots dissolve in the caramel.
Other spirits
Brandy, cognac and bourbon all work. The spirit should be at least 40% — anything weaker ignites poorly or not at all.
