Hamdi Saidani This Easy Bananas Foster Recipe is a quick, safe, and delicious take on the classic dessert, which is made with a rich dulce de leche sauce instead of alcohol. It’s a family-friendly treat that delivers all the warm, caramelized flavor without the flambé, ready in less than 10 minutes.
Easy Bananas Foster Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 bananas, sliced 1/3-inch thick
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup dulce de leche or your favorite caramel sauce
- Vanilla ice cream, for serving
- Mini chocolate chips, for serving
How To Make Easy Bananas Foster
- Brown the bananas: In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat until it begins to bubble. Arrange the banana slices in a single layer and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they begin to brown on one side.
- Flip and season: Gently flip the bananas with a rubber spatula to brown them slightly on the other side. Sprinkle with the ground cinnamon and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring occasionally.
- Add the sauce: Gently stir in the dulce de leche or caramel sauce. Allow the mixture to simmer for 1 minute for the flavors to meld and the sauce to warm through.
- Serve: Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for a moment. Spoon the warm bananas and sauce over scoops of vanilla ice cream and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips to finish.
Recipe Tips
- How to get the best results: Use bananas that are yellow and firm, with just a few brown spots. Overripe bananas are too soft and will fall apart during cooking.
- Dulce de Leche vs. Caramel: Dulce de leche is made by slowly heating sweetened milk, giving it a rich, complex, and milky flavor. Caramel sauce is made from cooked sugar, water, and cream, and has a simpler, sweeter taste. Both are delicious here, but dulce de leche provides a more authentic flavor.
- How to make it a bit more “classic”: If you miss the traditional flavor but want to skip the alcohol, add 1/2 teaspoon of rum extract to the dulce de leche before adding it to the pan.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan: Cook the bananas in a single layer to ensure they brown nicely rather than steam. If your pan is small, you may need to work in two batches.
What To Serve With Easy Bananas Foster
This simplified foster sauce is fantastic over more than just ice cream. Try it with:
- Waffles or pancakes for a decadent breakfast
- Slices of pound cake or angel food cake
- Freshly made crepes
How To Store Easy Bananas Foster
Refrigerate: This dessert is best made and enjoyed immediately. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a day, but the bananas will become very soft. Reheat gently in a skillet.
Easy Bananas Foster Nutrition Facts
(Approximate values for one serving, assuming 4 servings)
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Protein: 7g
- Carbohydrates: 80g
- Fat: 24g
- Fiber: 3g
Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.
FAQs
Can I add alcohol and flambé this version?
While this recipe is designed to be alcohol-free, you could adapt it. After browning the bananas, remove the pan from the heat, add 1/4 cup of dark rum, and carefully ignite it. Once the flames die down, proceed with adding the dulce de leche. Always use extreme caution when flambéing.
Is dulce de leche the same as condensed milk?
No. Dulce de leche is what you get when you slowly cook down sweetened condensed milk until it becomes thick, brown, and caramelized. You can often find it in jars near the condensed milk in grocery stores.
Can I use other fruits?
Yes, this sauce would be delicious with sliced apples, pears, or even pineapple. You may need to adjust the cooking time to ensure the fruit is tender.
Try More Recipes:
Easy Bananas Foster Recipe
Description
A quick, family-friendly version of the classic dessert, featuring bananas caramelized in a rich and creamy dulce de leche sauce, served warm over vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add banana slices in a single layer and cook for 1-2 minutes until beginning to brown.
- Flip the bananas, sprinkle with cinnamon, and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Gently stir in the dulce de leche and simmer for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Serve immediately over vanilla ice cream, topped with chocolate chips.
Notes
- Use ripe but firm bananas to ensure they hold their shape during cooking.
- For the best flavor, opt for dulce de leche over standard caramel sauce if you can find it.
- This recipe is designed to be quick; have all your ingredients ready before you start.
- The sauce is very hot, so let it cool for a minute before spooning it over the cold ice cream.
