Bananas Foster

Name: Bananas Foster
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: 4 firm-ripe medium bananas (about 1 1/2 lb / 680 g), peeled; 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter; 1 cup (200 g) packed dark brown sugar; 1/2 teaspoon (1.5 g) ground cinnamon; 1/4 cup (60 ml) banana liqueur; 1/4 cup (60 ml) dark rum; 4 scoops (about 2 cups / 480 ml) vanilla ice cream (egg-free)

Bananas Foster Say it: buh-NAN-uz FAW-ster

By the Passport Plate editors. Published November 4, 2026.

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Bananas Foster is a theatrical New Orleans dessert of firm bananas simmered in a buttery brown-sugar caramel, perfumed with cinnamon and banana liqueur, then flambéed with dark rum. Created in the city’s French Quarter and still a restaurant signature, it is usually spooned over vanilla ice cream while the sauce is hot. The fruit softens but keeps its shape, the sauce turns glossy and toffee-like, and the brief flame burns off the alcohol, leaving warmth and caramel depth.

Bananas Foster

Pronounced buh-NAN-uz FAW-ster

Serves: 4
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 10 min
Total: 20 min
Level: Medium

Also nut-free and egg-free.

Allergens: contains milk. Check labels on packaged ingredients.

Ingredients

4 servings

4 firm-ripe medium bananas (about 1 1/2 lb / 680 g), peeled
1/2 cup (115 g)115 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup (200 g)200 g (1 cup) packed dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon (1.5 g)1.5 g (1/2 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (60 ml)60 ml (1/4 cup) banana liqueur
1/4 cup (60 ml)60 ml (1/4 cup) dark rum

To serve

4 scoops (about 2 cups / 480 ml) vanilla ice cream (egg-free)

Method

Peel the bananas, cut them in half crosswise, then split each piece lengthwise; set aside. Scoop the ice cream into chilled bowls and keep it in the freezer until serving.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until foaming but not browning. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture bubbles thickly.
Stir in the banana liqueur and simmer for about 1 minute, until the sauce is syrupy. Add the bananas in a single layer and cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side, spooning the sauce over them, until softened and glazed but still holding their shape.
Warm the rum briefly in a small saucepan over low heat—do not let it boil—then pour it into the skillet off the heat. Stand back and carefully tilt the pan to ignite the rum; keep your face and hair away and let the flames burn for 20 to 30 seconds, until they subside.
Spoon the bananas and hot caramel sauce over the vanilla ice cream and serve immediately, while the sauce is glossy and warm.

Regional variants

Some cooks add a pinch of salt or a splash of vanilla to the caramel; a few modern versions use pineapple or peaches in place of bananas.

Cook's notes

Use bananas that are ripe but still firm; very soft fruit collapses in the sauce.
Warm the rum gently before flaming and keep a lid nearby; never pour from the bottle directly over the pan.
Have the ice cream scooped and waiting, as the caramel thickens quickly once the bananas are cooked.

Serve with

Vanilla ice cream, and café au lait or cold milk.

Make ahead and storage

Best served immediately. The caramel sauce can be made up to 1 day ahead and gently reheated; add the bananas and rum just before serving.

Bananas Foster