Banana Foster Recipe

Learn how easy it is to make this exciting and dramatic Banana Foster dessert for your family and friends.  This original Banana Foster recipe is from the Brennan’s Restaurant in New Orleans, Louisiana.  I have adapted the wording in this recipe to make it easier to understand how to flambe.

More delicious Louisiana dishes to serve your family and friends and also to help celebrate Mardi Gras.

Banana Foster served in a white bowl


History of Banana Foster:

In the 1950’s, New Orleans was the major port of entry for bananas shipped from Central and South America.  In 1951, Owen Edward Brennan challenged his talented chef, Paul Blang to include bananas in a new culinary creation.  The scrumptious dessert was named for Richard Foster, who, as chairman, served with Owen on the New Orleans Crime Commission, a civic effort to clean up the French Quarter.  Richard Foster, owner of the Foster Awning Company, was a frequent customer of Brennan’s and a very good friend of Owen.

Little did anyone realize that Bananas Foster would become an international favorite and is the most requested item on the restaurant’s menu.  Thirty-five thousand pounds of bananas are flamed each year at Brennan’s in the preparation of its world-famous dessert.

Banana Foster Recipe:
Prep Time
15 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Cajun
Keyword: Banana Foster Recipe
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter 
  • 1 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
  • 1/4 cup banana liqueur
  • 4 bananas, cut in half lengthwise, then halved
  • 1/4 cup dark rum*
  • 4 scoops vanilla ice cream
Instructions
  1. flambeUse a flambe pan, large skillet, or large chafing dish with rounded, deep sides and a long handle.  Have all your equipment and ingredients needed to flambe your dish ready before starting the process.

  2. If you are planning to flambe in front of your guests, light the dish at the table, but far away from guests and flammable objects.  If you have a serving cart, now is the time to use it.

  3. Combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon in the flambe pan.  Place the pan over low heat either on an alcohol burner or on top of the stove, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.

  4. Stir in the banana liqueur, then place the bananas in the pan.  When the banana sections soften and begin to brown, carefully add the rum.  Never pour liquor from a bottle into a pan that is near an open flame (the flame can follow the stream of alcohol into the bottle and cause it to explode).  Continue to cook the sauce until the rum is hot.

  5. Remove the pan with the hot liquor from the heat source before adding the rum to avoid burning yourself.  Tip the pan slightly to ignite the rum.  Once you add the liquor to the pan, do not delay lighting.  You don't want the food to absorb the raw alcohol and retain a harsh flavor.  If the dish does not light, it is probably not hot enough.

  6. Ignite with a long match (such as fireplace matches or a long barbecue lighter).  Always ignite the fumes at the edge of the pan and not the liquid itself.  Never lean over the dish or pan as you light the fumes.

  7. When the flames subside, lift the bananas out of the pan and place four pieces over each portion of ice cream.

  8. Generously spoon warm sauce over the top of the ice cream and serve immediately.

  9. Makes 4 servings.

  10.  

Recipe Notes

* Use an 80-proof liquor/liqueur or 40% alcohol by volume for flambng.  Cold liquor will not ignite!  Heat the brandy or liquor in a saucepan, with high sides, just until bubbles begin to form around the edges (around 130 degrees F. or 54 degrees C.) before adding to the flambpan (you will be able to see vapors rise from the liquid).

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