Bananas Foster is a flambéed dessert originating from New Orleans, made famous at Brennan’s Restaurant in the 1950s. This fiery dish combines caramelized sugar, butter, and rum to elevate the flavor of bananas into an unforgettable treat. The version here, styled for a romantic or intimate setting, comes from the upscale "Different Pointe of View" restaurant. Its dramatic table-side preparation and warm, sweet flavors make it a beloved choice for celebrations and date nights alike.
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ stick butter
- ½ orange (juiced)
- 1 oz orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier)
- 1 banana (sliced (inferred))
- 1 oz dark rum (for flambé)
- ⅛ tsp Cinnamon (to taste, for spark effect during flambé)
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare Base Sauce
- In a flambé pan, add 1 cup of brown sugar and ½ stick of butter.
- Mix constantly while heating to avoid burning.
Step 2: Add Citrus and Liqueur
- Once the sugar and butter mixture caramelizes, squeeze in the juice of ½ orange.
- Mix well and add 1 oz of orange liqueur.
Step 3: Add Bananas and Flambé
- Roll sauce to the back of the pan.
- Add sliced banana to the front of the pan.
- Pour in 1 oz of dark rum and ignite carefully.
- Warn guests to keep a safe distance during flambé.
Step 4: Add Final Touch
- Sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon while flaming to create a sparkling effect.
Tips
- Use dark rum for richer caramel flavor.
- Add sliced bananas only after the sauce has caramelized to prevent mushiness.
- Serve over vanilla ice cream or crepes.
- Add a pinch of salt to deepen the caramel.
- Substitute orange liqueur with banana liqueur for stronger banana flavor.
- Use cinnamon sticks instead of ground cinnamon for aroma (remove before serving).
- For a non-flambé version, omit the rum or cook it fully to evaporate the alcohol.
- Add toasted pecans for crunch.
- Use plant-based butter to make it dairy-free.
Transcription of the Original Recipe
Read or copy the transcription
BANANA'S FOSTER FOR TWO In Flamb'e Pan add (1) cup of brown sugar, ½ stick butter Mix together constantly rolling so as not to burn. Once sugar & butter combination is carmelized, squeeze ½ orange , mix well add 1 oz of orange liqueur , Roll sauce to back of pan, heat front of panand add Rum to Flame . Be careful of guest's being to close. Add touch of Cinnamon while flaming to get spark effect.
From Transcription to Instructions
The original recipe is short and to the point, but it leaves the timing a bit fuzzy, so in our instructions we broke that into clear steps you can follow at the pan. The main, practical change we made was to show when the sliced bananas go in, our instructions put them at the front of the pan after you’ve rolled the caramel to the back, so you add the rum and ignite with the fruit already warming. We also call out the cinnamon-spark moment and the guest-safety reminder, so you can flame with confidence rather than guessing the order.
Nutrition
Calories: 425kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 1gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 40mgPotassium: 330mgFiber: 3gSugar: 49gVitamin A: 650IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 0.6mg
