Easy Bananas Foster Topping can level up any breakfast or dessert! This buttery banana topping is so simple to make and is ready in minutes!
Authentic bananas foster over rich and creamy vanilla ice cream might be one of the greatest things you will ever eat in your life. Truly, if you love bananas, and I do, you have not lived unless you have had expertly prepared bananas foster dessert. With that being said, however, sometimes you just have to fill a craving the easy way. Equally delicious, but much less complicated, this Easy Bananas Foster Topping recipe will definitely fill the bananas foster-shaped void in your heart and stomach!
EASY BANANAS FOSTER TOPPING
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I am sure I am not the only one who always buys bananas, but maybe never gets around to eating them all. There are definitely some very ripe bananas in the freezer just waiting for me to make a loaf of zucchini banana bread.
The best thing to do with bananas just as they ripen is to turn them into a delicious topping for bananas foster pancakes or bananas foster French toast! Not breakfast time? No worries, banana foster ice cream is always an option too!
WHAT IS BANANAS FOSTER?
The delicious dessert is known simply as Bananas Foster actually originated in New Orleans in the 1950s. The dessert consists of the banana foster sauce, a combination of banana, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, dark rum, and banana liqueur, sautéed and flambéed, and finally served hot over vanilla ice cream.
This easy version is just as delicious and probably way more compatible with the ingredients you already have on hand in your kitchen!
- Ripe Bananas- I personally prefer my bananas a little bit on the greener side, but they should still be ripe and sweet.
- Brown Sugar- Dark brown sugar is preferred, but light brown will suffice if you happen to have it on hand.
- Butter- Whether the butter is salted or unsalted does not make much of a difference.
HOW TO MAKE EASY BANANAS FOSTER TOPPING
The “easy” in this recipe is no lie! This is also a great one to get the kids involved in the kitchen.
- First, start by slicing 2 ripe bananas into disks. You will want to have them ready to go to put into the sauce. Do not slice them too far in advance or they may start to prematurely brown.
- To start your sauce, in a medium-sized skillet, melt 1/2 stick of butter.
- Next, add 1 cup of brown sugar to your melted butter and cook, stirring to incorporate.
- Place your sliced bananas into the skillet. Then continue stirring until the sugar dissolves, the bananas are coated, and the sauce has thickened into a sugary syrup.
Pro Tip: Be careful not to leave the skillet unattended or the topping may burn. - Once it has reached the desired consistency, remove the topping from the stove and serve it over pancakes, french toast, or ice cream!
CAN BANANAS FOSTER BE MADE AHEAD
Though I would never recommend it, technically speaking you could make this bananas foster recipe ahead of time. Luckily, this easy version of this classic dessert is so quick and so easy, you really do not have to! After all, part of the beauty of this dessert is the fresh banana flavor and the warm and melty combination of sugar and butter.
Refrigerating this topping would most certainly rob it of some of its splendor. With that being said, if you happen to have any extra topping leftover, I can confirm it is just as yummy if you eat it alone.
DOES THE ALCOHOL COOK OUT OF BANANAS FOSTER?
For an authentic, traditional bananas foster recipe, where rum and banana liqueur are involved, the dessert will definitely retain some of its alcohol content. The flambé process will burn off a portion of the alcohol, but lots of factors in the preparation will determine how much alcohol content remains once it is served.
Because this easy recipe lacks alcohol it is safe to serve over your kids’ pancakes or french toast at breakfast. A scoop of this delicious topping also transforms a regular bowl of vanilla ice cream into the best dessert ever!
TRY THESE OTHER BANANA FRIENDLY DESSERTS
- Banana Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream
- Bananas Foster Bread Pudding
- Upside Down Banana Cake
- Pumpkin Banana Bread
- More DESSERT recipes…
TOOLS USED TO MAKE THIS BANANAS FOSTER RECIPE
Non-Stick Skillet: When it comes to sautéing potentially sticky desserts, this skillet always emerges victorious!
*This post originally posted on 08/05/2013.
Ingredients
- 2 bananas peeled and cut into slices
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup butter
For serving
- Pancake mix plus ingredients to prepare
- Vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add butter to the skillet a cook until melted.
- Add in the brown sugar and stir until it's dissolved in the butter.
- Add bananas to the skillet. Cook until a sugary syrup forms, stirring often.
- Serve hot topping over prepared pancakes or ice cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Elsie says
Going to try
Celestine says
Thank you so much for this simple yet heavenly topping! This is absolutely devine!! And so easy to make!! I also added 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons spiced rum and 3/4 Tablespoon vanilla and that really took it out of the park!!! After having it on my pancakes I couldn’t stop eating it! What a happy Mother’s Day!! God bless!
Connie says
I live in Louisiana & Bananas Foster is very popular here in the south. My daughters birthday is next week.It is a tradition that I make her pancakes for breakfast on her birthday. They are always shaped in the numbers that she will be turning. This year will be A #1 & A #4. I can’t wait to top them with the Bananas Foster with ice cream this year & A candle on top of course!!! She will be sooo surprised!
Real Housemoms JK says
How fun!
Connie says
I live in Louisiana & Bananas Foster is very popular in the South! My daughters birthday is next week & it is a tradition that I make her pancakes
(Shaped in the numbers of her age) This year will be A #1 & A #4 but Ivill top them with the Bananas Foster & Ice Cream & A candle on top of course!!! She will be sooo surprised!!!
Debbie says
This is great over pound cake or angel food cake for a quick dessert!
Aubrey Cota says
Great idea! Thanks Debbie.
Kayla Keady says
Delicious! Super easy!
Daniele says
Thank you for having posted this; this recipe saved breakfast. I knew we were out of syrup, so I’d planned to make apple compote to put on top of the pancakes. However, as I started to prepare the apples, they were all bad. I noticed I had a couple bananas on the verge of over-ripening. I googled banana pancake toppings recipes, yours was the only one that didn’t have ridiculous ingredients, so I gave it a go. It was delicious.
More With Less Mom says
It only takes three ingredients to make your pancakes drool-worthy. I linked to this in my Pancake Mix Fix post. Thanks for sharing. http://www.morewithlessmom.com/index.php/2015/09/21/pancake-mix-fix/
Ellen Gilmer says
This looks yummy!
Aubrey says
Thanks Ellen!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Oooh this looks so yummy Aubrey!
Aubrey says
Stacey made those, don’t they look delicious!!! Thanks Trish. 🙂