It’s been a while since I posted a dessert recipe, so I hope you all have fun with this one. It’s great for a date night, and would be impressive to make for your significant other on Valentine’s Day (just sayin’).
One of my favorite birthday celebration restaurants growing up in Nashville was Sperry’s, a quaint steakhouse with an English feel. Maybe once a year we would order the $17 bananas foster for two, which would be made table-side by our server. I always loved the smell of the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and yes — even the rum. Add that to the taste of the warm bananas and the quickly melting vanilla ice cream . . . heaven.
Now, for a fraction of the cost of bananas foster at Sperry’s, you can make this amazing dessert at home!
My husband absolutely hates bananas, so this dessert is all for me (and, you know, you guys)! It couldn’t be easier, and it’s likely that you have most of the ingredients already. Keep in mind that this is a dessert. My version uses pure maple syrup and molasses instead of brown sugar, and Earth Balance instead of butter, so it’s better for you than other versions, but it’s still considered a treat (as in, a sometimes food).
You can serve the bananas on their own, but real bananas foster is served over vanilla ice cream. And since I’m treating myself, I bought vanilla SO Delicious coconut (nondairy) ice cream (again, still a junk food, but less bad for you than real ice cream). The result was fantastic. Try it yourself!
Bananas Foster
Ingredients:
- 2 medium-ripe bananas, sliced on a slant
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 t. blackstrap molasses
- 1 t. vanilla
- 1 t. ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 T. Earth Balance
- Splash of dark rum (optional, but highly recommended!)
- Vanilla nondairy ice cream, for serving
Directions:
- Whisk together the maple syrup, molasses, vanilla, and cinnamon.
- Melt the Earth Balance in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the syrup mixture and stir to heat.
- Add the bananas and stir to coat in the syrup mixture. Increase the heat to medium and add the splash of rum. Allow the liquid to boil for about two minutes, stirring, to thicken the sauce and burn off the alcohol.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool to a warm temperature. In the meantime, scoop out your ice cream into your serving dishes.
- Spoon the banana slices over the ice cream and add spoonfuls of the cinnamon sauce. Enjoy!
I have a confession. I decided I didn’t like my first photo shoot (see glass bowl above), so I decided to do it over. Basically I’ve eaten this dessert twice today. So much for it being a sometimes food!
🙂
DELICIOUS dessert and incredibly fast and easy!