Caramelized Bananas with Rum Butter
Bananas cooked in brown sugar and butter until golden and sticky, finished with a splash of rum and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. A warm, dense dessert that comes together in one skillet.
- Total
- 11 min
- Prep 3 · Cook 8
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Caramelizing · Pan sauce
- Sweet
- Quick
- Stovetop
Instructions
-
Peel the bananas and slice them in half lengthwise, then cut each half crosswise into 2 cm pieces.
~2 min
-
Melt the butter in a non-stick skillet over medium heat until it foams, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and stir until it dissolves into the butter, about 1 minute.
~2 min
Dissolving sugar into foaming butter creates a smooth caramel base, preventing gritty crystals when the bananas cook.
Caramelizing Keep heat at medium and let the sugar melt into the butter without stirring too much. Watch for a deep golden color and nutty smell; pull off heat before it darkens or smokes.
-
Lay the banana pieces in the skillet in a single layer. Cook without moving them for 2 minutes, then flip and cook until golden and caramelized on both sides, about 2 more minutes.
~2 min
Undisturbed contact lets the sugars caramelize and brown instead of steaming, building a golden crust.
Let the banana pieces sit undisturbed in the pan so the sugar can caramelize and form a golden crust instead of steaming.
Caramelizing Keep heat at medium and let the sugar melt into the butter without stirring too much. Watch for a deep golden color and nutty smell; pull off heat before it darkens or smokes.
-
Pour the rum over the bananas and cook until the sauce thickens and coats the fruit, about 1 minute.
~1 min
The rum's alcohol evaporates quickly while its flavor concentrates, and the heat thickens the sugar syrup into a clinging sauce.
Pan sauce After adding rum, swirl the pan and simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. If it looks thin, reduce a few seconds more; if greasy, whisk in a small knob of cold butter.
-
Spoon the warm bananas and sauce into a bowl and top with the vanilla ice cream. Serve immediately.
~1 min