We love Bananas Foster. This one’s so easy, Gilbert Gottfried can juggle these with an armful of kittens while on a tightrope.
Make it for a quick weeknight dessert or impress Kirk Cameron at brunch with how easily these bananas fit in your hand. If you can make pancakes, you can make this easy and super decadent dessert tonight.
Adapted from Kitchenability 101: The College Student’s Guide to Easy, Healthy, and Delicious Food by Nisa Burns. Photo via sousvideguy.com
Crazy Easy Bananas Foster
1 cup Bulleit Bourbon
Juice from 2 limes
3 bananas
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup water
½ cup vegetable oil
4 scoops vanilla-bean ice cream
Pour the bourbon and fresh lime juice in a bowl. Slice the bananas lengthwise and place them in the bowl of bourbon and lime juice. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let marinate in fridge for about 30 minutes.
Mix the cinnamon, sugar, flour, and water in a separate bowl. You want the consistency of the batter to be very similar to pancake batter. If it is lumpy, add a little more water and mix until smooth. Pour the vegetable oil in a frying pan and heat over medium to high heat. When the oil starts to form bubbles, it’s ready for cooking. If the oil pops from the pan, it means it’s too hot. Be careful—don’t burn yourself!
Using tongs, remove the bananas from the bourbon and lime juice, dip them in the batter until fully coated, and place them in the hot oil. Cook about 3 or 4 minutes, until golden brown. Place the cooked bananas on a paper towel on a plate.
Optional: Lightly sprinkle bananas with sugar to give them some crunch on the outside. Serve the hot bananas over vanilla-bean ice cream. Serves 4.
Mary was born and raised in New York City where her family owned restaurants. Instead of eating dirt on the playground, she ate duck blood, beef tripe and pork belly. She cut her teeth at The Mandarin Oriental and The Ritz-Carlton hotels, working with Barbra Streisand, Vanessa Williams, Michael Stipe, LeVar Burton, Jane Krakowski and others. Mary founded Girl Meets Food in 2009 as a cover for her debilitating addiction to fried chicken and was named Washington Post’s “Favorite Local Foodie.” After 13 years in hospitality, she started freelance writing for USA Today, The Washington Post, Eater, Washington City Paper, and more. Today, she provides digital marketing for hospitality clients as a content creator who’s contently creating content.