Caramelized Bananas

Caramelized bananas are a quick and easy way to elevate your breakfast or dessert. In this easy banana recipe, you’ll learn how to caramelize bananas to add a sweet, buttery, slightly crispy texture to any dish. Whip up this delightful topping for your pancakes, French toast, oatmeal or ice cream with just a few ingredients. Of course, enjoying them on their own is perfectly acceptable as well. They’re so good that you may just have a new favorite use for bananas — move over, banana bread!

Ingredients for Caramelized Bananas

• Butter: Butter is essential for creating a rich base. It adds a velvety texture to the caramel sauce and helps give the bananas a beautiful golden-brown color.
• Brown sugar: Brown sugar adds a deep, molasses-like sweetness and forms the caramelized glaze that coats the fruit.
• Bananas: When heated, bananas become soft, sweet and slightly crispy on the edges. Use ripe bananas for the best flavor, but make sure they aren’t too soft. Slightly firm bananas hold their shape better when cooked.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the caramel

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In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted, add the brown sugar and stir to combine. Cook the mixture for about a minute until it slightly thickens and starts to bubble.

Step 2: Caramelize the bananas

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Add banana slices in a single layer. Let the bananas cook on each side for a couple of minutes until golden brown and caramelized. Be careful not to overcook them, or they’ll turn mushy. Once done, remove the bananas from the heat and serve immediately.

Editor’s Tip: Don’t overcrowd the skillet when cooking the bananas. This will help them caramelize evenly.

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Caramelized Banana Variations

• Cinnamon-spiced bananas: Add a sprinkle of cinnamon to the brown sugar. Cinnamon pairs beautifully with caramelized bananas.
• Rum-flambé: For a grown-up version like bananas foster, add a splash of rum to the skillet after the bananas are caramelized and carefully flambé the dish for a spectacular presentation.
• Coconut bananas: Replace the butter with coconut oil and sprinkle shredded coconut over the finished bananas.

How to Store Caramelized Bananas

Caramelized bananas are best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. If you’d like to reheat them, warm them in a skillet over low heat or microwave them for 30 seconds. Freezing caramelized bananas is not recommended—they’ll become mushy when thawed.

Can you make caramelized bananas ahead of time?

You can make the bananas ahead of time and store them in the fridge, but they taste best, and have the best texture, when served immediately after cooking. Reheat them gently on the stovetop or in the microwave to restore some of their caramelized texture.

Caramelized Banana Tips

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What can I serve with caramelized bananas?

Caramelized bananas are perfect over vanilla ice cream, pancakes, waffles or French toast. They also make a delicious topping for oatmeal or Greek yogurt.

Can I use different types of sugar for caramelized bananas?

You can substitute in white sugar, coconut sugar or even honey for a different flavor, but brown sugar is preferred for its rich molasses flavor.

Why did my caramelized bananas turn mushy?

Bananas can turn mushy if they are overcooked or too ripe. To maintain their texture, use ripe but still firm bananas and cook them for one to two minutes per side.