Pioneer Woman bananas foster is an easy flambéed dessert made with butter, brown sugar, rum and sliced bananas, ready in just 6 minutes. That makes it a real showstopper for dinner parties, date nights or holiday gatherings, since the flame alone gets everyone at the table talking.
Flaming the rum is the step that makes or breaks this dessert, because it burns off the harsh alcohol and leaves deep caramel flavor. If you skip the flame and just cook it down, the sauce tastes flat and boozy instead of rich.
Ree adds walnuts right into the sauce, which gives every spoonful a toasty crunch you won’t find in most bananas foster recipes. She also keeps the banana slices thick and diagonal so they hold their shape instead of melting into mush.
Pioneer Woman Bananas Foster
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy6
servings1
minute5
minutes470
kcalButter and dark brown sugar melt together with cream on the stovetop before bananas and walnuts go in. Once the dark rum gets poured in and lit, you get a warm, flambéed sauce for vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
1 stick butter (salted)
1 c. packed dark brown sugar
1/2 c. (to 3/4 cup) heavy cream
1/2 c. dark rum
2 whole bananas, sliced diagonally into thick slices
1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans
Dash of cinnamon
Directions
- Melt the butter: Place a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and melt the butter, then add the dark brown sugar and stir until it bubbles.
- Add the cream: Pour in the heavy cream and let it cook for about 30 seconds, since this creates the rich caramel base of the sauce.
- Toss in bananas and nuts: Stir in the banana slices and chopped walnuts, then let the mixture bubble for about a minute so the fruit starts to soften.
- Flame the rum: Pour in the dark rum and stir to combine, then carefully tip the skillet toward the burner flame to ignite the alcohol. Let the mixture flame for about 30 seconds before it goes out on its own, and you can shake the pan gently to calm it down.
- Finish and serve: Remove the skillet from heat once the flame dies down, then stir in a dash of cinnamon and serve immediately over vanilla ice cream.
FAQs
Can I use a different nut or skip the nuts entirely?
You can swap walnuts for pecans since they’re the classic choice in most New Orleans versions, and they taste just as good here. Leaving the nuts out works too, because the buttery caramel sauce carries the dish on its own.
How long does leftover bananas foster sauce keep?
The sauce keeps in the fridge for about 3 days in a sealed container, and you can reheat it gently in a small saucepan over low heat. The bananas will soften more as they sit, so it works best spooned over ice cream or pancakes where texture matters less.
Can I make the butter rum sauce ahead of time?
You can make the butter and brown sugar base up to a day ahead, then reheat it and add the bananas, nuts and rum right before serving. The flambé step only works fresh since you need the raw alcohol to ignite, so save that for the last minute.
What if I don’t have a gas stove for the flame step?
A long-handled wand lighter works just as well for igniting the rum if you have an electric or induction stove. You can also skip the flame entirely and just let the sauce simmer for an extra minute or two, because the alcohol cooks off either way.
What’s the biggest mistake people make with bananas foster?
Overcooking the bananas is the most common problem, since they turn to mush if they sit in the hot sauce too long. Slice them thick and add them near the end so they hold their shape, then serve right away while the sauce is still bubbling.
