Melt butter over medium heat in large skillet. Add sugar, rum, vanilla, and cinnamon. Stir frequently. Bring to slow simmer, reducing heat to medium-low. The sauce will bubble as it simmers. Simmer until alcohol taste is mostly or completely burned off, 1-2 minutes. If you can still taste alcohol, simmer a bit longer.
Place sliced bananas in pan and gently cook 30 seconds to 1 minute or just until soft, but not mushy. Serve immediately over ice cream.
Notes
Flambé Option: Add sugar, vanilla and cinnamon to skillet. Add the rum last, just before adding bananas. Pour rum into skillet, slightly and carefully tilting pan to expose alcohol to heat source, and it should ignite. If not, use long candle lighter to ignite. Cook until flame dies out. Add bananas for 30-60 seconds. Serve immediately.
It's best to use slightly under-ripe or barely ripe bananas. These will hold their shape better when cooked and will have a less intense banana flavor, allowing the other flavors in the dish to shine.
When simmering the sauce, make sure to simmer until the alcohol's strong taste is mostly or completely burned off, which usually takes 1-2 minutes. If you can still smell or taste alcohol, simmer a bit longer.
When you add the sliced bananas to the pan, cook them gently for just 30 seconds to 1 minute. You want them to soften but not become mushy. Overcooked bananas will lose their shape and texture, which won't be as pleasant to eat.
Serve your Bananas Foster over a scoop of high-quality vanilla bean ice cream. The richness of the ice cream will complement the sweet, caramelized bananas perfectly.
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