This Banana Caramel Topping is absolutely irresistible, and it comes together in about 15 minutes. This recipe is essentially a Bananas Foster topping without all the fuss. I'm thrilled to share this recipe with you because it's a huge hit in my house. I hope this becomes a "go-to" recipe for you and your family.
Banana Caramel Topping Ingredients
You likely already have all of the ingredients on hand to make this. It's a combination of butter, light brown sugar, dark brown sugar, water, fresh banana slices, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. While this recipe was inspired by Bananas Foster, my version omits the dark rum and banana liqueur additions as well as the flambéing steps that traditional recipes call for. You still end up with a sticky-sweet Banana Caramel Topping that's absolutely to die for AND you don't have to light your kitchen on fire! Win-win!
It's important to cook this long enough to ensure that it thickens properly. This should be thick enough to cling to whatever you are serving it over. Cook the butter, sugars and water for 8 to 10-minutes over medium heat to ensure that everything thickens nicely. Once sticky and thick, add the cinnamon, nutmeg, banana slices, and a pinch of kosher salt and simmer for an additional 2 to 3-minutes. If you cook the bananas for too long, they begin to break apart. The bananas should be soft, but not mushy. The only way to achieve this is with a short cooking time.
Banana Caramel Topping Uses
This topping has a ton of uses! It's absolutely delicious over my recipe for Crispy Buttermilk Pancakes, on top of vanilla ice cream, and is even the topping for my Bananas Foster Dutch Baby recipe.
Did you make this recipe for Banana Caramel?
Let me know in the comments below what you used it for, and don't forget to leave a rating!
Recipe
Banana Caramel Topping
Equipment
- Large, Heavy Bottom Skillet or Sauce Pan
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 2 Bananas Sliced in ½ inch slices
- ⅓ Cup Light Brown Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar (Substitute the same amount Light Brown Sugar if you don't have this on hand)
- ¼ Cup Water
- Pinch Nutmeg
- Pinch Cinnamon
- Pinch Kosher Salt
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add water and sugars, stirring until melted and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 8 to 10-minutes until thickened. Dragging a spoon or spatula across the pan should leave a trail.
- Add banana slices, nutmeg, cinnamon, a pinch of kosher salt and cook for 2 to 3-minutes until bananas have softened, but are not falling apart. Keep warm over low heat until ready to serve.
- Serve over pancakes, on a Dutch Baby, or over vanilla ice cream.
Ella says
Delicious, bananas were soft but not mushy, the flavor was great, paired well with pancakes and whipped cream. Only thing was that it was a little too sweet, but other than that 👍🏻
Spencer Klickman says
Thanks for the kind words, Ella! So glad to hear you enjoyed it! Sounds like dropping the sugar amount would make this perfect for you - Please let me know if you make this again!