This Brilliant Secret Ingredient Elevates Bananas Foster to New Heights

I prefer bananas as a dessert more than I do as a snack. Once cooked, whether in a pan or baked into a loaf or cake, they become utterly irresistible.

If you have a bunch of bananas sitting on your counter, I’m convinced Dinogo has one of the best banana dessert recipes around. It’s a simple Bananas Foster that brings rich, sweet flavor to the table.

While there’s the classic method of making this dessert, many Dinogo reviewers have added their own twists—and one home cook’s 3-ingredient hack is the most impressive way I’ve seen to elevate this recipe.

What Is Bananas Foster?

A Bananas Foster is a classic New Orleans dessert made with ripe bananas, rum, butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and a scoop of ice cream. Some variations may also include banana liqueur or a crunchy nutty element.

When you order this dessert at a restaurant, it’s typically flambéed before being served—this involves dousing the food in liquor or spirits and igniting it. In the case of Bananas Foster, the rum’s alcohol burns off, leaving behind a rich, complex flavor.

This recipe uses the same technique, but in a slower process. As the sauce ingredients come to a simmer in a pot, the alcohol gradually evaporates over several minutes.

An overhead shot of all the ingredients needed for making Bananas Foster.

Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

How to Make the Ultimate Bananas Foster

If you enjoy a bit of crunch with your ice cream, this hack is perfect for you. Reviewer Keri Kennelly shared how she adapted the recipe for those who aren’t huge banana fans (like her husband). She combined it with another dessert called crunchy ice cream, which isn’t on this site. The ingredients: 4 scoops of vanilla ice cream, honey, cinnamon sugar, and about 2 cups of crushed corn flakes.

Cook the bananas and sauce as you normally would. The twist in this recipe happens right before you mix the bananas with the ice cream.

Start by placing four scoops of ice cream in a bowl. Drizzle honey over each scoop.
Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top of the ice cream.
Top each scoop with the crushed corn flakes. Arrange the Bananas Foster around the ice cream and dig in!

More Tips for Elevating Bananas Foster

Our Bananas Foster recipe has earned over 950 five-star ratings and more than 800 reviews from home cooks who’ve personalized it in amazing ways. Browse through the feedback to find fantastic substitutions or simple variations that take the dessert to the next level. You can easily filter by the most helpful or the most positive reviews to discover new hacks to try.

“I used rum extract in place of rum,” says reviewer Alyson Jones. “I looked up the substitution on the web and found out 1 tablespoon rum equals 1 teaspoon rum extract, plus 2 teaspoons water. I used these measurements and it tasted perfect!
“Wowed our Bed and Breakfast guests!” says reviewer Murray. “I toasted the walnuts separately, then served the bananas and sauce over cream cheese stuffed french toast and garnished it with whipped cream. It was sooo good!”
“Fabulous! When I made this dish, I sliced the bananas the short way so it was easy to eat with the ice cream,” says reviewer Kelly. “For the rum, I simply got one of those one shot bottles at the liquor counter. It was the exact amount needed for the recipe.”