Bananas & Spice

Five minutes from skillet to bowl, and these caramelized bananas taste like you spent an hour on dessert. Ripe bananas get pan-fried in melted butter and brown sugar with a hit of cinnamon and lemon juice until the sugar dissolves into a glossy, buttery sauce and the bananas turn golden and soft.

Cut the bananas lengthwise first, then crosswise. The flat sides get good contact with the pan for caramelization, and the smaller pieces cook through in minutes without falling apart. Turn them gently. Ripe bananas are fragile and aggressive flipping turns them to mush.

Spoon the warm bananas and their sauce over a scoop of vanilla ice cream and the contrast between hot caramel fruit and cold, creamy ice cream is something special.

Kitchen Tips

• Use ripe bananas but not mushy ones. You want them sweet and soft enough to caramelize but firm enough to hold their shape.
• The lemon juice isn’t just for flavor. The acid keeps the bananas from turning brown and adds a brightness that cuts through all that butter and sugar.
• Keep the heat at medium. Too high and the sugar burns before the bananas cook through.

Variations

• Bananas Foster: Add a splash of dark rum to the skillet and carefully flambe for a dramatic, boozy version.
• Tropical twist: Swap the cinnamon for a pinch of cardamom and serve with coconut ice cream.