Granadan Baked Bananas

This Grenadian-inspired dessert starts with liquefied brown sugar. Heating it carefully in a saucepan until it melts creates a deep, smoky caramel that serves as the base for the sauce. Fresh orange juice, dark rum, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla all get added to that caramel and boiled briefly to combine.

The sauce gets poured over halved bananas sliced lengthwise, then everything bakes for 30 minutes. The bananas soften and soak up the rum-caramel as the sauce reduces and thickens around them.

Dark rum is the right call here, not light. The molasses notes in dark rum complement the brown sugar and warm spices, adding depth you’d miss with a white rum.

This is Caribbean comfort food at its simplest. Six ingredients, one pan, and you’ve got a warm dessert that fills the kitchen with the smell of caramelized sugar and spiced rum.

Kitchen Tips

• Watch the brown sugar carefully as it melts. It goes from liquid to burnt quickly, and burnt caramel is bitter and unsalvageable.
• Use ripe but firm bananas. Overripe ones turn to mush in the oven. You want them soft and yielding, not falling apart.
• Serve warm, straight from the oven. A scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside is a natural pairing.
• The sauce thins out as it cools. Serve promptly for the best texture.

Variations

• Coconut version: Replace half the orange juice with coconut milk for a richer, more tropical sauce.
• Grilled instead of baked: Char the banana halves on a grill first, then pour the warm sauce over them for a smoky twist.