Healthy Bananas Foster

Name: Healthy Bananas Foster
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 4 bananas; 1 Tablespoon bourbon; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

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This Healthy Bananas Foster is made with 4 simple ingredients - bananas, vanilla, cinnamon and a splash of bourbon - for a lighter twist on this classic New Orleans dessert. Serve with vanilla ice cream for some extra indulgence.

Bananas Foster is a quintessential New Orleans dessert. The traditional preparation calls for a bunch of added butter and sugar resulting in a delicious indulgent dessert. While I enjoy the flavor of the classic, I prefer desserts that are less rich so I created this easy and healthy variation of the original.

If you like your desserts on the healthy side, you should also try my Avocado Chocolate Mousse or Chocolate Fondue with Fruit.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
FAQ
Related
Pairing
Recipe
Food safety
Comments

Ingredients

Here's what you need to make Healthy Bananas Foster:

ripe bananas
bourbon
vanilla extract
cinnamon

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Here's how to make Healthy Bananas Foster:

A cutting board with peeled bananas sliced in half lengthwise.

Slice the bananas in half lengthwise.

Sliced bananas in a dish ready to bake for Healthy Bananas Foster.

Place the sliced bananas in a greased baking dish.

A dish with bananas sliced in half lengthwise then sprinkled with bourbon, vanilla and cinnamon and ready to go in the oven for Healthy Bananas Foster.

Sprinkle the bananas with the bourbon, vanilla extract and cinnamon.

Bake at 450 for 15 minutes, then serve.

Hint: To add a little char to the top of the bananas for visual interest and extra flavor pop the baked bananas under the broiler for 1-5 minutes, watching closely, prior to serving.

Substitutions

Want to substitute an ingredient in Healthy Bananas Foster? Here's how:

Bananas - substitute sliced peaches, pineapple nectarines or apples and follow this same method for a different twist.
Bourbon - use an equal amount of rum, scotch or whiskey in place of the bourbon or omit the alcohol.

Variations

Try one of these variations of Healthy Bananas Foster:

Chocolate - sprinkle ¼ cup of chocolate chips over the bananas prior to making for Chocolate Bananas Foster.

Equipment

This equipment comes in handy when making Healthy Bananas Foster:

Storage

Store leftover cooled Healthy Bananas Foster in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

FAQ

Can you substitute whiskey for rum in bananas foster?

Classic Bananas Foster is made with rum or banana liqueur but I prefer whiskey or bourbon for Bananas Foster because they have less sugar than rum or banana liqueur and offer a nice contrast to the sweetness of the bananas.

Looking for other easy dessert recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

Serve Healthy Bananas Foster after one of these dinners:

Recipe