Bananas Foster Shooters
Bananas Foster is one of my favorite desserts.
Bananas that caramelize as they’re sauteed with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon before being flambed with dark rum is a dessert that definitely holds my attention.
Setting a match to a hot pan after alcohol has just been added also gets my attention but I didn’t need to ignite anything to make these little shooters.
Although, making traditional bananas foster, flames and all, and then tossing the whole hot mess into a blender isn’t a bad idea. Next time.
With traditional bananas foster, I don’t even care about the ice cream that the drunken bananas are poured over.
I care more about the golden al dente bananas, retaining a touch of firmness that’s balanced with warm tenderness as they emerge from the flaming pan.
And I care about the rum sauce, I won’t kid you. Since I could probably drink bananas foster sauce by the gallon, these little shooters are my approximation of bananas foster, in drink form. No chewing required.
They’re creamy like the ice cream portion of bananas foster is and sweetened with brown sugar and caramel sauce and a hint of cinnamon peeks through.
And oh yes, the rum peeks through. They have the depth of flavor that only comes from using rum. You could make these virgin by omitting the rum and adding a splash of water or a little extra cream, and you’ll have a delicious caramel banana smoothie.
However, it’s Friday and I think a little rum is in store.
Truth be told, this isn’t the recipe I intended for today. I had made a cake on Thursday morning, took it out of the oven, showered, and came back all set to photograph it, only to discover that it had fallen in the center and wasn’t camera ready.
I needed something to photograph in a hurry since daylight was buring, and given the cake-tastrophie I just experienced, these shooters came to mind. Imagine that.
Bottoms up.
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Bananas Foster Shooters (vegan, gluten-free)
Makes about 8 ounces, enough for 3 or 4 shooters
1 medium to large ripe banana (previously frozen in chunks is nice but not necessary)
1/2 cup cream, milk, or vegan milk
1/3 cup dark rum, or to taste (light or spiced rum may be substituted)
1 to 2 tablespoons banana liqueur, optional (I didn’t have it on hand)
3 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar, packed
1 to 2 tablespoons homemade dark rum caramel sauce, caramel sauce, caramel ice cream topping, or vegan caramel sauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste
Combine all ingredients in a Vita-Mix or blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into glasses and serve immediately or place the blender canister in the freezer for about 10 minutes to flash chill it before serving.
Recipe is intended only for those for whom alcohol consumption is legal and appropriate. Please drink responsibly.
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Related Recipes:
Bananas Foster (vegan, GF) – I also added a little pumpkin butter (optional) to the sauce mixture, proving that I can work pumpkin into just about anything
Dark Rum Caramel Sauce (GF) – Step-by-step photos on making caramel sauce, rum optional
Vanilla Caramel Glaze – Something about this glaze reminds me of bananas foster. The creaminess, the caramel and overall depth of flavor and it’s my favorite frosting or glaze of all time
Caramelized Bananas (GF with vegan option) – Perfect over pancakes, waffles, ice cream, or just eat them as is
Buttery Nipple Shots – Since we’re talking shots, anything with Baileys is a winner for me
Banana Cream Pudding Pie & Caramel Smoothie – Banana Cream Pie in a glass
Do you like Bananas Foster?
If you’ve never had it, you have to try it if for no other reason than it makes quite a splashy presentation. If you’re entertaining dinner guests, entertaining your mother or just your cat, when you take a match to alcohol you’ll have everyone’s attention. And since it only takes about 10 minutes to make, it’s a fast and easy make-in-front-of-a-crowd recipe that never fails to impress. The sauce is mind-boggling rich and indulgent before even pouring it over ice cream and it’ll be your new favorite way to eat bananas.
Here’s the original Brennan’s Restaurant Bananas Foster recipe, where Bananas Foster was invented in 1951 by Chef Paul Blange in New Orleans.
Have a great weekend!
Oooh, nice save! I hate when recipes flop, or sink, whatever the case may be. I’ve never had real bananas foster, but it sounds so good. I’ve had bananas cooked in butter and sugar ala Paula Deen but never with rum. These shooters sound so yummy! But I like the idea of cooking it traditionally and then making a drink out of it. I’m banana crazy lately. Probably because I have a dozen on the verge of fermenting themselves at all times, lol.
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Averie @ Averie Cooks replied: — September 21st, 2012 at 12:18 am
I was SO ticked about the cake. I was trialing a yogurt cake recipe and feel like had I baked it in a different pan rather than a loaf, I would have been home free. Gah, next time. And the bananas you’ve had, minus the rum, sound pretty close. Butter and sugar is a good start :) Girl I am banana crazy, too! I have like 4 or 5? more recipes in drafts for banana breads, cakes, etc and they’re all vastly different. I’ve been in love with it lately!
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Gah! Next to tiramisu, this is one of my favorite desserts! I could never handle the lighting part though, and always make someone else do that. :) Love the shooter size. Nice.
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Averie @ Averie Cooks replied: — September 21st, 2012 at 11:41 am
That’s half the fun – embrace your inner pyro :)
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Love bananas foster! Never attempted to make them myself though. I could handle the drink version! And um the rum!!
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Averie @ Averie Cooks replied: — September 21st, 2012 at 11:41 am
Make it once, it’s such a flashy dessert! Pun intended :)
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Wow this is gorgeous. I love banana flavored things. Also, I have nominated you for the Inspirational blogger award :) See this link for details http://chezsasha.com/2012/09/21/inspirational-blogger-award/
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Averie @ Averie Cooks replied: — September 21st, 2012 at 11:40 am
thanks for the award!
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Now THAT is a shot I could handle! Happy Friday. :)
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Sounds like your baking day mirrors mine…I need some rum shooters this good to get over it:-) Hope you have a great weekend!!!
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Averie @ Averie Cooks replied: — September 21st, 2012 at 11:40 am
Ugh…you too? So…annoying when recipes fail. And it wasn’t even the recipe. It was the pan. I used a 9×5 not a 9×9 and had I just poured it in a diff pan, I would have been fine!
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I’ve actually never had bananas foster, but am fairly certain I’d like it….and the shooters. Once upon a time I hated bananas actually. then I realized I just didn’t like the overly ripe ones ;-)
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Averie @ Averie Cooks replied: — September 21st, 2012 at 11:39 am
I dont ever really want bananas just to eat – but for smoothies or baking, they are THE BEST!
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YUM!
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Oh wow Averie this is genius! I love bananas foster and in fact I’ve been adding rum to most of my baked goods lately (especially to banana bread) AND I love shooters! This sounds soo good. I kinda want it for breakfast now :)
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Averie @ Averie Cooks replied: — September 21st, 2012 at 11:38 am
adding rum to most baked goods lately sounds like a PLAN! And I can see it being heavenly in banana bread. I need to try that!
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I’ve baked 3 delicious but not camera worthy cakes this week :/ such a pitty! But! These little shooters look like the perfect way to recover from almost anything!
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Averie @ Averie Cooks replied: — September 21st, 2012 at 11:38 am
Girl it was one of those things that had I baked it in a 9×9 not a 9×5 loaf pan I would have been home free and it would have been so amazing! ugh
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I’ve never had bananas foster actually but I love caramelized bananas and I imagine this would be extremely tasty in smoothie form!
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I need about 7 of these shooters right now. INSANE. And I love the glasses–Anthro? :)
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Averie @ Averie Cooks replied: — September 21st, 2012 at 11:37 am
Yes, good eye! The little rose-colored ones. The clear is from the thrift store for 50 cents. I need to get real shot glasses. I donated mine in a move when I was pregnant thinking I’ll never need these again! Only to become a food photographer 6 yrs later and…need them :)
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What a fun idea, bring on the caramelized bananas and rum!
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This looks wonderful, yum! Bananas and alcohol are always a great combo!
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Averie @ Averie Cooks replied: — September 21st, 2012 at 11:36 am
especially on Fridays or after cake fails :)
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YUM! I love fruity desserts- especially when bananas are involved. Would love ot make this with almond milk
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Averie @ Averie Cooks replied: — September 21st, 2012 at 11:36 am
Or with coconut milk, too!
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I have never actually had bananas foster, but these shooters look amazing. I am allll over that!
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Averie @ Averie Cooks replied: — September 21st, 2012 at 11:36 am
It’s a must-try, at least once!
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Ah, I feel your pain! Cake fails, especially as the lighting wanes, are such a HUGE disappointment. But you recovered with aplomb, lady. Down the hatch with a shooter or three and cake fails are in the rearview mirror. Happy weekend!!!!
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OH MY. I’ve definitely never had bananas foster in shooter form–but this sounds way too good! Must try. :)
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I love bananas foster, and this is such a creative way to get the same flavor. Good for you that you rebounded from your fallen cake so quickly. When something like that happens to me, I typically call it a day.
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Averie @ Averie Cooks replied: — September 21st, 2012 at 9:16 pm
I wanted to, kind of, but the light in my house was just gorgeous and I knew I had about an hour like that…so I was like, quick, think think think…and these came to mind!
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Bummer about your cake– but this is definitely a fun way to recover. Bananas Foster takes me back to being a kid. Mom made this when she entertained and I always looked forward to dessert! I should make this for a little nightcap. Hubby leaves tomorrow for a week, so he’ll appreciate a sweet “adult beverage”! Ok back to my vanilla. I used a scant cup of vodka and 2 beans. My gut instinct was to add another bean or 2 and after reading your response, I think your ratios should turn out much better. I just used the Madagascar vanilla beans from Kroger (and I’m off to get another jar!). I just checked out prices on beanilla–MUCH better than the grocery store so I’ll be ordering them for future batches!
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That sucks you had a cake-tastrophe. Though, nice save with the shooters, and a well-earned rum drink, indeed!
I’ve been buying the over ripe bananas again lately and I’ve got a bunch in the freezer now. I made an orange-banana bread for class on Monday and I gave the leftovers to 2 colleagues and both of them came up to me later in the day to tell me it was the best banana bread they’ve had! Good thing I wrote that recipe down! ANd, yes, I made it with erythritol and not sugar!
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I LOVE bananas foster. It is probably my favorite dessert of all time- so I ‘m sure I’d love these shooters!
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Averie @ Averie Cooks replied: — September 21st, 2012 at 9:14 pm
fave dessert of all time? That’s quite a statement!!
I would put way up there, too!
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How creative! I love the spin on this impressive dessert.
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Averie @ Averie Cooks replied: — September 21st, 2012 at 9:13 pm
happy 1st blogiversary to you, too!
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These are super fun Averie!! Love Banana’s Foster ~ had it in New Orleans years ago!
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Averie @ Averie Cooks replied: — September 21st, 2012 at 9:13 pm
I know you don’t drink but even without the rum, the sauce, oh, that sauce is just…so amazing! :)
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Aww, sorry about your cake, Averie! But, your substitution looks delicious! I can’t say if I like bananas foster or not because I have never had it. It sounds delicious, though and these little shooters look like such fun for entertaining friends! You have the best cold drink ideas! :-)
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I had bananas foster at a friend’s house once and was TOTALLY impressed when she set the alcohol on fire. I need to remember to do that soon for the “wow” factor :)
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Wow, these shooters look amazing! I love ANYTHING banana…seriously!
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What a great twist on the dessert!
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OMG. Bananas foster is like only-the-best-thing-on-the-planet. But in shot form, it sounds even better. While I don’t take shots often, I do prefer them to taste like dessert. I’ve had a pumpkin pie shot before and seriously could have had like 10 of them. And then would’ve had to pass out. ANYWAY, I wish I could tell my favorite bar to add this to the menu and then I could CHEERS to you on the other side of the country!
I had a cake-tastrophy recently too. Doesn’t it just totally get you down? I felt defeated. But we have to remember that baking isn’t always a walk in the park. It’s chemistry! And I feel like cakes are particularly temperamental!
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Averie @ Averie Cooks replied: — September 22nd, 2012 at 1:46 pm
pumpkin pie shot = I think you gave me an idea! Lol I’ve made pumpkin pie dips and smoothies and really, adding a little alcohol wouldn’t be a bad idea :)
My caketastrophe was SUCH an avoidable situation, too. I baked it in a 9×5 loaf pan trying to be ‘original’ and should have just baked it in a 9×9 pan. Thankfully Scott loved it and said he wouldnt mind eating down another cake that’s the same. But that doesnt fall and sets up better. Loaf pans are my nemesis. I can bake banana bread and various forms on the theme and basic breads but if I try to get too creative, the middle just won’t set up before the edges burn. But maybe that happens to everyone just based on surface area/surface depth/interior cooking temps, etc. See how I like to over analyze :)
We need a meetup, girl!
xoxo
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Brilliant idea!
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I have never had bananas foster!
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Okay, so I have to be honest and say I’m kinda glad the cake deflated, since it meant that you posted these shooters instead. :-) They sound amazing!
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what a tasty drink– and anything that uses fire is okay is my book :)
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Averie @ Averie Cooks replied: — September 25th, 2012 at 2:40 pm
embrace your inner pyro, I say!
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