Indulge in the rich, caramel-like flavors of Crockpot Bananas Foster, a truly delightful dessert that brings the classic New Orleans treat right into your home with minimal effort. This easy slow cooker recipe perfectly combines ripe bananas, decadent brown sugar, rich butter, and a hint of dark rum, creating a warm, inviting dish that’s ideal for entertaining or a cozy family dinner. Forget the fuss of traditional stovetop methods; our crockpot version ensures a hands-off, consistently delicious result every time.
Effortless Crockpot Bananas Foster: Your Go-To Slow Cooker Dessert
Bananas Foster holds a special place in many hearts, often reminiscing about elegant cruise ship dinners or fancy restaurant experiences. The original dish, born in New Orleans in the 1950s, famously features bananas flambéed in butter, brown sugar, and rum, typically served with vanilla ice cream. While spectacular, the flambé process can be intimidating for some home cooks. That’s where our Crockpot Bananas Foster recipe shines! It captures all the beloved flavors and luxurious texture of the classic, but with the incredible convenience of your slow cooker.
This recipe is designed for simplicity, requiring less than an hour of total cooking time, most of which is completely hands-off. The slow cooker gently melts the butter and brown sugar into a rich, sweet syrup, infusing the bananas with warmth and flavor without turning them to mush. The result is a generous batch of this delectable dessert, perfect for sharing. We’ve found that even for a family of four, there’s often plenty left over to enjoy as a sweet treat the next day!
Why Choose the Slow Cooker for Bananas Foster?
Using a slow cooker for Bananas Foster isn’t just about ease; it’s about achieving a consistent, perfectly cooked dessert every single time. Here are a few compelling reasons why this method is a game-changer:
- Hands-Off Convenience: Once you’ve combined the initial ingredients, your slow cooker does all the work. No constant stirring or monitoring required, freeing you up to focus on guests or other meal preparations.
- Perfect for Parties: The slow cooker excels at keeping food warm for extended periods. This means you can prepare your Bananas Foster in advance and keep it at the ideal serving temperature throughout your gathering, ready whenever your guests crave dessert.
- Gentle Cooking: The low and slow heat of a crockpot allows the flavors to meld beautifully and the bananas to soften just enough without becoming overly mushy, preserving their texture.
- Consistent Results: Say goodbye to scorched caramel or undercooked bananas. The even heat distribution of a slow cooker ensures a reliable outcome.
- Less Mess: Everything cooks in one pot, minimizing cleanup – a huge bonus after any meal or party.
Essential Ingredients for Your Slow Cooker Bananas Foster
Crafting this incredible dessert requires just a handful of simple ingredients. While the list is short, each component plays a crucial role in achieving the signature Bananas Foster flavor. Ensure you use quality ingredients for the best possible outcome.
- Brown Sugar: This is the foundation of the rich caramel sauce. Packed brown sugar is essential for its molasses content, which gives the sauce its depth and chewiness.
- Ground Cinnamon: A touch of cinnamon beautifully complements the sweetness of the bananas and sugar, adding a warm, aromatic note.
- Unsalted Butter: Good quality butter is key to a luscious sauce. Cutting it into pieces helps it melt evenly and quickly in the slow cooker.
- Bananas: The star of the show! Choose ripe but firm bananas. They should be yellow with a few brown spots, indicating sweetness without being overly soft, which could lead to them becoming mushy during cooking. We’ll discuss banana selection in more detail in our tips section.
- Dark Rum: This provides the classic Bananas Foster flavor. Dark rum adds a rich, slightly molasses-like undertone. While optional for those who prefer an alcohol-free version, it truly elevates the dish.
Perfect Pairings and Serving Suggestions
While the Bananas Foster itself is undeniably delicious, how you serve it can elevate the experience even further. The warm, gooey banana and rum sauce is incredibly versatile. Traditionally, it’s served over creamy vanilla ice cream, and for good reason—the contrast of warm sauce and cold ice cream is simply heavenly. The melting ice cream creates an extra layer of richness that’s hard to resist.
Beyond vanilla ice cream, here are some other fantastic ideas:
- Pound Cake: A slice of warm or toasted pound cake provides a sturdy base to soak up all that wonderful sauce.
- Waffles or Pancakes: Transform your breakfast or brunch into a gourmet experience by spooning Bananas Foster over fluffy waffles or pancakes.
- Crepes: Delicate crepes filled with a scoop of Bananas Foster make for an elegant dessert.
- Yogurt or Oatmeal: For a slightly healthier twist, stir it into plain Greek yogurt or a bowl of warm oatmeal for a luxurious breakfast.
- As Is: Sometimes, the simple pleasure of a spoonful of warm Bananas Foster is all you need!
Don’t be afraid to experiment! If I’m being honest, you could pour this incredible cinnamon brown sugar and banana concoction over almost anything. It’s a flavor profile that screams “YUM!” and pairs well with so many other dessert bases.
Equipment Needed for Crockpot Bananas Foster
One of the beauties of this recipe is its simplicity in terms of equipment. All you truly need is a reliable slow cooker. However, a specific type of crockpot can make the process even smoother:
Slow Cooker (Crockpot): We highly recommend using a crockpot that features a digital timer. This type of slow cooker often comes with an automatic “keep warm” setting that activates once the set cooking time is complete. This intelligent feature ensures your dessert cooks perfectly without overdoing it, and you won’t have to constantly check the clock. It’s especially useful when you’re busy with other tasks or entertaining guests, giving you peace of mind that your Bananas Foster will be warm and ready exactly when you need it.
Tips for Perfect Crockpot Bananas Foster
While this recipe is incredibly forgiving, a few tips can help you achieve dessert perfection every time:
- Choosing the Right Bananas: The ideal banana for Bananas Foster is ripe (yellow with some brown spots) but still firm. Overly green bananas won’t be sweet enough, and overly soft, very brown bananas might turn mushy during cooking.
- Preventing Mushy Bananas: The key to retaining some texture is to add the bananas towards the end of the cooking process, after the butter and sugar have melted into a sauce. Also, stir gently to coat them without mashing.
- Rum vs. No Rum: Dark rum adds a distinct, rich flavor profile. If you prefer a non-alcoholic version, you can substitute the rum with an equal amount of banana extract, rum extract, or even a splash of orange juice or apple juice to add another layer of flavor.
- Adjusting Sweetness: Taste the sauce before adding bananas and adjust the brown sugar to your preference. Remember that bananas will add natural sweetness.
- Serving Temperature: Bananas Foster is best served warm. The slow cooker’s “keep warm” function is perfect for this, but if reheating, do so gently on low heat to avoid overcooking the bananas.
- Making Ahead: This dessert is fantastic for making ahead for parties. Prepare it a few hours in advance and let your slow cooker keep it warm until serving time.
- Storage: Store any leftover Bananas Foster in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The bananas may soften further, but the flavor will still be delicious.
- Reheating: Reheat gently in the microwave or a small saucepan over low heat until warmed through.
Other Irresistible Crockpot Desserts to Try
If you’re a fan of the convenience and delicious results of slow cooker desserts, you’re in for a treat! The crockpot is incredibly versatile, capable of producing a wide array of sweet endings with minimal fuss. Once you’ve mastered this Bananas Foster, consider expanding your slow cooker dessert repertoire with these other fantastic recipes:
- Crock Pot Peach Cobbler: A classic comfort food, made easy in your slow cooker.
- Crock Pot Apple Crisp: Warm, spiced apples topped with a crunchy oat topping – perfect for fall!
- Crockpot Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake: A super simple “dump and go” dessert with rich chocolate and tart cherries.
- Crockpot Chocolate Clusters: Delicious and easy candy clusters, great for gifting or a quick sweet bite.
- Crockpot Chocolate Caramel Cake: Another fantastic dump cake variation combining the irresistible duo of chocolate and caramel.
Be sure to explore all of our vegetarian crockpot recipes and a wider range of slow cooker desserts for more inspiration!
Crockpot Bananas Foster Recipe
An easy and delicious Crockpot Bananas Foster recipe! Made with rum, cinnamon, butter, and all the goodness for a perfect slow cooker dessert. This recipe has received a 5-star rating from our community.
Print Recipe
10 minutes
1 hour
1 hour 10 minutes
5
442 kcal
Tammilee Tips
Ingredients
- 1 cup Brown Sugar (packed)
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter (cut into pieces)
- 4 Bananas (ripe, cut into 1-inch slices)
- ¼ cup Dark Rum
Instructions
- Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter in your slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 30 to 60 minutes, or until the butter is completely melted. Stir well to ensure the sugar is fully dissolved and the sauce is smooth.
- Gently add the sliced bananas to the slow cooker, stirring carefully to coat them in the rich butter-cinnamon-sugar sauce.
- Stir in the dark rum.
- Cover and continue to cook on low for another 15 minutes, or until the bananas are warm and tender but still hold their shape. Do not overcook.
Kitchen Tools
- Slow cooker
Nutrition
Calories from Fat 171
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This recipe was adapted from Triple Slow Cooker Entertaining: 100 Plus Recipes and 30 Party Plans. Originally shared on May 7, 2013, and updated in December 2020 for improved clarity and additional tips.