Bananas Foster Creme Brulee Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Make Ahead

by: Ben Johnson

March27,2018

4.6

5 Ratings

  • Serves 6

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

I work in the fitness industry, helping food lovers be fit. But not the way most people think. Instead of strange pseudo-recipes full of supplements and tasteless, I help people enjoy real food and delicious flavor while they lose fat.

Fact: You don’t have to sacrifice your favorite foods in the name of fitness. Problem is, most people don’t realize this.

The world deserves to know that they can enjoy great food and better fitness. That’s why the recipes I create are full of real food and packed with flavor, like this Bananas Foster Creme Brulee.

It’s the classic delicacy you expect from creme brulee, topped with the excitement of New Orleans in bananas foster. A fun finish to a timeless treat. —Ben Johnson

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • Creme Brulee Base
  • 5 Egg yolks
  • 1 Whole egg
  • 3 cupsHeavy cream
  • 1/2 cupGranulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoonVanilla extract
  • Bananas Foster and Brulee
  • 2 Large bananas
  • 2 tablespoonsSalted butter
  • 4 teaspoonsDark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoonVanilla extract
  • Cinnamon
  • 4 ouncesDark rum (80 proof or higher)
  • 1/4 cupGranulated sugar (to brulee)
Directions
  1. Creme Brulee Base
  2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
  3. Separate 5 egg yolks from whites and place in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 whole egg and ½ c sugar and mix by hand or on low with a stand mixer (paddle attachment). Mix only until the sugar and eggs are combined, then stop.
  4. Over medium heat, scald 3 cups of heavy cream in a saucepan. Stir occasionally and remove from heat when the cream is just shy of boiling.
  5. While slowly stirring, gradually add the scalded cream to your egg and sugar mixture. Be careful to keep from adding too much too quickly as this could cook the eggs.
  6. Continue slowly stirring and add ~1 tsp vanilla extract. Stop stirring once the vanilla is well mixed.Evenly distribute the mixture between 6 five-ounce ramekins.
  7. To prepare for the water bath, arrange the ramekins in a deep baking pan. Add hot water to the pan, filling until the water line is roughly halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Be sure to keep water from getting into your mixture while you pour.Bake at 300 degrees for 35–40 minutes. When finished, the creme brulee base should have a semi-set gentle giggle.
  8. Remove pan from oven and ramekins from water bath. Allow them to cool a bit before placing in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to set the custard. This is the base of your Bananas Foster Creme Brulee.You can make your creme brulee base a day or two in advance and keep refrigerated until you’re ready to finish with the bananas foster and bruleed tops.
  1. Bananas Foster and Brulee
  2. Slice bananas into circles that are about a quarter inch in thickness. Set aside.
  3. In a large pan or skillet melt the butter and brown sugar over medium heat. Stir to combine.
  4. Add banana slices to the pan in a single, flat layer. Saute until the bananas begin to caramelize, then flip.
  5. Add vanilla extract and a light dusting of cinnamon. Mix, without flipping the bananas, to fully incorporate and evenly distribute.
  6. Carefully pour rum into the pan. Continue cooking until the rum is hot. Then, slightly tilt the pan to ignite the rum and finish off the bananas foster. When flames subside, you’re ready to brulee.Note: Keep your hair and face out of the literal line of fire when igniting the rum.
  7. Remove the ramekins full of your creme brulee base from the refrigerator and top with an even layer of bananas from the bananas foster. Cover as evenly and completely as possible, cutting bananas as needed.
  8. Evenly cover the bananas in each ramekin with ~2 teaspoons of granulated sugar. Brulee with a cooking torch on low to medium heat, moving in small circles until the sugar is completely melted, caramelized, and crispy. You want the bruleed sugar to be dark brown, not completely burned.Chill for a few minutes before serving and enjoying your Bananas Foster Creme Brulee.

Tags:

  • French
  • Rum
  • Banana
  • Milk/Cream
  • Make Ahead
  • Dessert
Contest Entries
  • Your Best Recipe with Bananas or Plantains

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Ben Johnson

  • Corinnenatalie

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2 Reviews

Corinnenatalie March 5, 2021

Hello can anyone tell me where the spoons in this photo are from ? I absolutely need some lol

Ben J. March 6, 2021

I wish I had an answer. I got the spoon as a gift that was custom-made. Another one says cereal killer haha.

Bananas Foster Creme Brulee Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Can you flambe creme brulee? ›

Whenever it's time to light those fires and serve those crèmes brûlée, mix the sugars together and get ready to pour the whiskey. To each ramekin at a time, pour in a tablespoon of bourbon and light it with a long-necked lighter.

What is creme brulee madeleine? ›

Made with French wheat and the finest egg, Crème Brulee Madeleine is a beautifully golden colour and deliciously light melt-in-the-mouth texture and a vanilla crème brulee filling. Crème Brulee Madeleine is a really innovative baked good, combining two Classic French sweet treats.

What is the best sugar to caramelize on crème brûlée? ›

Plain old table sugar, with its small crystal size, melted evenly and caramelized well, forming a thin, shatteringly crisp layer on top of the custard. In short—perfect.

What is the best sugar topping for crème brûlée? ›

For the caramelized sugar crust, we recommend turbinado or Demerara sugar. Regular granulated sugar will work, too, but use only 1 scant teaspoon on each ramekin or 1 teaspoon on each shallow fluted dish.

How do you caramelize crème brûlée without a torch? ›

Sprinkle the Demerara sugar evenly on top of the creme brulee. Broil for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the sugar melts completely and most of it caramelizes, rotating the pan occasionally to even the browning. Cool on a wire rack for 1 minute to allow the sugar to harden, then serve immediately.

Why do you scald cream for crème brûlée? ›

Scalding the cream serves two primary purposes in crème brûlée preparation. It helps infuse the cream with the flavors of any added vanilla beans or extracts and ensures that the cream blends smoothly with the egg yolks, creating the velvety custard texture that crème brûlée is known for.

What can I use if I don't have a creme brulee torch? ›

Sprinkle the sugar over the top of the custard to create a thin layer of sugar. Broil the crème brûlée. Set the oven to broil and the temperature to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the ramekins on the top shelf and let them broil until they become lightly golden or for about one minute.

What is it called when you torch creme brulee? ›

Now comes the fun part: caramelizing the tops of the custard! This step is super simple, but elevates the recipe from custard to crème brûlée! It involves sprinkling the surface of each custard with granulated sugar and using a torch to first melt the sugar then caramelize the sugar into a solid blanket of YUM.

What is the French name for crème brûlée? ›

Crème brûlée or crème brulée (/ˌkrɛm bruːˈleɪ/; French pronunciation: [kʁɛm bʁy. le]), also known as burnt cream or Trinity cream, and virtually identical to crema catalana, is a dessert consisting of a rich custard base topped with a layer of hardened caramelized sugar.

What is the difference between French and Spanish crème brûlée? ›

Crema catalana and crème brûlée are made in the same way, although some crème brûlée recipes enrich the milk with cream, or substitute cream for the milk. Unlike crème brûlée, crema catalana is invariably flavoured with cinnamon and lemon zest.

What is flan vs crème brûlée? ›

When it comes to crème brûlée and flan, it's mostly the toppings that distinguishes the two, as well as the presentation. The former has that signature crackly sugar crust on top, and the latter has the gooey, soft caramel top.

Can you use raw sugar on top of crème brûlée? ›

We love using CSR raw sugar for the caramelisation of the top of the brûlée as it adds a deeper, richer flavour and colour.

Do you put white or brown sugar on top of crème brûlée? ›

"You really need to use white granulated sugar," says senior food editor Chris Morocco. The small granules caramelize quickly, meaning the sugar won't get overly burnt and the pudding won't melt. Also, he points out: The white crystals provide a visual cue as you're torching it.

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