A quick torch trick turns bananas into a sweet, caramelized treat.
Bananas have been having a moment lately! They’re showing up on dessert menus everywhere, sliding into trending recipes and even showing up at coffee shops (we see you, banana bread latte). The newly trendy fruit came up in one of our recent meetings, and I mentioned a dessert I’ve loved for years: bruleed bananas.
Which is slightly funny, because I don’t really like bananas. Not on their own, anyway. Something about the texture has never quite done it for me. But give me a warm, caramelized bananas Foster, and I’m all in. I even have a small scar on my wrist from trying to flambé the dish in culinary school to impress a boy I had a crush on. (Worth it. He married me.)
Bruleed bananas, thankfully, are a much calmer path to the same general idea. You won’t have to worry about flames leaping toward your eyebrows; you just need a handheld kitchen torch. And a bonus of owning a mini torch is that you can also make homemade creme brulee whenever your heart desires. I call that a win-win.
What happens when you brulee a banana?
Bruleeing food adds contrast. Typically, you take something soft and give it a crisp, glassy top—the same magic that makes the crackly top of a creme brulee. To give bananas the same texture, you’ll start by slicing them in half lengthwise. Then, sprinkle about a tablespoon of sugar over each cut side.
To finish this easy treat, hit the sugar-coated bananas with a kitchen torch until the sugar melts, bubbles and sets into a thin, caramelized shell. If you’re hesitant about the torch, you can also use your broiler, but using a small torch in the kitchen truly isn’t as intimidating as it sounds.
As the sugar melts, it seeps slightly into the banana’s surface, warming it through and intensifying its natural sweetness. The outside becomes crisp and crackly; the inside stays soft and almost custardy.
And unlike bananas Foster, there’s no sauce to manage or fear that you’re about to accidentally set something on fire. It delivers a similar caramelized depth with a fraction of the effort—and importantly, far fewer opportunities for minor wrist injuries.
How do bruleed bananas taste?
The sugar on top shatters just slightly under your spoon, giving way to a warm, silky interior that tastes deeper and more rounded than a raw banana ever could. The caramel adds a subtle bitterness that keeps things from veering too sweet, which is exactly what bananas need.
Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it turns into a dessert that feels so elegant despite its simplicity. If you serve this to guests, they’ll never guess it only took a minute or two.
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