I was in bed, and excited.
Down stairs, in the fridge, sat over a litre of double cream, and it all had to go. Ice cream was therefore the only option, but having decided this, I was now obsessing over the much more pressing issue of flavour. Poblado Coffee and cardamom? Check. Rubarb a rosemari? Why not? But what else is there? What else need using up? Bananas of course!
This is how you can turn leftover bananas and a few spare Walnuts into a handy banana caramel. Ideal for making ice cream or pancakes a pudding worth their salt…or sugar at least
Click below for the full recipe with techniques and measurements.
I used 200g of sugar for 5 bananas for this recipe, so roughly 40g of sugar per banana.
Practically though, the recipe’s simple enough for you not to have to worry too much about measurements here. Yes, I said it, which means I won’t be angry if you deviate from the scales (just disappointed).
Prepare the bananas
I used the same method here as with the Microwave Banana Bread to extract water from the bananas, so have a look at that if you want to know more about this technique.
Place your bananas in a microwave safe bowl.
The older the bananas the better as they’ll contain more fructose, the monosaccharide found in honey, which helps prevent sugar solutions (like caramel) from crystallizing over.
- bunch of 5 bananas (older the better)
Cover with cling film and microwave ( 5 mins)
This will rupture the cells of the bananas, causing them to release their retained water.
Set the bananas over a sieve and let them drain into a bowl or jug. ( ~ 15 mins)
The drained liquid contains much of the banana’s flavour and sugars so reserve it for the caramel later on.
- 5 microwaved bananas
Spread the drained banana flesh evenly over a baking tray. Bake at 160°C ( 20 mins)
Browning the bananas will deepen and intensify their flavour, as well as removing any leftover moisture.
Once the bananas have been baked and are nicely browned, you can set them aside and get started on the caramel.
Making the caramel
Heat banana liquid and brown sugar in a saucepan to 140°C
I could try to be more specific hear, telling you to “heat the mixture to x for y minutes” as if it’s gospel, but really, I don’t know. Every kitchen is different and everyone has their own specific tastes. Briefly though, the hotter the caramel, the more brittle and intense the flavour will be, with anywhere from 130-150°C being fair game (any higher and you’ll just have burnt sugar)
- reserved banana liquid
- 200g light brown sugar
Pour the hot caramel over the roasted banana flesh
Work the caramel into the banana flesh with a spoon or dough scraper, anything really. Just don’t be using your fingers or a anything that gets your hands too close to this molten mess!
- caramel
- bananas
Finish with walnuts (optional)
- Walnuts (chopped or crushed by hand)
More to Read
To see the many uses for this banana caramel, take a look at he full Machine-less Ice cream video, or for more on what you can do with some seriously ripe bananas and a microwave, check out our Microwave Banana Bread. Your kitchen will never be the same again…
