Baked Banana and Brown Sugar Dessert

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 04/27/22
baked bananas with brown sugar served with chocolate sauce

Foodcollection RF / Getty Images

Prep: 2 mins
Cook: 18 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 2 to 4 servings

Looking for a warm fruit dessert you can make easily with basic ingredients? Look no further. Here, bananas are baked with just two ingredients—butter and brown sugar—making a quick dessert everyone will enjoy.

The recipe relies on firm, but not green, bananas. Use fruit where the skin is fully yellow with no appearance of brown mottled spots. Fully ripe, soft bananas could be used, but they won't hold up as well in this recipe. Green bananas don't have the same flavors developed yet (although the sugar would make up for what they lack in sweetness), but if you prefer slightly green bananas, you might give them a try in this recipe.

Baked bananas go especially well as a dessert for meals centered on international cuisines like Caribbean, Asian, Thai, Filipino, Mexican, Central American, or South American. But they are so delicious that you can serve them after almost any meal.

Ingredients

  • 4 firm bananas

  • 1 2/3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

  • Salt, to taste

  • 2 to 3 tablespoons brown sugar, firmly packed

Steps to Make It

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.

  2. Peel the bananas, and place the whole peeled bananas in a well-greased baking dish.

  3. Brush the bananas generously with the melted butter, and sprinkle them lightly with salt.

  4. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the bananas.

  5. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until bananas are tender.

Recipe Variations

  • Crushed nuts go well with bananas, including peanuts, cashews, almonds, pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts.
  • You can also top each with a teaspoon of maple syrup, or fruit dessert sauce or syrup. 
  • Chocolate lovers may add a drizzle of chocolate sauce, and caramel topping is another delicious choice.
  • When you add fruit sauce or chocolate, a dollop of whipped cream or a cream cheese sauce is a welcome color contrast that also adds a creamy element.
  • Another idea is to serve the hot baked banana with ice cream. It would especially go well with plain vanilla, maple nut, or a caramel and chocolate ice cream combination. Let your imagination guide you to fun and interesting variations.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
179 Calories
5g Fat
35g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 179
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 7%
Saturated Fat 3g 16%
Cholesterol 13mg 4%
Sodium 187mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 35g 13%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 22g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 10mg 51%
Calcium 14mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 435mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)