How to Saute Bananas

Grabbing a banana on the go gives you a quick snack, but for a real treat, a little sauteing can create a dessert without sacrificing the many health benefits bananas provide. Traditional sauteed bananas, such as in bananas foster, use brown sugar, rum and butter served over ice cream 1. By cutting out the sugar and fat and serving it over yogurt or frozen yogurt, you can enjoy a treat without adding the extra calories.

Peel your bananas and place them on a cutting board. Cut the bananas into your desired size. You may choose to cut them in half lengthwise and then in half crosswise, or into bite-sized circles along the length of the banana.

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Place the saute or frying pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon or two of olive or canola oil to the pan. Once the pan is hot, add your banana pieces. Cook the bananas on one side for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown.

Use a spatula to flip the bananas and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the bananas with the spatula and immediately place on a plate or on top of ice cream, frozen yogurt or pancakes.

Tips

While bananas are naturally sweet and do not need additional sugar, you may desire a little extra sweetness or additional flavoring for a dessert. In order to keep it healthy, consider adding honey, vanilla or cinnamon to the oil while cooking.

Bananas foster is a classic sauteed banana recipe created by Brennan’s restaurant in New Orleans. This dessert combines sauteed bananas flambeed in a rum sauce and served over ice cream. Instead of sauteing in oil, this recipe uses butter, bananas, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and dark rum.

Warnings

Use caution if you choose to cook with rum, as it is flammable.