Secret Ingredient Bananas Foster Banana Bread

What's my secret to this scrumptious bananas foster bread? I actually have two. In fact, Duke's mayonnaise is added to the batter to make the banana bread extra moist. Secondly, I let my bananas get so ripe that they're on the verge of needing to be tossed in the garbage.

My son (and husband) get on banana kicks where they can eat a banana or two every day. I get to the point of buying bunches of them a couple of times a week. Then, all of a sudden, they grow tired of them. And, I'm left with extra bananas turning black on the counter. That's when I my favorite banana bread recipe, inspired by one of New Orleans' classics: bananas foster.

Many years ago, when I worked in the Oxmoor House test kitchen, I went to a food conference in New Orleans. While there, I had the chance to eat at the famous Brennan's Restaurant, and I of course had to order their Bananas Foster.

The whole thing is a production: a waiter comes to your table to flambé the delicious dessert in front of your eyes. It is magical, and those flavors are the inspiration behind this recipe. It's great for breakfast, brunch, or even as a sweet treat for a decadent dessert.

This recipe is from my cookbook, The Duke's Mayonnaise Cookbook. If you're looking for more breakfast recipes from the cookbook, be sure to check out my Blueberry Lemon Streusel Muffins and Sun Dried Tomato Quiche.

Ingredients

Before we get started, let’s gather the ingredients we need for this recipe.

• Mashed ripe bananas
• Large egg
• Salted butter
• Golden or dark rum
• Granulated sugar
• Light brown sugar
• Duke's mayonnaise
• All-purpose flour
• Melted butter
• Vanilla extract
• Ground cinnamon
• Powdered sugar
• Kosher salt

(See recipe card for quantities.)

Instructions

Now that we’ve got our ingredients, it’s time to get baking!

First, grease a 9- x 5-inch loaf pan with vegetable shortening.

Next, combine the wet ingredients and dry ingredients in separate bowls.

Then, combine the wet and dry ingredients and pour into the prepared pan. Place banana halves on top and bake.

Finally, while the bananas foster bread bakes and cools, make the bananas foster sauce that will serve as the glaze on top. Brown the butter in a small skillet or medium saucepan, add the rum, and stir in the powdered sugar. Serve the glaze with the banana bread.

Substitutions

Missing an ingredient or need to change it up? Check out these substitutions for my bananas foster banana bread recipe.

• Alcohol-Free - Omit the rum in the bread and glaze recipe, and add a little vanilla extract to the glaze.
• Bourbon - Do you prefer bourbon to rum? It's also great in this recipe in place of the golden or dark rum.
• Simplified - This bananas foster bread is just as delicious without the sliced banana on top. You can also omit the browned butter-rum glaze if you're after a simple banana bread recipe.

Variations

Kick it up a notch with these fun variations:

• Muffins - This bananas foster bread makes a great holiday and house-warming gift or an easy weekday breakfast. Spoon the batter into a greased 12-cup muffin tin and bake at 350°F for 22 to 24 minutes.
• Chocolate - Stir 1 cup of chocolate chips into the batter.
• Nutty - Stir 1 cup of your favorite toasted nuts (I like pecans) into the batter.
• Bananas Foster French Toast - For an extra special breakfast, turn this banana bread into French toast. Slice the bread into thick pieces. Whisk together 4 large eggs and 1 cup whole milk or heavy cream in a large bowl. Dip the slices of banana bread in the egg mixture and cook in a large skillet with melted butter over medium-high heat until browned on both sides.

Equipment

Here's what you'll need to make this recipe:

• 9- x 5-inch loaf pan
• mixing bowl set
• handheld mixer
• dry measuring cups
• wire cooling rack
• set of measuring spoons
• small skillet
• whisk

Storage

Store any leftover bananas foster bread covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. (Hold off on topping with the glaze until you're ready to eat.) You can also freeze the banana bread for up to 6 months. Tightly wrap it before adding to the freezer. Note that the bananas baked into the top may become a little mushy.

Frequently asked questions

Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips

When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:

• Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
• When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
• I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
• When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.

Food safety

Keep these few food safety things in mind when making this recipe

• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat or eggs
• Wash hands after touching raw meat or eggs
• Don't leave leftovers sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.