Make Bananas Taste Like Candy With 2 Pantry Staples And Your Grill

While bananas commonly serve as a mildly sweet snack, you don't need a complicated recipe to enjoy the creamy, tropical fruit in a more dessert-friendly way. Truth be told, you only need your grill and two everyday ingredients to transform bananas into an extra-special treat: cinnamon and brown sugar. When you cook sugary spiced bananas over a hot grill, the end result is a deliciously textured, caramelized dessert with a hint of smoky flavor.

For one thing bananas are more flavorful when paired with cinnamon because the spice adds warmth and complexity to fruit's creamy, sweet taste. Regarding brown sugar, bananas taste like dessert when sprinkled with the pantry staple because unlike white sugar, brown sugar contains molasses. This makes it more moisture-heavy. This means bananas sprinkled with brown sugar tend to caramelize faster and result in a richer, toffee-like taste. Luckily, the process of making your own batch of grilled cinnamon and brown sugar-topped bananas is simple and straightforward.

All you need to do is slice your bananas vertically and sprinkle each half with a good amount of both ingredients. With the outer peels still attached, grill your halved bananas for two to three minutes on each side, starting with the flesh-side down. Once the brown sugar caramelizes and the flesh of your bananas turns golden brown, you're ready to enjoy these easy-to-prepare, candy-like snacks.

In order to produce drool-worthy results each and every time, make sure to prepare this recipe with firm, yellow bananas that will keep their shape during cooking. Avoid using overripe bananas or frozen bananas, since both have a higher chance of turning to mush during preparation. Additionally, as you prep your bananas for the grill, make sure to slice each one evenly down the middle. You want to ensure each banana half lies perfectly flat against the grill's grate during cooking.

When it comes to additional ingredients worth adding to these sweet-tasting treats, feel free to add one or two extra spices if you want a more developed flavor. Ground nutmeg, clove, and ginger are all noteworthy options. You might also want to consider brushing your banana halves in lemon juice before grilling. Lemon juice not only slows oxidation but also adds a bright, contrasting flavor to the sweet taste of brown sugar.

In terms of serving and enjoying caramelized bananas, enjoy them straight from the grill or add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for a little something extra. What's more, if you like the nutty crunch of your favorite bananas foster recipe, you can also include a sprinkle of toasted hazelnuts, walnuts, or whichever nut variety you most prefer. You can also use grilled, caramelized bananas as a delicious topping for oatmeal or vanilla yogurt.