Elevate your camping and glamping trips with indulgent Campfire Bananas Foster, made with toasted marshmallows.
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Glamping (glam + camping): The pleasures of a crackling campfire, good friends, and open-air slumber glammed up with luxurious comfort, chic decor, and indulgent food!
For me and my family, campfires mean one thing: s'mores—marshmallows toasted to a golden brown over the fire and then sandwiched with chocolate two graham crackers. What a wonderful and gooey dessert, and festive too because it's one of those defining, summery things that we wistfully miss when we're deep in the frigid winter buried in snow and ice. (That's my New England perspective!)
When on a glamping excursion you might wonder how to take this dessert to a new level. How to make s'mores special and sophisticated, without too much fuss. To that end, I give you Campfire Bananas Foster with toasted marshmallows!
The History of Bananas Foster
The original Bananas Foster dessert was created at Brennan's Restaurant in New Orleans in 1951. It consists of sliced bananas quickly cooked in caramelized sugar, butter, cream, and rum.
Bananas Foster is normally served over ice cream, but I would not dream of asking you to try to fuss with melty ice cream on your camping or glamping excursion. Here's how I keep it simple.
Why you'll love this recipe
This is a Campfire Bananas Foster gives a nod to the good old s'more. Fresh off the fire, bananas and sweet rum sauce are poured over toasted marshmallows and graham crackers in a bowl. The fusion of warm rum, bananas, and marshmallow is divine and so very nice with the crunch of the grahams.
A traditional Bananas Foster has the rum ignited for a dramatic flambé—in this version, we'll just keep the flames under the pan!
Put the ingredients for this recipe together in a galvanized tin tub or a cute fabric tote to make a Bananas Foster kit! That way everything is ready to go when you want to make your dessert. (And your glamping buddies friends will see the kit and wonder with sweet anticipation what you're up to!) Pre-measure the sugar, vanilla, and rum into sealed containers to save time if you wish. (The butter should be packed separately and kept cold.)
A camping breakfast!
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🔪 How to make Campfire Bananas Foster
Ingredients:
- Large marshmallows: Get out the sticks! Marshmallows are toasted over the fire for this bananas Foster dessert.
- Graham crackers: The same crackers used for s'mores are broken into bowls where they'll be the base for the other ingredients.
- Bananas: Choose bananas that have some brown flecks on the peels; these are just ripe enough for this dessert.
- Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter. It's cooked with the sugar to create a caramel sauce.
- Brown sugar: The caramel-like flavor of brown sugar is what makes the delicious caramel sauce for the bananas.
- Dark rum: This variety of rum has the strongest flavor and is so delicious with the bananas and caramel.
- Vanilla extract: Use a good quality vanilla extract, such as Nielsen-Massey.
Toast the marshmallows
Thread marshmallows onto skewers and toast them over a fire until they're golden brown. Put the gooey marshmallows into bowls with broken pieces of graham crackers.
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Begin the sauce
Melt butter in a skillet over a fire, then stir in some sugar.
Cook the bananas
When the sauce is smooth and thick stir in rum, vanilla, and sliced bananas. Cook them for just a few minutes.
Pour them over
Pour the sugary, syrupy bananas over the toasted marshmallows and grahams. Serve them up!
Equipment you'll need
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Sticks or long wood or metal skewers for toasting marshmallows
- Cooking grate with folding legs to fit over a campfire (not needed if there is a grill at your site)
- Cast iron skillet
- Dutch oven, or other pan durable enough to cook in over a fire
- Long-handled wood or metal spoon for stirring
- Measuring spoons and a liquid measuring cup (or you can pack pre-measured ingredients in sealed containers)
- Potholder
- Serving bowls
- Spoons
FAQs
If you don't have a campfire you can still toast marshmallows for Campfire Bananas Foster. Thread marshmallows onto skewers and hold them close over a gas or electric stove burner. Turn the marshmallows to brown them on all sides. You can also arrange marshmallows on a lined baking sheet and briefly toast them under the broiler in the oven.
Tips:
- To make a nonalcoholic version, simply omit the rum from this recipe.
- Though you could bring disposable bowls and cutlery, your glamping experience will be greatly enhanced with real dishes and silverware. In addition to elevating mere "camp food" to something glamorous and special, you can high-five yourself for making an environmentally friendly choice.
Enjoy this glamorous, sumptuous fireside dessert! The Toasted Marshmallow Bananas Foster recipe is below. Here are more camping recipes, too:
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Campfire Bananas Foster with Toasted Marshmallows
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Ingredients
- 3 whole graham crackers
- 4 large marshmallows
- 2 bananas, unpeeled
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup dark rum
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Divide the graham crackers between two serving bowls, breaking them into pieces.
Toast the marshmallows:
- Place the marshmallows on long sticks or skewers, and toast them over the fire until they are lightly browned on the outside (or a little charred if you like them that way) and becoming gooey in the centers.
- Push the marshmallows off the skewers into the bowls with the crackers, two marshmallows per bowl.
Cook the bananas:
- Peel the bananas and slice them into ½-inch thick slices. Keep the bananas close at hand as you prepare the sauce.
- Place the skillet on the grate over the hot fire or coals and add in the butter. Melt the butter and then add the brown sugar.
- Stir the sugar and butter until the mixture is smooth and bring it to a simmer in the skillet. Simmer and stir the sauce for about 3 minutes until it becomes thick and caramelized (longer if your fire is not as hot.)
- Carefully add the rum, vanilla, and sliced bananas to the pan and gently stir everything together. Cook the bananas for about 2-3 minutes until they have softened a little.
Finish the dish:
- Remove the skillet from the heat and pour the bananas and sauce over the marshmallows and grahams, splitting the mixture evenly between the two bowls. Serve the Bananas Fosters immediately!
Notes
- To make a nonalcoholic version, simply omit the rum from this recipe.
- If you're making this in your kitchen instead, you can toast the marshmallows over your stove burner. And cook up the bananas and rum in a skillet.
Nutrition
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