Bananas Foster Cheesecake

Bananas Foster is a classic dessert that should never go out of style, and now we’re bringing it back in with this bananas Foster cheesecake. Boozy caramelized bananas are piled over a fluffy banana cheesecake for a classy, showstopping dessert that’s sure to be the belle of any ball you bring her to.

The sauce:
If you’ve never tried bananas Foster before, it’s a fancy name for bananas that have been sautéed in a spiced brown sugar and butter sauce, then flambéed with rum to finish. Our topping for this cheesecake varies from the classic, in that we cut the bananas into 1/2″ coins rather than lengthwise down the middle. We’ve also chosen NOT to flambé the sauce (a technique best left to chefs and trained restaurant servers), deciding instead to let the flavor of the rum mellow in the pan as it reduces. This method might lack a little of the traditional panache, but your sauce will still be just as decadent and boozy.

The bananas:
With such a rich, sweet topping, a tangier cheesecake is definitely called for here. Brown sugar and cinnamon echo the flavors of the bananas Foster topping, and adding ripe banana to the cheesecake mix ensures that you’ll get full banana flavor all the way through. Please note: While you definitely want the sweetness of a fully ripe banana here, you don’t want them brown or mushy. This isn’t a brown-flecked banana bread moment. The bananas should incorporate smoothly into the batter, to the point that you can’t even see that they’re there.

The nuts:
Nuts are a common addition to bananas Foster, and here we’ve decided to incorporate them into the crust. Pecan shortbread and raw pecans are blitzed together with brown sugar and a hefty pinch of salt to form the perfect sweet–salty base. Be careful not to over-process here: You don’t want to end up with nut butter! And if you don’t have a food processor? You can use a plastic bag and a rolling pin to crush the sandies and chop the pecans with a knife.

Storage:
This cheesecake (without the topping) can be made up to 2 days before serving. Store in the pan in the refrigerator, loosely covered with plastic wrap. The bananas Foster sauce is best eaten the day that it’s made.

Did you try making this? Let us know how it went in the comments!

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Yields:

10 – 12

serving(s)

Prep Time:

15 mins

Total Time:

8 hrs

Cal/Serv:

686

Directions

Crust
1. Step 1
  
  Place a rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°. Grease an 8″ springform pan with cooking spray.
2. Step 2In a food processor, pulse cookies, pecans, brown sugar, and salt until coarse crumbs form (don’t overprocess). Add butter and continue to pulse just until mixture resembles wet sand.
3. Step 3Pour crumbs mixture into prepared pan. Using the back of a spoon or a measuring cup, press into bottom and up sides of pan.
4. Step 4Bake crust until fragrant and a shade darker in color, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool.
Cheesecake
1. Step 1Reduce oven temperature to 325°. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a simmer over high heat. Once simmering, cover and reduce heat to maintain a bare simmer. (Alternatively, fill a large kettle with water and bring to a simmer.)
2. Step 2In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat bananas, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt on low speed just until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cream cheese and beat on medium speed until soft and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Step 3Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed and scraping down bowl after each addition. Add vanilla and beat on low speed until combined.
4. Step 4Place a large sheet of foil on a work surface. Place cooled springform pan in the center and fold foil up and around outside of pan, folding and snuggly crimping. Repeat with another sheet of foil, ensuring the pan is water-tight.
5. Step 5Pour cheesecake mixture into crust. Place springform pan inside a large roasting pan. Carefully ladle simmering water into roasting pan until it reaches about halfway up sides of springform pan. Carefully transfer roasting pan to oven.
6. Step 6Bake cheesecake until set around the edges and just slightly wobbly in the center, 70 to 85 minutes.
7. Step 7Let cheesecake cool in roasting pan 1 hour. Remove springform pan from roasting pan and let cheesecake cool to room temperature. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to overnight (overnight is better).
Topping
1. Step 1In a large skillet over medium heat, cook butter and brown sugar, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Step 2Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon. Arrange banana slices in pan in a single layer. Continue to cook over medium heat, undisturbed, until slightly softened around the edges, about 1 minute. Flip bananas and add rum (it will bubble up). Simmer until liquid is reduced by half and becomes a saucy caramel, 2 to 3 minutes more.
3. Step 3Gently pour bananas and sauce into a heatproof bowl and let cool to room temperature, at least 15 minutes; it will thicken as it sits.
4. Step 4Place cold cheesecake on a platter and remove sides of springform pan. Spoon cooled banana topping on top. Cut into slices and serve, piping swirls of whipped cream on top of individual slices (if using).