Bananas Foster Dessert Cups

Bananas Foster Cups are a layered, party-ready dessert with caramelized pecans, creamy banana pudding mousse, fresh banana slices, caramel sauce and a crunchy pecan cookie crust.

What is bananas foster?

Classic bananas foster is a warm dessert made with bananas, butter and brown sugar. Traditionally, it is flambéed with dark rum and banana liqueur, then served with ice cream. The flavor is rich, buttery, sweet and deeply comforting, with a warm banana-caramel taste that pairs beautifully with toasted nuts and cream.

These Bananas Foster Cups take inspiration from that famous dessert but turn it into an easy, alcohol-free treat that is much easier to serve at parties, potlucks, holidays and bake sales. There is no rum, no banana liqueur and no flame involved. Instead, each small cup is layered with a buttery pecan cookie crust, a fresh banana slice, a creamy sour cream banana whipped pudding, caramel topping and crunchy cinnamon pecan brittle.

This dessert is especially popular because it looks elegant but is simple to assemble. The individual cups make serving easy, and guests can enjoy every layer in one spoonful. The contrast of textures is what makes the recipe memorable: crisp cookie crumbs, soft banana, fluffy pudding mousse, smooth caramel and crunchy candied pecans.

Even people who usually say they do not like bananas often enjoy this creamy, caramel-filled dessert.

Presentation is a big part of what makes these banana dessert cups so inviting. When served in small clear cups with little spoons, the layers are visible and the dessert feels special without being complicated. They are sweet, creamy, crunchy and just the right size for a party dessert table.

When you dig your spoon through the caramelized pecans and banana pudding mousse, you reach the fresh banana and the buttery pecan crust at the bottom. It is a small dessert with big flavor.

• Crust Ingredients: The base is made with crushed Pecan Sandies cookies and melted butter. Once toasted, the crumbs become buttery, nutty and crisp.
• Bananas: Each dessert cup gets a thin slice of fresh banana. You will need 1 to 2 bananas, depending on their size.
• Creamy Filling: The mousse-like filling is made with whipped heavy cream, powdered sugar, sour cream, instant banana pudding, cinnamon and vanilla paste. The sour cream adds a gentle tang that balances the sweetness.
• Spiced Pecans: Chopped pecans are candied with sugar and cinnamon to create a crunchy topping with warm flavor.
• Caramel Ice Cream Topping: Caramel brings the layers together and gives the dessert its bananas foster-inspired finish.

1. STEP ONE: Make the pecan cookie crust. Grind the Pecan Sandies cookies in a food processor until they become fine crumbs. Combine the crumbs with melted butter, spread them on a baking sheet and toast in a 400F-degree oven for 10 minutes. Stir after baking and let the crumbs cool.

2. STEP TWO: Prepare the banana pudding mousse. Whip the heavy cream in a medium bowl or stand mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold in the powdered sugar, followed by the sour cream. Add the instant banana pudding mix, cinnamon and vanilla paste. The mixture will thicken quickly and become rich and creamy.

Spoon the filling into a large piping bag fitted with a star tip. If you do not have a piping bag, use a zip-top bag and snip off one corner when ready to pipe.

3. STEP THREE: Add the caramel sauce to a piping bag with a small round tip or to a small zip-top bag. Just before assembling the cups, snip off a very small corner so you can drizzle the caramel neatly.

4. STEP FOUR: Make the candied pecan brittle. Place the sugar, chopped pecans and cinnamon in a small pan over medium-low heat. Stir often until the sugar melts and coats the pecans. Pour the mixture onto wax paper and let it cool. Once cool, break it into small pieces.

PRO TIP: Sugar can move from melted to burnt very quickly. Stay close to the pan, stir frequently and remove the pecans from the heat as soon as they are coated.

5. STEP FIVE: Slice the bananas into thin 1/8-inch slices. Do this close to assembly time so the bananas stay fresh and do not brown.

6. STEP SIX: Assemble the dessert cups. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of pecan cookie crumbs into each small cup. Add one banana slice. Pipe in the banana pudding mousse until each cup is about three-quarters full. Drizzle with caramel sauce and finish with a sprinkle of pecan brittle.

How to serve bananas foster cups

After assembling the Bananas Foster Cups, arrange them on a serving platter and keep them chilled until it is time to serve. Clear cups are ideal because they show off the layers, making the dessert look polished and inviting.

Serve each cup with a small spoon so guests can scoop all the way down to the crust and enjoy every layer in one bite. These cups work well for parties because they are already portioned, easy to pick up and simple to serve without slicing or plating.

Storage

These dessert cups are best served soon after they are assembled. The individual components can be made 2 to 3 days in advance and stored separately, which makes the recipe convenient for entertaining. Keep the pudding mousse covered in the refrigerator, store the cookie crumbs in an airtight container and keep the pecan brittle dry at room temperature.

Wait to slice the bananas until you are ready to assemble the cups because fresh banana slices can brown. Once assembled, the finished cups can be refrigerated for 1 to 2 days, but the crust may soften over time. These cups do not freeze well.

Bananas Foster Cups

Bananas Foster Cups are individual banana dessert cups layered with pecan cookie crust, fresh banana, creamy banana pudding mousse, caramel sauce and cinnamon pecan brittle.

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 30

Ingredients

• 15 Pecan Sandies cookies
• 3 tbsp butter, melted
• 1-2 bananas
• 8 ozs heavy cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 8 ozs sour cream
• 1 small box instant banana pudding
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp vanilla paste
• 2 tbsp white sugar
• 1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• pinch cinnamon

Instructions

Layer 1: Pecan Cookie Crust

• Grind the cookies in a mini food processor. In a medium bowl, combine the cookie crumbs with the melted butter. Spread the mixture onto a baking sheet and bake in a 400F-degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, toss the crumbs with a wooden spoon and let them cool.

Layer 2: Fresh Bananas

• Slice the bananas into thin 1/8-inch slices shortly before assembling the cups.

Layer 3: Sour Cream Banana Whipped Cream Pudding

• In a clean medium bowl or stand mixer bowl, whisk the heavy cream until stiff. Fold in the powdered sugar, then fold in the sour cream. Add the instant banana pudding mix, cinnamon and vanilla paste, and fold until thick and smooth. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag with a star tip or into a large zip-top bag with one corner snipped off.

Layer 4: Caramel Sauce

• Pour about 1/2 cup of caramel sauce into a small zip-top bag. Snip off a very small corner when you are ready to drizzle.

Layer 5: Pecan Brittle

• Heat the sugar, chopped pecans and a pinch of cinnamon in a small pan over medium-low heat. Stir frequently and watch carefully so the sugar does not burn. When the sugar has melted and coated the pecans, spoon the mixture onto wax paper to cool. Once cool, gather the wax paper around the pecans and gently squeeze to break the brittle into smaller pieces.

To assemble

• Spoon approximately 1 teaspoon of pecan crust into each small cup. Add one banana slice. Pipe the sour cream banana whipped cream pudding into the cup until it is about 3/4 full. Drizzle caramel over the cream, sprinkle with pecan brittle and serve with a small spoon.

Nutrition

Calories: 120kcal Carbohydrates: 12g Protein: 1g Fat: 8g Sugar: 9g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used only as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American