Bananas Foster Pancakes

This is what happens when a plain stack of pancakes meets a New Orleans dessert. Butter, brown sugar and cinnamon melt into a sauce, the bananas get folded through, and a little dark rum goes up in a very satisfying whoosh. It's a one-person breakfast, but you'll want to make it with an audience.

Timing it on one griddle

The trick is running both things at once. The sauce pan sits right on the griddle next to the pancakes, so it's heating while you work. Get the butter and sugar melting first, then start your pancakes (same method as the basic Pancakes, batter rested and all).

The bananas and rum go in after you flip the pancakes. That way the fruit gets about a minute in the sauce, the rum burns off, and everything lands on the plate hot at the same time.

Tip

Use ripe bananas. They're sweeter and soften into the sauce instead of staying starchy. And if you want the sauce thicker, give the sugar a little more time to cook down before the bananas go in.

About the fire

Heads up

You're lighting alcohol on purpose. Make sure the area's well ventilated, keep your face and sleeves back, use a long match, and don't pour rum from the bottle into a hot pan. Measure it first.

The flame dies out on its own once the alcohol burns off, usually in a few seconds. If flambéing at breakfast isn't your thing, skip the rum entirely. Butter, brown sugar and bananas are not exactly a sad consolation prize.