Bourbon Banana Butter, it’s the stuff of your wildest B&B fantasies — silky, rich, and a little bit decadent — let’s just say mornings are about to get a whole lot more interesting.
This is my favorite kind of stuff to share — something neither of us probably even knew existed, but turns out to be fantabulous. Banana butter is definitely unusual, but, when you think about it for a minute, it makes perfect sense. Every other fruit has been jammed, jellied, or made into a butter…why not bananas?
I admit I wasn’t sure what I was in for as I sliced up my 2 pounds of bananas and pureed them with some brown sugar, and then set it all on the stove top to reduce down — but very soon my nose told me it was going to be good. The banana puree thickens up quickly. I cooked it until there was a clean trail when I ran my spoon across the bottom of the pan, it only takes about 5 minutes. I stirred in lots of vanilla bean paste and a pinch of cinnamon, and then filled a couple of small jam jars.
The butter continues to thicken even more as it chills in the refrigerator.
Team this up with the obvious — toast, scones, hot biscuits…but after that, why not make a to-die-for peanut butter and bourbon banana sandwich? Or even bake it into the best banana bread you’ve ever tasted, or use it as a filling for crumble bars.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs bananas, peeled and sliced (weigh your bananas BEFORE peeling)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp bourbon
- 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste (or extract)
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Peel the bananas and break them up as you add them to the bowl of a food processor. Add the sugar and pulse a few times and then puree to a smooth consistency. You don't have to get out ALL the lumps. Your puree will be quite thin.
- Transfer to a heavy bottomed saucepan and add the bourbon. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until the mixture thickens. Be careful not to let it scorch. Turn down the heat if necessary. This should not take more than 5 minutes or so.
- Remove from the heat and add the vanilla and cinnamon. Pour into a small jar, or jars, and let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
- Plan to eat within a couple of weeks.
notes:
- No need to wait for your bananas to turn black, I used yellow bananas and the flavor was great.
- Leave out the bourbon if you don’t like it.
- Change out the cinnamon for nutmeg, or cardamom for a different flavor.
- You can experiment with using honey or maple syrup in place of the sugar.
don’t forget to pin it!
37 Comments
Dani Mabie
January 24, 2018 at 5:37 pmGoggled banana butter on a whim to see if it had been done. This looks delicious now – golden and lovely.
I’m wondering about its appearance after a few days in the fridge; does the bourbon prevent any browning? Or does it inevitably turn an unpleasant color after some air exposure? I realize the taste is probably still divine, I just have a very picky child in my home! ;)
Sue
January 24, 2018 at 5:39 pmIn my experience it turns a light brown no matter what, because of the cooking, but I don’t find it unappealing, Dani. I hope it’s a hit with your little one!
Cheryl K
August 6, 2016 at 12:54 pmThis sounds so good! I’ve got a bunch of overly ripe bananas right now…they’re pretty soft. Could I use those, do you think?
Sue
August 6, 2016 at 1:06 pmSure, I think they’d be great, I think you can use ripe or unripe bananas for this.
Cheryl K
August 6, 2016 at 1:38 pmExcellent! Thanks :-)
Ruth Neagle
July 28, 2016 at 4:05 amDo you know what modifications would be required to make this into processed preserves? I process and can apple butter using a 10 minute water bath but that has a lot more acid (I think).
Gayatri Mantra
May 14, 2016 at 3:26 amThis looks fantastic!
Sue
May 14, 2016 at 7:20 amthanks Gayatri!
Laura | Tutti Dolci
May 7, 2016 at 11:05 pmI love the butter and those scones look divine. Now this is the way to do breakfast!