When you think of crisps and crumbles, apples and berries usually come to mind, but today we are using bananas and you are going to adore this twist on a classic dessert…
Let me describe whats going on here… you have bananas baked in a warmly spiced caramel sauce and topped with a buttery brown sugar crumble. It’s incredible. Caramel and bananas are a classic pairing, but the way that this crumble bakes up is something truly special.
In a traditional crumble, the topping usually bakes up nice and crunchy over top of the fruit below, which is fabulous, but in this crumble you get three beautiful layers. The bottom layer of caramel, the top layer of crunchy crumble and then the middle layer where the caramel and crumble meet and transform into a sweet perfection.
I am so excited for you to try this one, so let’s get started…
Begin by gathering 6 ripe bananas, a cup of brown sugar, 6 tablespoons of butter, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon of cloves and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
The spices in this recipe are what takes this dessert up a few notches. Caramel is wonderful on its own, but when you add cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, it becomes extra special.
Now that you have the ingredients for the bottom layer, let’s make the crumble topping by combining a cup of panko breadcrumbs with 1/3 cup of all purpose flour, 1/3 cup of brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a mixing bowl. Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and 6 tablespoons of melted butter and mix until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed and the texture feels like wet sand.
Set the crumble topping to the side while we prepare the caramel.
Place a 9-10 inch deep baking dish or oven proof skillet over medium heat. Add 6 tablespoons of butter, a cup of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon of cloves and 1/4 teaspoon salt into the skillet and allow the butter to melt.
Once the butter has melted, stir to combine the other ingredients and bring everything to a simmer.
As soon as the mixture begins to simmer, reduce the heat a bit to continue a low simmer, but prevent the mixture from boiling rapidly. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally or until the brown sugar dissolves.
Transfer the skillet off of the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of heavy cream until the caramel is smooth and silky.
Transfer half of the caramel into a heat proof bowl and set it aside for now.
Begin layering 1 inch thick banana slices throughout the skillet. For my 10 inch skillet, 6 medium sized bananas were perfect.
Once the bananas are all arranged in the skillet, drizzle the reserved caramel over the bananas and then crumble the panko breadcrumb topping over top…
This crumble has more moisture in it than some other fruit crumbles due to the bananas water content and all of the beautiful caramel sauce, so I like to concentrate the panko topping towards the center and leave an inch boarder around the skillet .
The areas where the crumble is thicker will become more crisp as it bakes, but the places where the crumble is thinner and more spread out will become a little more gooey and cake like. Both versions are incredibly delicious, so I like to have a little of each texture.
Note: I also like to sprinkle some coarse sugar over the topping to add another little bit of crunch, but this is optional of course.
Bake your spiced banana crumble in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until the caramel is all bubbly and your crumble topping is lightly golden brown and crisp. Every oven is different, so just keep an eye on the topping around the 30 minute mark and pull it out as soon as it feels crunchy.
As soon as the crumble topping is lightly golden and crisp, transfer the skillet onto a heat proof surface and let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
This spiced banana crumble can be served anywhere from piping hot to room temperature, so it is not the type of dessert that has to be timed perfectly, which makes it a wonderful choice for dinner parties.
This recipe makes 4 hearty sized portions or 6 smaller portions and this beautiful crumble is such an attractive dessert that I love placing it right on the table, so everyone can feast their eyes a little before scooping into it.
Although it is perfect on its own, I love serving it with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
I love bananas and if you do too then you should definitely give this spiced banana crumble a try in your own kitchen. It looks and feels like it would be quite complicated to make, but it is absolutely not.
The way that the bananas soften as they bake in the caramel sauce is something spectacular and when you add in the buttery panko topping that is gooey in some spots and crunchy in others, you get one very special dessert.
Bake this spiced banana crumble up for yourself… you’ll be so glad that you did!
Spiced Banana Crumble
Ingredients
Bananas & Caramel
- 1 cup of brown sugar, packed
- 6 tablespoons of butter
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon of cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 2 tablespoons of heavy cream
- 6 medium bananas, peeled and sliced
- 2 tablespoons of coarse sugar (optional)
Panko Topping
- 1 cup of plain panko breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup of all purpose flour cup
- 1/3 cup of brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 6 tablespoons of butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
- Combine a cup of panko breadcrumbs with 1/3 cup of all purpose flour, 1/3 cup of brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a mixing bowl and add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and 6 tablespoons of melted butter. Mix until you have a texture like wet sand and then set aside.
- Place a 9 or 10 inch deep baking dish or oven proof skillet over medium heat
- Add 6 tablespoons of butter, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon of cloves, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a cup of brown sugar into the skillet
- Once the butter has melted, stir to combine the ingredients and bring the mixture to a simmer
- Simmer for 3-4 minutes (reduce the heat if necessary), stirring occasionally and once the brown sugar has dissolved, remove the skillet from the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of heavy cream
- Transfer the half of the caramel into a heat proof bowl and place an even layer of sliced bananas into the skillet
- Drizzle the reserved caramel over the bananas and then crumble the panko topping over top
- Optional: Sprinkle some coarse sugar over the panko topping
- Bake the banana crisp in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until the topping is lightly golden brown and crisp
- Transfer the skillet onto a heat proof surface to rest for about 10 minutes before serving with vanilla ice cream or some whipped cream
