Tired of the same old vegan dessert night after night? Are you craving something that’ll wow the crowd while not breaking the bank? Then you’ve got to try this delicious caramelized banana recipe from life coach and vegan chef Tess Challis. The recipe comes from her book, Radiant Health Inner Wealth.
If you’re turned off by tofu, worry not! I once made this for a cooking class which included a woman who said she hated tofu. Even she had to laugh when she realized that she was licking the tofu-based sauce off her plate! Needless to say, she stopped trash-talking tofu after that.
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Caramelized Banana Bliss Bombs
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Blender, Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These banana bliss bombs are relatively easy to make, but fancy enough to serve at a 5-star restaurant! Serve them up to guests and they’ll never guess the secret ingredient within: silken tofu. It’s magic!
Ingredients
Spiced Vegan Cream Sauce
- one 12.3 oz. container of silken tofu (firm)
- ½ cup of pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons of neutral-flavored oil (sunflower, melted coconut, safflower, etc.)
- ¼ teaspoon of ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon of sea salt
Flair
- 1½ cups of sliced strawberries
- 2 tablespoons of crushed or chopped pecans
Bananirvana
- 3 firm bananas (not overly ripe)
- 1 tablespoon of sugar (or coconut sugar)
- 1 tablespoon of vegan margarine
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (or vanilla powder)
Instructions
- In a blender, combine the tofu, maple syrup, oil, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt until very smooth and consistently creamy. Set aside (or refrigerate for up to a week).
- Prepare the strawberries and pecans and set them aside.
- Slice each banana in half lengthwise. Next, slice each banana half in half width-wise so that you end up with twelve banana segments that are each half of their original thickness and length.
- Mix the coconut sugar and vanilla and lightly coat each banana segment evenly with the mixture.
- Heat a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the margarine. When the margarine is melted, distribute it evenly over the pan. Place the banana pieces in a single layer on the pan. Allow them to get nicely browned on the bottom (this should take well under 5 minutes). Gently flip them over and brown on the other side. When both sides are gloriously browned and caramelized, turn off the heat.
- To serve: Place sauce on each plate and top with banana segments. Garnish with strawberries and pecans and enjoy!
Keywords: banana, gluten-free, sweet, treat, vegan dessert, vegetarian,
Bring On the Banana
The main star of this recipe is the brilliant banana, one of the most widely-consume fruits in the world. They’re cheap, delicious, and nutritious and are amazing to eat for dessert! High in potassium, vitamins B6 and C, magnesium, and copper, they’re a go-to food for feeling good and jumpstarting your day but of course are great to enjoy any time of day. They also contain antioxidants such as dopamine and catechins which help to reduce the risk of heart disease.
The Perfect Sauce for a Vegan Dessert
Silken tofu is a prime ingredient for vegan baking and sauce-making. Since it’s so versatile and mild in flavor, it’s perfect for blending into sauces and pouring into desserts. You’ll have a big portion of vegan cream sauce (pictured below) left over that you can store in the refrigerator and continue to use throughout the week! It’s great on waffles, pancakes, ice cream, as a fruit dip, and beyond. Cheers to that!
Storing Your Sauce
While you could technically store your bananas in the fridge or freezer, it’d be much more enjoyable to eat them warm with the sauce! With the leftover sauce, go ahead and keep in a jar for up to five days in the fridge.
You can find more recipes, cooking classes, and more from Tess Challis at her website, TessChallis.com. Also be sure to check out her books and cookbooks like Food Love!
More Mouthwatering Vegan Desserts to Try:
Recipe by Tess Challis. Food photography by Michelle Cehn. Photo of Tess by Melissa Schwartz. Article edited by Amanda Meth. Please note that this article may contain affiliate links which supports our work at World of Vegan.
I’ve recently gotten really into incorporating bananas into my desserts and I absolutely must try this! What a beautiful recipe!!
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I always have tons of bananas for smoothies, so this is a great way to use them up as well. The sauce sounds delicious…as does the whole dessert! Yum.
★★★★★
This is such a simple and fancy dish! I can’t to wait to make it!
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As delicious as it is simple! This banana recipe is magic.
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Bananas are one of my favorite fruits ever! Caramelizing them makes them even more magical. Yummy!
★★★★★
What a sweet treat!! This would definitely satisfy my sweet tooth!
★★★★★
I love caramelized bananas the sweetness just overflows from it.
★★★★★
So good!
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