Rum Caramel Banana Bread Sundae

Rum Caramel Banana Bread Sundae ~ sliced banana bread topped with warm rum-caramel pecan sauce, a scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramelized bananas.

Judging by the dessert-to-savory ratio on this site, you may think I don’t have a sweet tooth. The fact is, I love all sweets ~ in the way that Oprah professed to love bread. I even scope out the dessert menu before I order the entrée.

Last week we met for girls’ dinner at a local restaurant where we swapped and shared leaving room for dessert. We ordered two split between six of us. This Rum Caramel Banana Bread Sundae was one I wish I didn’t have to share . . .

Looking for a simple, delicious, show-stopping dessert?

With the upcoming holiday season, I’m always looking for ways to simplify entertaining but still make it special and celebratory. I like to do this with some show-stopping food. I kick off most gatherings with a crowd-pleasing, no cook charcuterie board but my best tip is to do as much as possible the day before the party. That means I can relax, stress-free and enjoy. Happy hosts, happy guests.

Can I make it ahead of time?

Most of this Rum Caramel Banana Bread Sundae can be made a day ahead of time and assembled just before you eat it. It’s decadent, delicious and destined to be the dessert everyone is talking about: a slice of banana bread with warm rum-caramel pecan sauce ladled on top, a scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramelized bananas.

How do I make a delicious caramel sauce even better?

Add alcohol! You may have noticed I add booze in various forms to a lot of recipes. That’s because it adds deep, rich flavor and wow factor. Rum took good store bought caramel sauce to the next level with minimal effort.

The age old question: what dish to bring to the party?

My family believes we should never be pigeon-holed into just a single dessert for any gathering. So if you signed up to bring a dessert to your holiday gathering or even if you didn’t – bring this! I’m nudging ~ urging ~ you to make this because not only is it ridiculously good, but it’s practically guaranteed to make you look like a kitchen rock star which we all need some days.

Do I have to use your banana bread recipe?

Definitely not. This happens to be my favorite banana bread recipe, but if you already have one by all means make it!  I’ve been baking this one for more than 2 decades and it’s always moist, full of flavor and really good. If you even have a store bought banana bread you like, by all means buy it. There’s no shame in anyone’s game taking a hand from the stores.

NOTE: skip the nuts in the bread recipe since you’ll be adding pecans to the sauce.

Rum Caramel Banana Bread Sundae Ingredients:

• loaf banana bread without nuts
• butter
• rum
• cinnamon
• caramel sauce
• chopped pecans
• fresh bananas
• half gallon ice cream

How to make this Rum Caramel Banana Bread Sundae:

Prepare the banana bread according to the recipe minus the nuts.  

To make the caramel sauce, add the caramel sauce, rum, 1 tablespoon of butter, cinnamon and pecans to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer 5-7 minutes until it reduces slightly and thickens.

NOTE: The Rum Caramel Sauce can be made a day ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. 

Before serving:

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter or enough to coat the bottom of the skillet.

Cut the banana bread into 1/2″ slices then add it to the skillet over medium to medium-high heat. You can figure ½ to 1 slice per person, depending on appetites.

Slice the bananas, add to the skillet and sear both the bread and the fresh bananas so they are both lightly browned then cool to room temperature.

Tip: Let the banana bread and bananas come to room temp so the ice cream doesn’t melt too quickly.

Assembly:

Lay 1/2 or a full slice of the caramelized banana bread on a plate. Top with a scoop of ice cream and Rum Caramel Sauce and garnish with a few caramelized bananas. 

Enjoy!

Do we share a love of all things banana? Save this Fluffy Banana Cake for next time. 

If you tried Banana Bread Sundae recipe or any other on the blog, don’t forget to leave a comment or star rating ~ I love hearing from you!

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Rum Caramel Banana Bread Sundae

Rum Caramel Banana bread Sundae ~ homemade banana bread topped with rum caramel pecan sauce, vanilla ice cream and caramelized bananas.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: banana bread desserts, easy holiday desserts

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Assembly time:: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 loaf banana bread without nuts
• 3 tablespoons butter divided
• ¼ cup rum
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup caramel sauce
• ⅓ cup rough chopped pecans
• 2 bananas
• 1 1/2 gall vanilla ice cream

Instructions

• Prepare the banana bread according to the recipe WITHOUT nuts.
• Caramel Sauce: add the caramel sauce, 1 tablespoon of butter, cinnamon and pecans to a medium saucepan.
• Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer 5-7 minutes until it reduces slightly and thickens. NOTE: can be made a day ahead and refrigerated.
• Before serving: In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter or enough to coat the bottom of the skillet.
• Cut the banana bread into 1/2" slices then add it to the skillet over medium to medium-high heat (½ to 1 slice per person).
• Slice the bananas and add to the skillet searing both sides of the bread and bananas. Remove from the skillet and cool to room temp.
• Lay 1/2 or 1 full slice of banana bread on a plate. Top with a scoop of ice cream, Rum Caramel Sauce, and garnish with caramelized bananas. Optional: dust with powdered sugar.