Why you might grill a banana
Fruits such as bananas definitely don’t require grilling, but it enhances their flavor, and the cooking process only takes about seven minutes. The sweeter taste is a result of caramelization that occurs within the fruit during cooking. Bananas have natural sugars that react to heat, causing them to turn a deeper shade of brown and revealing new, delightful flavors. Grilling also helps retain some of the banana's essential vitamins in a way that sautéing or frying might not, as grilling is a quicker method that preserves more nutrients. A grilled banana has a flavor reminiscent of plátanos fritos (fried plantains).
While it’s not essential, many people like to sprinkle brown sugar or cinnamon on their grilled bananas to enhance the sweetness. They can be enjoyed on their own, but they also make a great addition to various desserts; for instance, a banana split would benefit from a touch of brown sugar. The brown color of brown sugar comes from molasses, which imparts a caramel-like flavor. If you love the rich taste of caramel, combining brown sugar with grilled bananas will amplify that flavor in your banana split.
New ways to split a banana split
Most variations of a banana split can be enhanced with grilled bananas, whether you favor three scoops of classic vanilla or a trio of Neapolitan flavors—chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. Nuts are always an optional addition to a banana split, and experimenting with the crunchy texture of peanuts could be intriguing, especially when paired with the softer grilled bananas.
A simpler dessert that involves cooking bananas is bananas Foster, a timeless classic and a sadly discontinued Häagen-Dazs flavor. This dish resembles a more straightforward banana split, featuring just cooked bananas, vanilla ice cream, and walnuts, all drizzled in rum sauce instead of chocolate or strawberry. Incorporating walnuts or rum syrup could be a great way to capture those bananas Foster elements. Alternatively, if you want a completely banana-based version of a banana split, you can create banana soft-serve "ice cream" by freezing and blending sliced bananas, then serving that on top of the grilled banana. In terms of desserts, this option is quite healthy, especially if you opt for a regular cherry instead of the sweeter maraschino cherries.
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