Miss Raven's Kitchen

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You’ve heard of the apple crisp, berry crisp, but have you experienced the Banana Crisp? It’s a delicious dessert that needs to be a part of the crisp family! Think soft, caramelized bananas tucked beneath a golden, buttery oat topping with just the right amount of crunch. This dessert comes together with simple pantry ingredients, making it perfect for a last-minute sweet fix or a casual get-together.

Table of Contents:

1. Table of Contents:
2. Why You’ll Love This Recipe
3. Ingredients for Banana Crisp:
4. Tips & FAQs:
5. Recipe:
6. Check out these other great recipes!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

I’ve done some research on different recipes for crisps, crumbles, and cobblers. To my surprise, there is little to no involvement of the banana! Isn’t that crazy?! It’s made almost like the start of a banana foster, but taken in the direction of a crisp. Rather than going out of your way to buy extra berries or apples for an apple or berry crisp, why not use those ripened bananas that sit and watch you ignore them? It’s made with household ingredients, so there is no excuse not to make this! Trust me, at least make it once, and I promise you, your guests and family will be asking for it again and again.

You start off with brown sugar. Letting that melt down into some butter with some cinnamon gives off this incredible aroma. You need to babysit it, however, as it can burn easily if you walk away, much like if you take your eyes off a toddler for one second, and I can relate to that all too well! Our daughter just started becoming confident in running, so in one split second, she’s taken off.

Ok, back on track to this amazing recipe. On top of the caramelized bananas is this craveable crumbly topping. As with any crisp recipe, it’s an oat-based streusel-like topping. Here’s the difference: a crumble is made with a streusel topping without oats, while a crisp is made with oats. Do you get where this is going? The texture of the topping is why it’s called a crisp! If you choose not to use the oats, you will need to add more of the other ingredients to create more of the topping. From there, you have a crumble rather than a crisp.

I wholeheartedly believe that this recipe is so approachable because there are no special skills or complicated steps that need to be taken. Just slice, mix, and bake! The flavor payoff is another reason why I’ll be making this on the regular for dessert. The ripe bananas turn rich and almost caramel-like in the oven, and when you pair that buttery, golden oat crisp topping, you get that contrast of soft and crisp in every bite. You can dress it up with chocolate chips, nuts, or a scoop of ice cream, or keep it simple and cozy on a warm night with a fire going in the backyard.

Ingredients for Banana Crisp:

• Bananas: The star of this sweet show! You want to make sure the bananas are ripe or overripe. Those will become soft when baking, but won’t lose their shape. Don’t use bananas that aren’t ripe (AKA the ones that aren’t green)! The sugars in the banana haven’t fully developed, so it won’t caramelize well and will be bitter.
• Brown Sugar: I used light brown sugar here. It’s used in both the topping and for the bananas. I love the caramelized flavor it gives the bananas as well. I don’t really like using dark brown sugar for this; it has more molasses and can overwhelm everything.
• Cinnamon: Just like the apple crisp, cinnamon is a must. I used it in both the bananas and the crumble.
• Nutmeg: Offers a bit of warmth to the bananas with the cinnamon. Don’t use too much! A little goes a long way.
• All-Purpose Flour: Used in the topping. It holds everything together when you’re mixing in the crisp topping. Without it, the topping will fall apart.
• Vanilla Extract: This is needed. Without it, the dessert just doesn’t feel complete,
• Unsalted Butter: The butter must be unsalted. Since salt is added to each component of the dessert, using salted butter will make it salty. It’s melted into the brown sugar for the bananas, and it’s also used in the crisp topping. Make sure it’s cold! That’s the best kind of crisp topping.
• Old-Fashioned Oats: You do not want quick cooking! Old-fashioned gives that textured topping you want. Crispy topping, hence the name!

Tips & FAQs:

• Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave in 30-second increments or in the oven until just warmed through. You don’t want it too hot.
  • Freezing is not recommended. The crispy topping will become mushy when thawing.
• Can I omit the oats? Of course! I would add a bit more of the other topping ingredients to make up for the missing oats. You’ll have a banana crumble instead of a crisp, which is just as good!
• Can this be vegan? Use coconut oil or vegan butter when you’re assembling everything. Serve this with some dairy-free vanilla ice cream!
• What kind of bananas do I use? You want ripe or overripe bananas. Do not use the bananas that have green peels! The sugars haven’t fully developed yet, and it’ll result in this starchy, bitter taste that isn’t great. It won’t caramelize well either. If your bananas are at least yellow with some brown spots, your crisp will taste flat, and the texture will be off. Use ripe over overripe bananas!
• Variations:
  • Add some berries to the bananas. You’ll get a jammy, vibrant filling.
  • Add chocolate chunks or chips to the bananas when spreading them into the baking dish.
  • Make this bananas foster style with some rum extract or actual rum.
  • Chop some apples for a banana-apple crisp. Perfect for the fall!
  • Stir in shredded coconut into the topping for a tropical vibe.
  • Swirl some peanut butter into the bananas or drizzle it over the top before baking.
  • Dollop some Nutella throughout the banana mixture.
• Wine Pairings:
  • Your best pairing here would be a Moscato D’Asti. It’s lightly sparkling, low in alcohol, and naturally sweet with peachy, floral notes. It keeps the dessert feeling light and doesn’t overwhelm the banana.
  • If you want to elevate things, try a Sauterne. It’s a dessert wine that’s rich, honeyed, and slightly nutty. It pairs with the caramelized bananas beautifully.
  • Avoid reds with this. It’ll be too harsh and won’t pair well with the sweet.
  • For Non-Alcoholic Options: If you want bubbly without the alcohol, go with sparkling apple cider or club soda with a splash of white grape juice and some lemon. If you want something warm and cozy with this dessert, pour yourself a decaf coffee with a splash of cream. My favorite pairing is a caramel milkshake, but that’s because I love indulging. If you make this during the colder months, then I suggest a vanilla herbal tea or a chai tea.

Recipe:

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