This creamy Bananas Foster Cheesecake is a decadent dessert that you can easily prepare in your own kitchen! A perfect cheesecake made from scratch is topped with a classic, sugary-sweet bananas foster sauce! I dare you to just have one slice!!
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Homemade Bananas Foster Cheesecake
If you’re a banana lover, my goodness, you’re in for such a treat. This Bananas Foster Cheesecake is made rich with banana flavor, the creamiest classic cheesecake filling, all piled high atop my favorite graham cracker crust.ย The amazing Bananas Foster sauce on top is what seals the deal and makes this cheesecake so insanely delicious.
Banana cakes are obviously fantastic desserts for any time of year. My Banana Layer Cake is always a hit and one of the first to go! Every party I have brought this banana cheesecake to this year has disappeared just as quickly. It’s simply irresistible!
Go grab those bananas sitting on the counter and treat yourself to this delicious banana cheesecake!ย I guarantee you will be going back for seconds, and if you are wearing stretchy leggings, thirds.
What is Bananas Foster?
Bananas foster is a dessert that is traditionally served over ice cream. It was invented at Brennan’s Restaurant in New Orleans in 1951. With my family being from Louisiana, Bananas Foster has always been a favorite in our house.
For a classic Bananas Foster, you first slice bananas, and then you cook them in a sauce made with brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, dark rum and butter. It’s then lit on fire to burn off the alcohol and is served over ice cream.
Instead of pouring that sweet bananas foster over ice cream, though, you’re going to pour it on top of a creamy cheesecake!ย Such a perfect dessert mash up!
Recipe Ingredients
Now that you’re an expert on all things bananas foster, let’s get to work! Collect the following ingredients:
For the Cheesecake:
- Cream Cheese: let it soften before starting the cake.
- Granulated Sugar
- Flour
- Vanilla Extract
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Eggs: let them come to room temperature before starting.
- 8-inch Graham Cracker Crust: in an 8-inch springform pan.
For the Bananas Foster Topping:
- Unsalted Butter
- Packed Brown Sugar: light or brown both work.
- Salt
- Cinnamon Stick
- Bananas: use bananas that are ripe, but not overly ripe. You want them perfectly yellow and firm.
- Dark Rum
How to Make Bananas Foster Cheesecake
Making this cheesecake is a breeze. It does take a while to bake, but your kitchen will smell AMAZING by the time you pull it out of the oven. Here’s what you’ll need to do to get started:
Prep: Preheat your oven to 350ยฐF.
Mix: In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using a hand mixer, cream the cream cheese and sugar for at LEAST 5 minutes or until smooth.
Combine: Add in the flour and vanilla and mix until well combined. Scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl, as needed.
Whip the Batter: Next, add in the heavy whipping cream and whip for 1-2 minutes. Scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl, as needed, Last, add in the eggs one at a time and mix until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix.
Remove Air Bubbles: Add the filling into the prepared 8-inch graham cracker crust in an 8-inch springform pan and gently tap on the counter 10-15 times to remove any air bubbles.
Bake: Bake for 15 minutes and without opening the door, reduce the heat to 200 degrees and continue baking for 55-60 minutes or until the center only slightly jiggles but the sides are set.
Let Cool: Then turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes slightly crack the oven door and allow to cool for an additional 20 minutes. (This is an optional step, but this will help avoid your cheesecake cracking)
Refrigerate: Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. After completely cooled, place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours to overnight.
How to Make Bananas Foster Sauce:
Now that you have the cheesecake, it’s time to make the sauce! These brown-sugar-and-butter coated bananas are absolutely essential to pulling this cake together.
For the Sauce: Once the cheesecake is set, prepare the topping by adding the butter, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon stick into a skillet and heat over medium heat stirring continuously until melted and smooth.
Add the Bananas: Add in the bananas and reduce the heat to med-low and allow to simmer for 1-2 minutes. Carefully mix the bananas to coat in the sauce.
Decorate: Next, add in the rum and CAREFULLY, using a kitchen torch, torch the bananas while slowly swirling the mixture until the flame dies out. It should take about 1 minute. Allow the topping to cool slightly then pour over the cheesecake. Serve and enjoy!
Tips for Success
This banana cheesecake is almost too pretty to cut into… Almost.ย Then after that first bite you will be going back for seconds — guaranteed!
Anyways, here are some helpful tips to help you achieve the best cheesecake:
- Plan Ahead: It is definitely ideal to make this cheesecake a day before you plan to serve it (the cheesecake, NOT the topping).
- Preparing the Cream Cheese: Make sure you are using a good quality cream cheese and it is at room temperature before beginning.
- Use Room Temperature Eggs: room temperature eggs ensure a smooth and creamy cheesecake. The eggs will not combine as smoothly if they are chilled.
- Creaming the Cream Cheese: Cream the cream cheese for at LEAST 5 minutes. This is an important step and the longer you cream the cream cheese the better the consistency of your cheesecake will be.
- How to Get a Smooth Filling: Make sure you scrape the sides and bottom of your bowl after the addition of each ingredient. This helps keep the filling nice and smooth.
- Don’t Over Mix: DO NOT OVER MIX THE EGGS. Mix just until the yolk disappears into the mixture and add the next.
- How to Avoid Cracks in the Cake: Allowing the cheesecake to cool in the oven with the door closed is the only way I have been able to repeatedly get smooth cheesecakes with no cracks. Like I said above, this is an optional step, but it’s worth it.
- Refrigerate the Cheesecake: I know it is hard, but let the cheesecake set in the fridge overnight. You will not be sorry.
How to Store Cheesecake
You’ll want to refrigerate this cheesecake in an airtight container and eat it within 3-4 days. I doubt it will take you that long to devour it, though!
If you want to freeze the cheesecake, I recommend not topping it with the sauce. This Bananas Foster sauce does not freeze well. You can wrap the entire cheesecake (without sauce), or a single slice, tightly with saran wrap and a second layer of foil and freeze it for up to 3 months.
When you are ready to serve it, let it thaw in the fridge for 24 hours and then make the Bananas Foster sauce on top!
This Bananas Foster Cheesecake tastes just as delicious as it looks, I bet you won’t have any leftovers! Bring this epic banana cheesecake to a gathering and watch it disappear in seconds.
I promise you won’t be let down with this recipe if you follow all my tips above. Biggest tips, make sure and use room temperature ingredients and beat your cream cheese for the full time!
Bananas Foster Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Cheesecake:
- 3 packages cream cheese, softened
- ยพ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ยพ cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 recipe for a 8-inch graham cracker crust in a 8-inch springform pan
For the Bananas Foster Topping:
- ยผ cup unsalted butter
- ยฝ cup packed brown sugar
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bananas, sliced
- โ cup dark rum
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Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ยฐF.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using a hand mixer, cream the cream cheese and sugar for at LEAST 5 minutes or until smooth.
- Add in the flour and vanilla and mix until well combined. Scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl, as needed.
- Next, add in the heavy whipping cream and whip for 1-2 minutes. Scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl, as needed, Last, add in the eggs one at a time and mix until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix.
- Add the filling into the prepared 8-inch graham cracker crust in an 8-inch springform pan and gently tap on the counter 10-15 times to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake for 15 minutes and without opening the door, reduce the heat to 200 degrees and continue baking for 55-60 minutes or until the center only slightly jiggles but the sides are set.
- Then turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes slightly crack the oven door and allow to cool for an additional 20 minutes. (This is an optional step, but this will help avoid your cheesecake cracking)
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. After completely cooled, place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours to overnight.
- Once the cheesecake is set, prepare the topping by adding the butter, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon stick into a skillet and heat over medium heat stirring continuously until melted and smooth. Add in the bananas and reduce the heat to med-low and allow to simmer for 1-2 minutes. Carefully mix the bananas to coat in the sauce.
- Next, add in the rum and CAREFULLY, using a kitchen torch, torch the bananas while slowly swirling the mixture until the flame dies out. It should take about 1 minute. Allow the topping to cool slightly then pour over the cheesecake. Serve and enjoy!
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More Epic Desserts to Try
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I use this Cheesecake base for everything! Would I be able to use this recipe for mini cheesecakes? Bake at 350ยฐf for about 25mins?
Yes! I’m not 100% on the cook time, just keep a close eye on them!
Can you mix in or swirl in the banana foster topping in the cheesecake mixture and bake it?
I haven’t tried it myself, but as long as you don’t add too much extra filling, it should bake just fine!
Is the cheesecake made ahead and the topping last minute or can it all be made ahead?
Could you add rum to the cheesecake to enhance the banana foster flavor?
You would have to add a lot of rum to get the flavor, instead I would suggest adding rum extract to the cheesecake.
The cheesecake is a great make ahead dessert! You can prep the topping ahead by a few hours, but I prefer to make it fresh. Hope this helps! If the topping is made too far in advance, the bananas will start to brown and not be as appealing.
I’ll be making this cheesecake for family–will the alcohol cook off completely? Thanks in advance!
Yes! As long as you cook it as directed, the alcohol will burn off. ๐
It turned out great. I made it gluten free with gf sugar cookies instead of the crackers. And rice flour instead of the regular flour! Delish!! Donโt forget ingredients need to be room temp!
Hi want to make this in the UK but I don’t know if our cream cheese packages are the same size as in the US. What weight are they? Thanks
They are 8 Oz packages. Hope this helps. Made it this morning for my husbands birthday! . So good!
8 oz!
Why no water bath?
It’s not needed with this recipe, works great without one. However, if you prefer to use a water bath, you’re welcome to!
Is this all purpose flour used in cheesecake?
Hi Rhonda! Sorry for not being more specific, yes it is all purpose flour!
Can you use clear rum instead ?
Yes! Spiced rum has more flavor, but you can use clear rum too!