Five firm bananas are sliced and cooked for two or three minutes in butter and brown sugar with vanilla and cinnamon, just until glossy and still holding their shape, then tipped into the baking dish.
A quick biscuit dough of flour, sugar, baking powder, cold butter and buttermilk is dropped over the top in spoonfuls. As it bakes, the banana juices and butter become the caramel sauce spooned over each serving.
Are the Bananas Right?
Ripeness decides whether the slices survive the bake.
Press a peeled banana gently. How does it feel?
Yellow, firm and gives only slightly
Slice and use.
They soften in the oven but keep their shape.
Heavily speckled and soft
Save them for something else and choose firmer ones.
Very ripe bananas collapse in the hot caramel.
How to Make It
Dish buttered
Heat oven to 375°F and butter a 9-inch baking dish.
Bananas caramelized
Melt 4 tbsp butter with the brown sugar in a skillet. Add the bananas, vanilla and cinnamon and cook 2 to 3 minutes until glossy but still holding their shape. Transfer to the baking dish.
Biscuit dough
Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in the cold butter, then stir in the buttermilk just until a shaggy dough forms.
Topped
Drop spoonfuls of the biscuit dough over the bananas.
Baked
Bake 35 to 40 minutes until the topping is golden and the filling bubbles.
Served
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and spoon the caramel sauce from the dish over the top.
Ingredient Notes
- Bananas
- Five, ripe but still firm, sliced into thick rounds.
- Buttermilk
- Half a cup, stirred into the biscuit dough just until shaggy.
- Vanilla ice cream
- For serving, with the pan caramel spooned over.
Why This Recipe Works
- Ripe but firm bananas soften in the oven without turning to mush.
- A short stovetop start begins the caramel before baking.
- Cold butter in the dough gives a light, tender biscuit topping.
- Leaving gaps between spoonfuls lets the filling bubble up.
Success Tips
- Take the bananas off the heat while the slices still hold their edges.
- Stop stirring the biscuit dough as soon as it comes together.
- Let the cobbler stand a few minutes before serving so the caramel settles.
Serving Ideas
Spoon into bowls with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and plenty of caramel from the bottom of the dish.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate
Refrigerate leftovers covered; warm them gently before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the topping?
A drop-biscuit dough made with cold butter and buttermilk.
Where does the caramel sauce come from?
It forms in the dish from the butter, brown sugar and banana juices as it bakes.
