This Banana Twist Turns Crème Brûlée Into A Totally New Dessert

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Crème brûlée is a classic dessert. Whether you're ordering it at your favorite French restaurant or whipping it up at home with the help of a TBTeek Butane Kitchen Torch, its rich custard and crunchy, sweet top is the perfect ending to any meal — or a great anytime snack. But crème brûlée, as delicious as it is, can be a bit one-note and bland, especially if you're eating it with any sort of regularity. Fortunately, no one said you had to stick with a standard recipe. If you're looking to give this creamy dessert a tropical twist, add banana.

This tip comes courtesy of "Dessert Wars" champion and pastry chef Jess Lewis, who explains that one of the best ways to elevate your crème brûlée is with a couple of slices of brûléed bananas or by infusing the flavor into the custard with banana extract. This will give the dish a banana cream pie feel that can turn into more of a bananas Foster rendition if you brûlée the banana slices in dark rum and caramel. When opting for the extract route, be sure not to add too much. As Lewis explains, a heavy hand could make the dish taste like the worst version of banana Laffy Taffy, so use only small amounts.

Banana crème brûlée is delicious on its own, but every good dessert should have proper garnishings. You could, of course, add the standard berries, including blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries, to the top, along with a dollop of whipped cream and some powdered sugar. However, if you'd like to lean into the tropical essence of this dessert, think chopped pineapples, slices of oranges, or coconut shreds. Continuing on with sweet additions, drizzle some chocolate, honey, or caramel on top.

If the banana flavor has brought enough sweetness to your dessert, skip the fruity garnishings in lieu of nuttier additions, like pecans or walnuts, and sprinkle some spices on top, like cinnamon, cardamom, or cloves. There are so many directions you can take banana crème brûlée in. Just be sure not to commit the mistakes everyone makes when making crème brûlée.