When you need a pick-me-up and only a sweet, brown and sticky dessert will do, try making this Salted Caramel Banana Tarte Tatin with Pecans. It's not for the faint-hearted: sweet bananas with salted caramel and buttery pecans are the ultimate treat to have the weekend at home! You can make your own puff pastry or use a ready-rolled to adjust the effort levels. Either way, this Banana Puff Pastry Tart will be one of the most decadent desserts ever!
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Banana Tart Tatin is Actually Easy To Make
Banana, pecans and caramel is a match made in heaven. I feel that I've already proved it to myself with my Banana And Pecan Praline Parfait! Not surprisingly, I am using the same combination here to make a Tarte Tatin with a difference!
French Tarte Tatin has a bit of a reputation as a difficult dessert to make. I am always surprised at Gregg Wallace worrying about someone attempting a Tarte Tatin on British Masterchef as if it's a Japanese Souffle Cheesecake or something (which is my personal nemesis!).
I'm sharing this recipe to show how easy and effortless it actually is to make something as delicious as a Banana Tarte Tatin!
Looking for a savoury twist on tarte tatin? Try our summer Cherry Tomato Tarte Tatin!
Ingredient Notes
For this banana puff pastry tart recipe, you will need:
- 60 g caster sugar: using caster sugar will ensure your caramel is quick to make. As the granules are finer, they dissolve quickly and your caramel is ready in no time.
- 45 g unsalted butter: if you're using salted butter, reduce the amount of salt by half.
- ½ tsp salt
- 3-4 bananas: make sure your bananas are ripe, but they shouldn't be mushy. You want your bananas sweet but still rather firm in texture.
- 30 g pecans: I love banana and pecan combination, but hazelnuts or peanuts will work just as well. Skip the salt if you're using salted roasted peanuts.
- 250 g puff pastry ready-rolled: make your own if you wish! It will be all the more delicious! We recommend sourdough puff pastry!
- yoghurt, creme fraiche or ice cream to serve: our choice is creme fraiche. Salted Caramel Banana Tarte Tatin is certainly sweet enough and needs something fresh and slightly tart to balance out the sweetness.
Step-By-Step Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C Fan. Take your puff pastry out of the fridge to bring it to room temperature before unrolling - otherwise, it may crack if it is too cold). Chop your pecan nuts roughly.
2. Heat the caster sugar and 2 tablespoon of water in a small saucepan over medium heat, but don't stir. Let it bubble gently for 5-7 minutes until it turns golden brown. Reduce it to low heat, add butter and a little bit of salt, and shake the pan gently for a couple of minutes to fully combine. Be careful not to splash!
3. Pour the hot caramel into the base of an oven-proof pan or a cast iron skillet (we used a 22cm cast iron pan for this recipe).
4. Scatter the pecan nuts all over the caramel sauce (we always get a large bag of Kirkland Signature pecans - they are so sweet and buttery).
5. Slice the bananas into rounds approx 2cm thick. Place the banana slices in the caramel snuggly in concentric circles.
6. Unroll your puff pastry and trim the edges of the dough to cut a circle just bigger than the overproof dish used. Place it on top of the bananas and tuck the edges of pastry dough around the sides of the pan with the tip of a knife.
7. Place in the centre of the preheated oven for approx 40 minutes. When cooked, puff pastry should be golden and firm to the touch.
8. Carefully invert the French tarte tatin onto a large serving plate as soon as you take it out of the oven. It should be beautiful with a golden caramel colour and caramelized banana. Leave this great dessert to cool down for a few minutes before serving.
Serving Suggestions
We love this Banana Puff Pastry Tart with a scoop of ice cream (vanilla ice cream works best), unsweetened Greek yoghurt or crème fraîche!
Reader Review
"Utterly decadent and utterly delicious! What a brilliant idea! It's like Banoffee Pie and Tarte Tatin had a baby!"
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recipe FAQs
Bananas can turn black when exposed to high heat during baking, especially if they are overripe or cut into thin slices. This discolouration is due to the natural sugars in the bananas caramelizing and oxidizing during the baking process.
To prevent your bananas from turning black when making banana tarte tatin, you can try the following tips:
1. Use slightly underripe bananas that are still firm and have not yet developed much sugar. These bananas will be less likely to turn black when exposed to heat.
2. Cut the bananas into thick slices, rather than thin slices, as this will reduce the surface area exposed to heat and prevent excessive caramelization.
3. Toss the bananas in a mixture of lemon juice and sugar before adding them to the tarte tatin. The acidity in the lemon juice will help to prevent oxidation and the sugar will help to caramelize the bananas.
4. Bake the tarte tatin at a slightly lower temperature or for a shorter period of time to prevent over-browning.
To prevent your banana tarte tatin from getting soggy after baking, you can follow these tips:
1. Store it in the fridge: Place any leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator. This will help to slow down the breakdown of the crust and prevent it from becoming soggy.
2. Reheat it in the oven: When reheating the tarte tatin, avoid using the microwave as it can make the crust soggy. Instead, reheat it in the oven at a low temperature for about 10-15 minutes. This will help to warm up the tarte tatin without making the crust soggy.
3. Use a wire rack: When cooling the tarte tatin after baking, use a wire rack instead of leaving it in the pan. This will allow air to circulate around the tarte tatin and prevent moisture from building up on the bottom of the crust.
4. Serve it immediately: Tarte tatin is best served fresh out of the oven, but if you have leftovers, try to eat them within a day or two to prevent the crust from becoming too soggy.
Banana Lover?
Other Tart And Pie Recipes
We love tarts, pies and all things pastry here, at Somebody Feed Seb. If Banana Tart With Salted Caramel didn't float your boat, have a look at our other recipes featuring pastry:
- All-American Sweet Potato Pie
- Classic Cornflake Tart
- Sweet Potato & Halloumi Pie
- Mushroom Tart with Crispy Baked Leeks
- North African Spiced Chickpea & Feta Filo Pie
Banana Tarte Tatin (Banana Puff Pastry Tart)
Equipment
- Cast-iron Skillet or Overproof Frying Pan (approx 22cm)
Ingredients
- 60 g (½ cups) caster sugar
- 45 g (3 tablespoon) unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3-4 bananas ripe but firm
- 30 g (⅓ cups) pecans roughly chopped
- 250 g (8.82 oz) puff pastry ready-rolled
- yogurt, greme fraiche or ice cream to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C Fan.
- Heat the sugar and 2 tablespoon of water in a pan, but don't stir. Let it bubble gently for 5-7 minutes until it turns golden. Add butter and salt, and shake the pan to combine. Pour into the base of an oven-proof pan, cast iron skillet or another round ovenproof dish. Scatter the pecan nuts all over
- Slice the bananas into rounds approx 2cm thick. Place them in the caramel snuggly.
- Unroll your puff pastry and cut a circle just bigger than the overproof dish used. Place on top and tuck around the bananas.
- Place in the centre of the oven for approx 40 minutes. When cooked, puff pastry should be golden and firm to the touch.
- Carefully invert the tarte tatin onto a plate as soon as you take it out of the oven. Leave to cool for a few minutes before serving with some ice cream, yogurt or creme fraiche!
Nutrition
Sara says
Made this to bring to a brunch and it was a huge hit!
Ieva says
Wow, a banana tarte tatin for brunch? Sounds like my kind of brunch... 🙂
Louise says
Utterly decadent and utterly delicious! What a brilliant idea! It's like Banoffee Pie and Tarte Tatin had a baby!
Ieva says
Louise, you made me smile! Thanks for the feedback! 🙂
Kate says
Everyone asked for second helpings! It was so decadent and delicious, thank you!
Ieva says
Great to hear, Kate! We love it that everyone asked for seconds! It's always the best compliment! 🙂
Carrie Robinson says
This is my kind of dessert! Loving everything about this. 🙂
Ieva says
Carrie, thank you! 🙂
Casey says
OMG, this looks amazing and I love how it uses store bought puff pastry! My baking skills are limited so this is perfect! Thank you!
Ieva says
Thanks for the comment, Casey! 🙂 As obsessed as I am with making my own puff pastry, I am always grateful for the brilliant quality ready-made pastry that I can get in any supermarket these days! Especially when we're busy and looking for a quick fix!
Roxana says
Oh my goodness, that looks so good. Has all the great flavors I like. And its easy too.
Ieva says
Thanks, Roxana! Thank goodness for ready-rolled puff pastry, right? 🙂