Salted Banana Caramel Tatin with Ice Cream
Buttery pastry tart with caramelized bananas, made by cooking fruit and caramel in a cake tin, topping with dough, then inverting. The pastry is made from scratch with cold butter, chilled, then baked until golden. Finished with flaky sea salt and served with caramel ice cream.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Cut cold butter into cubes and mix with water, sugar, egg, and flour until a cohesive dough forms. Knead minimally.
- 2
Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 F / 190 C.
- 3
Make caramel by boiling sugar and butter in a pan over low heat for about 10 minutes until light caramel forms. Do not stir and do not allow to darken too much.
- 4
Remove pan from heat, add about 2 tablespoons warm water, and stir.
- 5
Pour caramel onto the bottom of the tart pan. Cut bananas lengthwise and arrange cut-side down in caramel.
- 6
Roll out dough and place over bananas, pressing gently at edges.
- 7
Bake for about 20 minutes until brown.
- 8
Remove from oven, place a flat plate on top, and carefully invert so tart falls onto plate.
- 9
Sprinkle with salt flakes and serve with caramel ice cream.
Tips
Caramel reaches temperatures higher than boiling water; use caution when adding water and do not stir after sugar begins to color.
Keep pastry dough cold throughout handling to achieve a light, flaky texture.
Use a flat plate with enough surface area to safely invert the tatin.
Good to Know
Store covered at room temperature for up to 1 day. Refrigerate for longer storage.
Pastry dough can be made and chilled up to 1 day ahead. Caramel can be made several hours in advance.
Serve warm or at room temperature with caramel ice cream.
Common Mistakes
Stir caramel during cooking to avoid uneven coloring and bitter burnt spots.
Skip chilling the dough to risk a dense, tough pastry.
Bake longer than 20 minutes to risk burnt banana edges and dry pastry.
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
General Alternatives
ripeness affects caramel balance