Platanos Con Crema

Platanos con crema is one of those Latin American desserts that takes almost no effort but delivers pure indulgence. Bananas are gently warmed in melted butter until they soften just enough to turn silky, then sprinkled with sweet sherry and sugar and buried under a cloud of freshly whipped vanilla cream.

The microwave does the heavy work here. Two minutes in melted butter warms the bananas without turning them to mush, keeping them tender but still holding their shape. The sweet sherry soaks into the warm fruit immediately, adding a boozy, caramel-like depth.

Slice the bananas either lengthwise for an elegant presentation or crosswise into coins for a more casual, scoopable dish. Either way, the warm fruit against the cool whipped cream is the contrast that makes this work.

Chef Tips

• Use ripe bananas with a few brown spots. Green bananas are starchy and won’t have enough natural sweetness.
• Discard the melted butter after warming the bananas. It’s served its purpose and would make the dish greasy.
• Whip the cream just to soft peaks. Over-whipped cream feels stiff and heavy against the soft bananas.
• Serve immediately. The bananas continue softening as they sit and the whipped cream deflates over time.

Variations

• Use rum instead of sherry for a more Caribbean-inspired version.
• Sprinkle ground cinnamon over the whipped cream for a warm, spiced finish.
• Add a drizzle of dulce de leche between the bananas and the cream for extra richness.