Tempura Banana Sundaes with Caramel Sauce

Man, ice cream is hard to photograph, especially when it’s smothered with warm tempura bananas and caramel sauce – major melt factor! I first swooned over tempura bananas in New Zealand at a Japanese restaurant in Auckland. They were crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside and simply served with a bit of chocolate sauce drizzled on top. I immediately started dreaming of a vanilla ice cream sundae covered with the tempura bananas and caramel sauce and recently put this idea into motion!

Since it was my first time making tempura, I did a little online research and based my batter on this recipe. Yum, I don’t get my fryer out often, but these sundaes were definitely worth the extra effort!

Tempura Banana Sundaes with Caramel Sauce
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
Canola oil for frying
3/4 cup seltzer water
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 bananas, sliced
8 small scoops vanilla ice cream (about 4 cup)
1/4 cup caramel sauce

Directions:
Heat canola oil in a deep-fryer to 375˚F. Place seltzer water, flour, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl and whisk until well combined. Place 1/4 the banana slices in the batter and deep fry the battered banana slices until golden brown on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bananas to a paper towel-lined pan to drain. Repeat with remaining banana slices, working in batches. To assemble the sundaes, place 2 scoops of ice cream in each dish. Top evenly with tempura bananas and drizzle with caramel sauce. Enjoy immediately! Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition: 427 calories, 18.4g fat, 2.8g fiber, 5.7g protein per serving
Cost: $1.30 per serving