Banana Shortcakes with Caramelized Bananas

If you’ve been around here a while, you know I’m a shortcake girl. Strawberry shortcakes are classic, peach shortcakes feel like summer in a bite, and now—say hello to my new obsession: Banana Shortcakes with Caramelized Bananas. Think buttery, tender shortcakes that taste like banana bread and biscuits had a very delicious baby. Add in a crispy turbinado sugar top, whipped cream, and sticky-sweet caramelized bananas, and you’ve got yourself the most fun (and ridiculously good) dessert-slash-breakfast situation ever.

Honestly, these banana shortcakes might be the most versatile recipe I’ve made in a while. They’re decadent enough for dessert but not so sweet that you couldn’t serve them at brunch or sneak one with your morning coffee. And shaping those little rounds of dough? Half the fun.

This is a great bake if you feel like working with your hands, and of course having something excellent to snack on during the week.

Why you’ll love these banana shortcakes

I know, banana shortcakes might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of “shortcake.” But trust me on this one—it works.

• Banana bread meets biscuits: The ripe bananas bring natural sweetness and moisture, so the shortcakes taste like a hybrid between banana bread and a fluffy drop biscuit.
• Brown sugar + cinnamon: The brown sugar adds moisture and a subtle depth of flavor, and it plays really well with the cinnamon in the recipe.
• Caramelized bananas: If you’re going to go for it, go all in. The sticky, buttery topping turns these shortcakes into a true showstopper.
• Crispy sugar tops: A sprinkle of turbinado sugar before baking adds crunch and makes the shortcakes look bakery-level fancy, while giving you a wonderful textural contrast between light, fluffy, moist and crisp.

The first time I made these, I knew I was going to have a problem. Like, “cut one to take photos, then suddenly eat two shortcakes before dinner” kind of problem.

Ingredients you’ll need

Here’s everything you’ll need to make these dreamy banana shortcakes:

For the shortcakes:

• All-purpose flour (3 cups / 420g) – the base of our dough. While you can use other flour variations like whole wheat or pastry flour, I like all-purpose because it holds the dough well and gets you to a nice flaky texture.
• Dark brown sugar (1/4 cup / 50g) – lightly packed. The addition of molasses flavor adds caramelly depth. You can use granulated sugar in a pinch, but I like the earthier flavor and moisture that brown sugar provides.
• Baking powder – Baking powder is double-acting, which means it’s the backbone of these fluffy shortcakes and helps guarantee a great rise.
• Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) – balances sweetness. If you are using Morton’s or a finer grain salt, be sure to add half the amount.
• Ground cinnamon – just enough spice to round out the banana flavor. You can also add other baking spices here like nutmeg or allspice, but cinnamon is my go-to favorite.
• Salted butter (3/4 cup / 170g, cold) – grated into the flour so it stays pebbly, creating tender layers. This will make the shortcakes subtly saltier, but it stands up nicely to the sweetness of the banana.
• Ripe bananas (2 for the dough) – the star of the show. These act as a binder in the biscuits and then you caramelize extra bananas for a topping. Delicious.
• Buttermilk (3/4 cup + extra for brushing) – this helps with both the texture and flavor of the biscuits. It makes them light and balances the richness of the other ingredients.
• Turbinado sugar (3 tablespoons) – for the shimmery, crunchy tops.

For the caramelized bananas:

• 3 large bananas
• 2 tablespoons salted butter

Optional: Whipped cream for serving (not really optional, if you ask me!).

How to make these banana shortcakes

Making shortcakes at home is much easier than people expect—it’s basically a quick biscuit dough, shaped and baked. The bananas are what make this version extra fun.

1. Make the dry ingredient base

Whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a big bowl.

2. Grate in the butter

Use a box grater to grate cold butter straight into the flour mixture. Toss everything together, coating the butter shreds in flour. You’ll get a shaggy texture, but you aren’t finished yet.

3. Add the bananas

Slice your ripe bananas into chunks. I like to halve the medallions before tossing them into the bowl and coating them with flour. This helps the pieces stay distinct in the dough.

4. Buttermilk and whisk

Pour in the buttermilk and mix quickly with a fork until you have a shaggy dough. Don’t overwork it—rustic is the goal. If you need to switch to your hands to bring it together, go for it.

5. Layer for flakiness

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Halve it, stack it, press down, rotate, and repeat. This layering trick gives your shortcakes extra texture.

6. Shape the shortcakes

Pat the dough into a circle about 1 ½ inches thick. Use a floured 3-inch ring cutter to stamp out rounds, reshaping scraps as needed until you have 10 shortcakes.

7. Bake

Brush the tops with buttermilk, sprinkle with a good coating of turbinado sugar, and bake at 350°F for 25–27 minutes, until golden.

How to caramelize bananas

While the shortcakes bake, it’s time for the real fun—caramelized bananas.

Slice bananas on a sharp angle for thick, elongated pieces. They need to be thick so they don’t fall apart. Melt butter in a skillet and cook the slices for 3–4 minutes per side until golden brown and caramelized. Be patient and don’t move them too much—they need stillness to form that gorgeous crust.

Assembling the shortcakes

The shortcakes come out golden, with crackly sugar tops and a nice banana bread-y smell. To serve, slice a shortcake in half, spoon on a dollop of whipped cream, and crown it with caramelized banana slices.

It’s indulgent but not heavy, sweet but not cloying—the perfect balance.

Tips and tricks for the best banana shortcakes

• Use ripe bananas: You want yellow bananas with plenty of brown spots. Underripe bananas won’t caramelize or flavor the shortcakes as well.
• Keep your butter cold: Cold butter = flaky layers. Plus the dough is easier to mix! If your kitchen is warm, pop the grated butter back into the fridge for a few minutes before mixing.
• Work quickly: Overmixing = tough shortcakes. A shaggy dough that *just* comes together is your friend.
• Bake on parchment: This prevents sticking, helps them bake evenly, and makes cleanup easy.
• Make ahead: The shortcakes are best fresh but freeze beautifully. Just reheat in the oven before serving.

Storage tips

If you somehow have leftovers (unlikely…but still), here’s how to keep them fresh:

• Shortcakes: Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, freeze for up to 2 months and reheat at 350°F for 10 minutes.
• Caramelized bananas: Best enjoyed right after cooking. If you need to hold them, keep warm in the skillet over very low heat. You can also store them in the fridge and gently warm them on medium in the microwave or give them another quick warm-up over low heat in the skillet.

Pro tip: Toast leftover banana shortcakes and smear with salted butter for the most decadent breakfast ever.

Why is this recipe in grams?

Grams is always my preference for baking, and I hope it will be yours, too. The only way to ensure complete accuracy is through measuring by weight, not volume. One cup of flour can weigh anywhere from 120 grams to 160 grams, depending on how it was packed. This ends up causing some volatility and mismatched results.

I want to ensure you get the best results with this recipe (and I want to keep this recipe foolproof!) so I highly recommend getting a small affordable kitchen scale if you want to move forward with this particular recipe.

Looking for similar recipes?

And that’s it for these Banana Shortcakes!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments, or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3