If you’re a fan of bananas then you’ve probably tried Bananas Foster. If not here’s a little primer. The dish was first created in the 1950s in New Orleans and consists of a butter, vanilla, and rum sauce that the bananas are cooked in. Then to that you add some vanilla ice cream. This rich, sweet dish was once a staple of the brunch menu at Brennan’s, one of the restaurants owned by the man who commissioned the dish for his eateries.

While I personally think its a bit rich for so early in the day, the flavor is certainly distinctive and very fulfilling for dessert. These Bananas Foster cookies have some of that same unique flavor in them, this time in cookie format. This means that instead of having to prepare a complicated dish you can make these easy cookies ahead of time.

We use alcohol a lot less in desserts these days since the flavor can be quite strong. For these cookies you only need 2 teaspoons of rum extract to flavor the whole batch. If you love that rum flavor you can add more, but you can also add less if you find that rum isn’t your favorite.

The heart of these cookies are the ripe bananas and the vanilla in the batter, which give them that yummy sweetness of Bananas Foster.

To make these cookies you roll them into balls, then coat them in brown sugar before baking. They get this lovely brown color and crunchy exterior because of the sugar.

If you’re feeling really decadent you could crush up some cookies and use them for a topping on a scoop of vanilla ice cream. But, these cookies are also wonderful with some milk or tea. If you love the flavor of bananas then these Bananas Foster cookies are a must-try recipe.