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Banana crémeux, aka banana creamy in French is a custard cream, made by stabilizing crème anglaise with a bit of gelatin and an infusion of caramelized bananas. What you get is a silky smooth pipeable cream that tastes like banana pudding, minus the ‘nilla wafers. I use it for fill choux pastry, layer between cakes, and pipe onto tarts.
Crémeux is just a fun word to say and is one of my favorite creams I made at French pastry school. It’s different from actual creme patisserie (pastry cream), as there isn’t any cornstarch or flour that needs to be cooked out of the base. So there’s no possible starchy aftertaste. All you get is luxurious banana cream that will hold its shape and not ooze all over the place.
Key Ingredients & Test Notes
- Heavy Cream: For a rich crémeux you’ll need 33-35% fat heavy cream.
- Ripe Bananas: For the best flavor use ripe, not overripe banana so they’ll still hold up during caramelization.
- Test Note: If you don’t have time to caramelize the bananas or just don’t want to, simply infuse the milk with sliced ripe bananas. You’ll still be able achieve a nice banana flavor in the cream.
- Powdered Gelatin (200 bloom): Most crémeux recipes call for some form of chocolate to rely on stabilization. However this one uses gelatin to maintain a lighter texture.
- Test Note: Make the gelatin mass first (water + gelatin powder). Then stir it together and pop it in the fridge. For a proper mixture combine 1 part gelatin powder to 5 parts cool water.
Caramelized Banana Infusion
The best way to add flavor to cream is with an infusion. This recipe calls for a hot infusion, where the cream is heated, then steeped with chunks of golden caramelized bananas. After several hours all the tasty banana flavor has transferred to the cream. Blending the bananas into the cream messes with the final texture, so I strain them out and toss into a smoothie later.
How to Make Banana Cremeux
- Add butter and light brown sugar to medium-large skillet on medium heat. Once the butter is melted, place sliced banana on top.
- Cook the banana 4-5 minutes or until golden. Flip and cook the other side. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
- Heat cream in a medium skillet on medium heat until steaming and just starting to bubble. Remove from heat and spoon in the caramelized bananas. Cover with plastic wrap let steep for 30 minutes, then into the fridge for 4 hrs.
- After the flavor fusion time is up, strain the mixture and remove the caramelized bananas. Re-weigh the cream and add enough to equal 425 grams.
- Reheat the strained cream until it reaches a soft simmer. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until foamy and pale.
- Temper the egg yolks by slowly pouring half of the warm cream into the yolk mixture while constantly whisking.
- Pour everything back into the saucepan and heat, while whisking, to 85°C. Immediately strain into a separate bowl to prevent further cooking and to catch any possible overcooked lumps.
- Stir in the gelatin mass a third at a time until completely dissolved.
- Place plastic wrap directly onto the the banana crémeux mixture and chill for a minimum of 6 hours, but best overnight.
- Transfer crémeux to a stand mixer with whisk attachment and whip about 30-45 seconds until smooth.
Jenn’s Tips
- Weigh Everything: When it comes to making creams, you can’t eyeball or hope that teaspoon or cup measurement will be exact. Ok, maybe for the caremlized bananas. But the actual cream and definitely the gelatin must be properly weighed for the right final consistency.
- Make Ahead: If you’re planning on using the crémeux as a filling or topping for another dessert, make it the day before. Whip right before using.
- Immersion Blender: The magical tool that fixes slightly overcooked créme anglaise. If after you strain the crémeux it seems a little lumpy, stir in the gelatin and then give it a few pulses with an immersion blender for a smooth texture. Proceed with chilling.
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Banana Crémeux
Silky stabilized banana crémeux made with heavy cream, caramelized bananas, and gelatin.
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Equipment
- medium saucepan
Ingredients
Gelatin Mass
- 8 grams gelatin powder (200 bloom)
- 40 grams cool water
Caramelized Bananas
- 3 large ripe bananas
- 28 grams (2 Tbsp) unsalted butter
- 28 grams (2 Tbsp) light brown sugar
Crémeux
- 425 grams heavy cream, 35% fat
- 1/2 vanilla bean pod, scraped, optional
- 100 grams (5-6 large) egg yolks
- 75 grams granulated sugar, divided
Instructions
Gelatin Mass
- Weigh the gelatin with a small kitchen scale in a small glass and pour in the cool water.8 grams gelatin powder (200 bloom), 40 grams cool water
- Stir to properly hydrate the gelatin and place in the fridge until ready to use. It will eventually look like a disk of jelly.
Caramelized Bananas
- On medium heat, melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan and sprinkle with brown sugar. Add the sliced ripe bananas and cook until the bottoms turn golden and caramelized (4-5 minutes). Flip over and repeat with other side.3 large ripe bananas, 28 grams unsalted butter, 28 grams light brown sugar
- It's ok if they get a little mashed. Remove from heat and set aside.
Cream Infusion
- In a medium saucepan heat heavy cream and scraped vanilla bean pod if using to a simmer. When you notice small bubbles forming, remove from the heat.425 grams heavy cream, 1/2 vanilla bean pod
- Spoon in the caramelized bananas and cover the saucepan with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temp for 30 minutes, then place in the fridge to steep for at least 4 hours.
Crémeux
- Place a medium sized bowl next to the stovetop for pouring the cooked créme.
- Strain and Weigh Cream: Strain the banana pieces (and vanilla pod) from the cream, press well to get as much liquid as you can. Re-weigh the infused milk and cream, as the bananas will have absorbed a good bit. Add more cream to the mix as needed to get back to 425 grams total.
- Heat the cream mixture and half of the sugar to a simmer over medium heat.
- Meanwhile in a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and remaining sugar quickly with a bit of arm power until they look pale and foamy.100 grams egg yolks, 75 grams granulated sugar
- Temper Eggs: Once the cream is simmering, remove from heat and pour about half into the bowl of the sugar whipped eggs. Whisk continuously as you pour in the hot liquid to temper the eggs.
- Pour everything back into the saucepan and return to medium heat. Have your thermometer ready, the mixture will heat back up quickly and you don't want to scramble the eggs.
- Cook Custard: While continuing to whisk, heat the custard to 82℃ (180℉) Immediately remove from the stove and pour through a sieve into your separate bowl to prevent further cooking.
- Add Gelatin: Whisk in half of the gelatin mass at a time until dissolved.
- Chill: Place a sheet of plastic film directly onto the surface of the cremeux and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or ideally overnight to thicken.
Whip and Use
- Transfer chilled crémeux to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or use an electric hand whisk). Whip on medium speed until thick and silky smooth. This should only take about a minute. It will look separated at first, then quickly turn smooth.
- Now the crémeux is ready to use for piping, cake fillings, or just as pudding. The addition of gelatin has stabilized the mixture so it will hold its texture even outside of the fridge.
Notes
- Storage
- Fridge: Crémeux will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for about 4 days. It may need to be re-whipped if it has thickened.
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