These little Salted Caramel Banoffee Bites are utterly moreish — perfect as an appetiser, dessert or a bite-size treat for the kids. They can easily be made gluten free.
I’ve learned the hard way that bite-sized treats are not a diet hack — if there’s a plate of mini desserts I’ll happily eat the lot. So instead of pretending these are healthier, I’ll warn you: you’ll probably enjoy several in a row, get a sugar rush, then a slump, and afterwards vow restraint — at least until you sneak back to the kitchen for more.
I’ve made these twice recently: once using gluten-free biscuits and once with regular digestives. The taste and texture were indistinguishable, so this recipe is a great one to serve when guests have gluten intolerances and you don’t want to prepare a separate dessert.
Salted Caramel Banoffee Bites Recipe
Salted Caramel Banoffee Bites
Ingredients
- 150 g (approx. 10) digestive biscuits — or equal weight graham crackers or gluten-free digestives/graham crackers
- 4 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
- 75 ml unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tsp powdered gelatin
- 4 tsp cold water
- 160 ml double/heavy cream
- 35 g confectioners’ (icing) sugar, sifted
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 200 ml dulce de leche (I used Carnation caramel)
- 2 small bananas, sliced thinly (about 36–40 slices)
- 1 chunk dark chocolate, grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°C (320°F).
- Process the biscuits in a food processor until they become fine crumbs. Alternatively, crush them in a sealed bag with a rolling pin — you want very fine crumbs.
- Add the caster sugar and melted butter to the crumbs and pulse until combined.
- Spoon the crumb mixture into 18 holes of a 24-hole mini muffin tin (petit-fours size), filling each cavity to the top. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to press an indentation into each pile.
- Bake for 5 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and, while still hot, press the indentations again to deepen them (the crumbs may expand in the oven). Leave the cups to cool completely in the tin.
- Once cooled, loosen the cookie cups with a butter knife and remove them gently from the tin. If they’re still warm they may crumble, so ensure they’re fully cooled first.
- Meanwhile, combine the powdered gelatin and cold water and let sit for 2–3 minutes. Heat briefly (a few seconds) until the gelatin is fully melted, stir, then let it cool slightly.
- Whisk the double/heavy cream with the sifted confectioners’ sugar to soft peaks. Slowly pour in the gelatin mixture while whisking, then continue until the cream holds its shape. The gelatin stabilises the cream so it stays soft and doesn’t split. Transfer the cream to a piping bag fitted with a fluted nozzle (or a sandwich bag with a corner cut off).
- Mix the dulce de leche with the sea salt. Spoon about 1/2 tsp of the salted caramel into each cookie cup.
- Top the caramel with a thin slice of banana, then pipe the stabilized cream over the banana in a swirl, starting from the outside and working inward.
- Garnish each bite with grated dark chocolate and an extra banana slice. Serve immediately.
Notes
If preparing ahead (up to a day), don’t add the banana slice on top of the cream until just before serving to prevent browning. Garnish with banana slices right before you serve.
Nutritional information is per bite (based on 18):
Nutrition
Calories: 154 kcal | Carbohydrates: 21 g | Protein: 1 g | Fat: 7 g | Saturated Fat: 4 g | Cholesterol: 21 mg | Sodium: 99 mg | Sugar: 8 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
