The Banoffee

A great British classic, reworked

Do you know the story of the banoffee? Behind this gloriously indulgent dessert lies a lovely piece of pastry history, born in England in 1971 at The Hungry Monk restaurant in Sussex.

We owe this wonderful creation to Ian Dowding, the chef, and Nigel Mackenzie, the restaurant’s owner. They originally set out to rework an American caramel and coffee pie. After several attempts with different fruits, they had the idea of bringing in banana. It was a revelation.

The name “banoffee” comes from the contraction of two English words: banana and toffee.

Since then the dessert has become a fixture of British baking, with its readily recognizable markers: a biscuit or shortbread base, generous bananas, a soft caramel and a good layer of whipped cream. A very simple combination, but a wonderfully effective one.

For my part, I wanted to make this classic my own while honoring what made it a success.

I chose to replace the traditional base with a delicious plant-based, gluten-free sablé breton — crumbly, crisp and generous. With it I paired bananas, my indispensable coconut sugar caramel, and an airy, delicately indulgent whipped cream.

But I also wanted to play with texture and presentation, adding a few shortbread crumbs for crunch and a bit of relief. You can also use a few dried banana slices for decoration, which bring an original, elegant note.

And then there is that coconut sugar caramel, deliciously runny, poured over the dessert… a real moment of indulgence.

I also chose to present this banoffee in individual portions rather than as one large cake to share. I find it a far more elegant presentation, almost like a small plated pastry. It also leaves room for your imagination in the decoration, and lets you make each one your own.

What I particularly like about this dessert is that it rests on classic, generous, reassuring flavors. Nothing complicated in the pairings: banana, caramel, whipped cream and something crisp. Tastes we know, that we are glad to find again and that work wonderfully together.

I am thinking in particular of children, often great lovers of banana, who should be delighted with this version.

I hope I have managed to keep the whole soul of the traditional banoffee while giving it a new interpretation — more personal, entirely plant-based and gluten-free.