In short: This New Year’s Eve sweet raclette happens in the little pans: caramelised bananas, melting chocolate sauce and apple crumble cook under the heating element, right at the table. At the last moment, a scoop of vanilla ice cream lands on the piping-hot fruit: the hot-and-cold contrast that gets everyone cheering before midnight.
Chef’s tip
Let’s be honest: there isn’t a single gram of cheese in this sweet raclette. Here, raclette means the machine, its little pans and the fun of everyone cooking their own share at the table. After the New Year’s Eve cheese board, nobody will hold it against you, promise. Keep the machine on, swap the cheese for bananas, chocolate and crumble, and the party goes on.
The secret fits in two words: hot and cold. The pan comes out steaming, the vanilla ice cream comes straight from the freezer, and that clash of temperatures is what makes the dessert unforgettable. So never add the ice cream ahead of time: it would turn into soup. A good, cream-rich ice cream melts more slowly and coats the fruit like custard.
| Prep time | 20 min |
|---|---|
| Cook time | 20 min |
| Total | 55 min (incl. 15 min chilling) |
| Servings | 4 people (adjustable) |
| Difficulty | Easy |
Ingredients (for 4 people)
- 4 very ripe bananas
- 2 tart apples
- 500 g vanilla ice cream (about 8 scoops)
- 150 g dark baking chocolate
- 100 g whole liquid cream
- 60 g butter (40 g cold for the crumble, 20 g for the bananas)
- 80 g light brown sugar
- 60 g plain flour
- 30 g flaked almonds
- 1 unwaxed orange
- A pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of flaky sea salt
- Equipment: a raclette machine with pans and griddle, small bowls and wooden spoons
Preparation
- Make the crumble. In a bowl, rub together the flour, 40 g of cold diced butter, 40 g of brown sugar and the cinnamon with your fingertips until it looks like coarse sand. Chill for 15 minutes: a cold crumble stays crisp in the pan.
- Cut the fruit. Slice the bananas into 1 cm rounds and dice the apples. Sprinkle them with a little orange juice so they don’t brown, and grate the orange zest. Set everything out in small bowls and switch the machine on 10 minutes before sitting down.
- Make the chocolate sauce. Chop the chocolate. Put 2 squares of chocolate and a tablespoon of cream in a pan and slide it under the heating element for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon: the sauce turns smooth and glossy. Keep it warm on the griddle.
- Caramelise the bananas. In another pan, put a knob of butter and a teaspoon of brown sugar, then a layer of banana rounds. Leave for 5 to 6 minutes under the heat, turning them halfway, until the caramel bubbles and turns amber. Add a pinch of sea salt.
- Bake the apple crumble. Put a spoonful of diced apple and a pinch of sugar in the bottom of a pan, cover with a layer of crumble and leave for 8 to 10 minutes under the heat, until golden. Meanwhile, toast the flaked almonds on the griddle for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Hot meets cold. Slide the piping-hot contents of the pan into a small bowl, immediately add a scoop of vanilla ice cream, drizzle with chocolate sauce and scatter with toasted almonds and orange zest. Eat straight away, while the ice cream is only just starting to melt.
Chef’s tips
- Take the ice cream out at the last moment and keep it in a bowl set on ice cubes in the middle of the table.
- Never put the ice cream in the hot pan: it is over 150 °C. Always tip it into a bowl first.
- The crumble can be made the day before and kept in the fridge in a sealed box.
- Very ripe, brown-speckled bananas caramelise better and faster.
Variations
- Tropical: diced pineapple and mango, rum caramel and coconut ice cream.
- Pear and chocolate: caramelised pear quarters, chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream.
- Chestnut: sweetened chestnut cream warmed in the pan, meringue pieces and vanilla ice cream, Yule log style.
Which wine to serve?
A demi-sec Champagne or a well-chilled Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise goes with caramel and chocolate without overpowering them. For kids and drivers, a cinnamon hot chocolate.
Frequently asked questions
Is there any cheese in this sweet raclette?
No, none at all. Raclette here means the machine and its pans, used to cook the fruit, chocolate and crumble at the table.
How long do the bananas cook in the pan?
Allow 5 to 6 minutes under the heating element, turning them once. The caramel should bubble and turn amber without burning.
Can I use another ice cream flavour?
Yes: salted caramel, coconut or rum and raisin all work very well. Vanilla is the most neutral and lets the fruit and chocolate shine.
🧀 The right grill: For desserts in the pans, choose a machine that heats up hard and fast: the best raclette grills, our comparison.
Read also: all our raclette recipes.
