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Berry and Banana Terrine

Beautiful summer berry and banana dessert terrine, a gelatin and white grape juice base, filled with fresh berries and bananas.

Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

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Elise Bauer
Published July 27, 2017
Elise Bauer
Berry & Banana Terrine
Elise Bauer

This berry and banana terrine is one of my favorite summer desserts. It's so pretty!

It's packed with potpourri of berries, speckled with banana slices, and held together with a grape-juice based gelatin.

Think Jello, but a grown-up, sophisticated version, with all natural ingredients and much less sugar.

Berry Banana Terrine
Elise Bauer

I first got the idea from a Martha Stewart recipe in her (now defunct) Every Day Food magazine from years ago. Since then we've made versions with rhubarb, nectarines, cherries, and pluots. Basically any easily slice-able fruit will do.

You can layer the fruit so that when you slice the terrine you get a decorative pattern (red white and blue for patriotic holidays), or do what I've done here and just toss them all together in a jumble.

It's all good. Every bite comes with an explosion of fruit. Enjoy!

Want a visual step-by-step? Check out the video below!

Berry and Banana Terrine

Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 0 mins
Chilling 3 hrs
Total Time 3 hrs 20 mins
Servings 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 envelopes (1/4 ounce each) unflavored gelatin
  • 2 cups white grape juice, divided
  • 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
  • 6 cups of mixed fresh berries and slices of banana (berries can include blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and sliced or quartered strawberries)

Method

  1. Soften the gelatin

    Put 1/4 cup of the white grape juice into a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the grape juice and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes while the gelatin softens.

  2. Make grape juice gelatin base

    Put another 1/4 cup of the white grape juice and a 1/2 cup of sugar into a saucepan and heat on medium high heat until the sugar has dissolved.

    Remove from heat and stir in the gelatin mixture until it has dissolved. Stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups of grape juice.

  3. Put fruit in loaf pan, cover with grape juice gelatin mixture

    Put the berries and banana slices in a 4x8 loaf pan. Pour the grape juice mixture over the berries, and press down on the berries to submerge them into the juice/gelatin mixture.

  4. Chill

    Cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator until firm, 3 hours.

  5. Un-mold

    To un-mold, fill a basin half-way with hot water. Carefully lower the bottom of the loaf pan into the hot water and hold for 5 to 8 seconds. This will melt the gelatin at the edge of the pan, helping it to release.

    Run a dull knife around the edge of the pan as well.

    Place a serving platter topside down on top of the loaf pan and turn the whole thing over. Shake gently to release the mold.

    Slice to serve.

Adapted from Martha Stewart's now defunct Everyday Food magazine.

Links:

Strawberry Rhubarb Terrine - here on Simply Recipes

Vegan version made with agar from Fatfree Vegan Kitchen.