Ahhh summertime! The perfect time to dust off the BBQ and grill all the things! It’s a great way to keep from heating up the kitchen on a hot summer day and really, grilled food is just so delicious. Years ago, I pretty much only used my grill for cooking meats but since then, I have expanded my BBQ horizons to include fruits, vegetables, and more. These grilled banana boats are a favourite around here. Perfect for grilling at home or cooking over a campfire when on a camping trip,
The three reasons why we love these grilled banana boats so much – 1) they are SO simple to make (ideal for letting the kids help!), 2) you can vary the ingredients in so many ways to suit everyone’s tastes and 3) they’re ooey, gooey, and YUMMY!
How to make grilled banana boats:
Supplies needed: bananas (duh), a sharp knife, aluminum foil (I prefer the non-stick kind for this so that the toppings don’t get stuck to the foil), peanut butter, mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, granola
Other options for ingredients: (You can mix and match these with the above ingredients to make just the right banana boat for you) other fruit chopped up small enough to fit in the boat such as berries or peaches, raisins or dried cranberries, chopped up chocolate bars instead of the chocolate chips, nuts, crushed graham crackers (use this with marshmallows and chocolate chips and you’ve got a S’mores banana boat), seeds, a drizzle of honey, a drizzle of maple syrup. Get inventive!
The first step is to cut a slit in the banana on the inner curved side. It’s ok if you cut into the banana but be sure not to cut all the way through to the other side of the peel. You need that side intact to hold the ingredients in place.
I found it easiest to start with the peanut butter. Use a knife or spoon to “line” the inside of the peel with a layer of it. Next up, I put in the marshmallows. I find it best to work from biggest to smallest with the ingredients so that they fit well. You can push the marshmallows down into the peel on each side of the banana a bit. Next up came the chocolate chips and finally, I sprinkled the granola over top. I think it’s best to assemble these on a piece of foil – I didn’t do that in these pictures because it would have caused too much reflection in the photos. Wrap the bananas up in a piece of foil and place on the grill or in the campfire. Depending on how hot the coals are, it takes only about 5 minutes for everything to melt and get the gooey texture you’re going for.
PRO TIP: Craving banana boats in the winter or on a rainy day? Bake in a 300 degree F oven for about 5 minutes instead of on the grill.
That’s it! Easy peasy right?
Lisa Marie Mary says
Those look and sound so delicious – I think my mom and I definitely need to try them! But boy, oh boy, we’ve got to get the grill cleaned first! We’ve been meaning to do that for a few weeks, perhaps this deliciousness will be our impetus. 😉