Banana Boats are a gooey, sweet classic campfire dessert—utterly delicious and ready with just three main ingredients and a few minutes of prep. (Skip to recipe.)
Cooking with Meredith
Summer means campfires, outdoor dinners, and simple, memorable desserts. This week Meredith and I prepared our meal at the fire pit and finished with classic banana boats for dessert. We enjoyed the whole ritual: building the fire, piling kindling in a teepee shape, and letting the flames settle into glowing embers before cooking.
We roasted sausages on sticks, wrapped vegetables in foil to steam over the coals, and placed corn in its husk on the grate. The smell of smoke, the sound of crackling wood, and the warmth of the fire make even simple food taste special. For dessert, banana boats are fast, fun, and perfectly gooey—warm banana, melted chocolate, and soft marshmallow combine into a rich, caramelized treat.
For our foil packets of potatoes, carrots, and onions we used a method that keeps the veggies moist and prevents burning. Butter adds flavor and helps the vegetables brown nicely. We also put banana boats on the grate to roast while we ate, so dessert was ready with minimal fuss.
The banana boats themselves are ridiculously simple. The banana softens and caramelizes while roasting, and the chocolate and marshmallow melt into a luscious sauce. The basic method—slice, fill, wrap, and roast—works on a campfire grate or a backyard grill.
Grab ripe bananas, a chocolate bar or chips, and marshmallows, then build a good fire. When the flames have died back and you have a bed of hot coals, place the wrapped banana boats on a grate and cook until the fillings are melted and the banana is soft. It’s a perfect finish to an outdoor meal—easy to prepare, comforting, and loved by kids and adults alike.
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Kitchen Frau Notes: Banana boats also work well on a barbecue grill if you don’t have a campfire. Use milk chocolate for the classic flavor, or substitute semi-sweet or dark chocolate to taste. Dairy-free chocolate chips make this dessert suitable for those avoiding dairy. Ripe but still firm bananas hold their shape best while roasting.
Banana Boats
- 1 banana per person
- Milk chocolate bars: 2–3 squares per banana (or use chocolate chips; dairy-free chips if needed)
- Marshmallows: 2 regular or a handful of mini marshmallows per banana
- 1 large square of aluminum foil per banana
On the inside curve of each banana, cut a long rectangle through the peel. Remove the peel inside that rectangle and scoop out some of the banana to create a shallow trench—either cut a V-shaped groove or use a spoon to hollow it slightly so there’s room for the fillings.
Place chocolate pieces into the trench, then top with torn marshmallows or a handful of mini marshmallows. Wrap each banana securely in foil, folding the edges and ends to seal, and press the foil gently to shape it around the fruit.
Wait until the campfire has settled into glowing embers with little flame. Set the wrapped bananas on a grate above the coals or on a barbecue grill. Cook about 4–5 minutes per side, just long enough for the marshmallows to melt and the banana to become soft and caramelized.
To serve, carefully unwrap each banana and scoop out the warm, gooey filling with a spoon. Each prepared banana serves one person.
Guten Appetit!
If you enjoy these recipes, follow along on social media for more outdoor cooking ideas and family-friendly projects. For additional kid-friendly cooking projects, see the “Cooking With Kids” series. You might also enjoy recipes for Campfire Baked Potatoes, Juniper Berry Stuffed Pork Chops over the Campfire, Strawberries with Sour Cream and Brown Sugar, and Homemade Gluten Free Pancake Mix—great options for camping and backyard meals.