Simple Campfire Banana Boats

I thought I’d tried every campfire dessert there was until my neighbor brought these banana boats on our camping trip last summer. She handed me what looked like a foil-wrapped banana, and I’ll admit I was skeptical. But one bite of that warm, gooey chocolate and melted marshmallow inside changed everything.

The best part? There’s no skewer required, no worrying about dropping your dessert in the fire, and cleanup is basically nonexistent. You just slice open a banana, stuff it with chocolate chips and marshmallows, wrap it in foil, and let the campfire do its thing. It’s the kind of recipe that makes you wonder why anyone bothers with the mess of traditional s’mores.

What Kind of Banana Should I Use?

For banana boats, you’ll want to use bananas that are ripe but still firm enough to hold their shape. Look for bananas that are yellow with just a few brown spots – they’ll be sweet enough to taste great but won’t turn to mush when you cook them over the fire. If your bananas are too green, they won’t be as sweet and might taste a bit starchy, while overripe bananas with lots of brown spots can get too soft and fall apart. The key is finding that sweet spot where the banana is easy to peel back but still holds together nicely when you stuff it with all those goodies.

Options for Substitutions

This simple campfire treat is easy to customize based on what you have on hand:

• Milk chocolate: Feel free to use dark chocolate, white chocolate, or even peanut butter chips instead. Chocolate chips work just as well as chopped chocolate bars.
• Mini marshmallows: Regular-sized marshmallows work fine – just use 2 or 3 instead of 8 minis. You can also skip them entirely if you’re not a marshmallow person.
• Graham cracker: Try using chocolate graham crackers for extra chocolate flavor, or swap them out for vanilla wafers or even crushed cookies.
• Banana: The banana is really the star here and holds everything together, so it’s best not to substitute it. Make sure to use a firm banana that’s ripe but not overly soft, as it needs to hold its shape during cooking.
• Additional mix-ins: Get creative and add peanut butter, caramel sauce, chopped nuts, or even a sprinkle of cinnamon to make these banana boats your own.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Grilling

The biggest mistake people make with banana boats is cutting too deep through the peel, which causes all your toppings to leak out and burn in the fire – aim to slice just through the top peel and into the banana flesh, leaving the bottom peel intact as your “boat.”

Another common error is placing them directly on hot coals or high heat, which burns the outside before the chocolate melts, so position your foil-wrapped bananas on the cooler edge of the fire or on a grill grate about 6 inches above the heat.

Don’t skip wrapping them tightly in foil with the seam on top, as loose foil lets in ash and smoke that can ruin the flavor, and remember to rotate them once or twice during cooking for even melting.

Finally, let them cool for a minute or two before unwrapping – that melted chocolate gets incredibly hot and can burn your mouth if you dig in too quickly.

What to Serve With Banana Boats?

Banana boats are pretty much a dessert on their own, but they’re perfect alongside other campfire classics like s’mores or roasted marshmallows. If you’re making these at home in the oven, they go great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side, which melts into the warm chocolate and creates an even gooier treat. I also like serving them with fresh strawberries or raspberries to cut through some of the sweetness. For a fun camping meal, make these after grilling hot dogs or burgers so everyone has something sweet to look forward to around the fire.

Storage Instructions

Best Fresh: Banana boats are really meant to be enjoyed right away while they’re warm and gooey. The marshmallows and chocolate get all melty and delicious, and that’s when they’re at their best. If you happen to have leftovers, you can wrap them in foil and keep them in the fridge for a day, but they won’t have that same campfire magic.

Prep Ahead: If you’re planning a camping trip or backyard cookout, you can prep these ahead of time. Just slice the bananas, add the chocolate and marshmallows, wrap them in foil, and store in a cooler. They’ll keep for a few hours until you’re ready to toss them on the fire or grill.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 210-250
• Protein: 2-3 g
• Fat: 7-10 g
• Carbohydrates: 40-46 g

Ingredients

For the banana boat:

• 1 banana
• 3 tbsp chocolate (I like using Ghirardelli semi-sweet chips for a rich melt)
• 12 marshmallows (miniature size works best to fit inside the slit)
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the garnish:

• 2 graham crackers (I recommend Honey Maid for the classic campfire flavor)

Step 1: Prepare the Banana and Seasonings

• 1 banana
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Start by laying your banana on a flat surface with the peel side down.

Using a sharp knife, carefully slice lengthwise down the center of the banana, cutting through the peel and into the fruit itself, but stopping just short of cutting all the way through the bottom—you want to create a pocket that holds the fillings without splitting the banana in half.

Once sliced, gently open the banana like a book to expose the interior.

Sprinkle the pinch of sea salt and ground cinnamon evenly over the exposed banana flesh, which will infuse the fruit as it cooks and complement the sweetness of the chocolate and marshmallows.

Step 2: Fill and Wrap the Banana Boat

• 3 tbsp chocolate chips
• 12 marshmallows
• Foil for wrapping

Distribute the chocolate chips evenly along the length of the banana’s interior, then arrange the miniature marshmallows on top and among the chocolate—I find that miniature marshmallows work so much better than regular ones because they fit snugly in the banana without causing it to split open.

Tear off a generous piece of foil (roughly 12 inches long) and carefully wrap it around the prepared banana, folding the edges tightly so no filling can escape during cooking.

The foil creates a steam chamber that will melt the chocolate and toast the marshmallows while keeping everything contained.

Step 3: Cook Over the Campfire

• Prepared banana boat from Step 2

Place the foil-wrapped banana directly on a grill grate or hold it with tongs 4-6 inches above hot coals or flames, turning occasionally, for about 10 minutes.

You’re looking for the banana to soften slightly and the chocolate and marshmallows to melt together into a gooey filling—the foil will prevent direct charring while allowing gentle, even heat to do the work.

Listen for subtle sizzling sounds and check progress around the 8-minute mark by carefully opening a corner of the foil to peek inside.

Step 4: Finish and Serve

• Cooked banana boat from Step 3
• 2 graham crackers

Carefully remove the banana boat from the heat using tongs and set it on a heat-safe surface.

Peel back the foil and use the graham crackers as edible scoops to dig into the melted chocolate and marshmallow filling, breaking off pieces as needed to grab each spoonful.

The warm, gooey filling will soften the crackers slightly, creating the perfect texture—this is truly the best part of campfire cooking, so take your time and enjoy every bite!

Simple Campfire Banana Boats

Delicious Simple Campfire Banana Boats recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings: 1 serving

Calories: 230

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the banana boat:

• 1 banana
• 3 tbsp chocolate (I like using Ghirardelli semi-sweet chips for a rich melt)
• 12 marshmallows (miniature size works best to fit inside the slit)
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the garnish:

• 2 graham crackers (I recommend Honey Maid for the classic campfire flavor)

Method

 

1. Start by laying your banana on a flat surface with the peel side down. Using a sharp knife, carefully slice lengthwise down the center of the banana, cutting through the peel and into the fruit itself, but stopping just short of cutting all the way through the bottom—you want to create a pocket that holds the fillings without splitting the banana in half. Once sliced, gently open the banana like a book to expose the interior. Sprinkle the pinch of sea salt and ground cinnamon evenly over the exposed banana flesh, which will infuse the fruit as it cooks and complement the sweetness of the chocolate and marshmallows.
2. Distribute the chocolate chips evenly along the length of the banana's interior, then arrange the miniature marshmallows on top and among the chocolate—I find that miniature marshmallows work so much better than regular ones because they fit snugly in the banana without causing it to split open. Tear off a generous piece of foil (roughly 12 inches long) and carefully wrap it around the prepared banana, folding the edges tightly so no filling can escape during cooking. The foil creates a steam chamber that will melt the chocolate and toast the marshmallows while keeping everything contained.
3. Place the foil-wrapped banana directly on a grill grate or hold it with tongs 4-6 inches above hot coals or flames, turning occasionally, for about 10 minutes. You're looking for the banana to soften slightly and the chocolate and marshmallows to melt together into a gooey filling—the foil will prevent direct charring while allowing gentle, even heat to do the work. Listen for subtle sizzling sounds and check progress around the 8-minute mark by carefully opening a corner of the foil to peek inside.
4. Carefully remove the banana boat from the heat using tongs and set it on a heat-safe surface. Peel back the foil and use the graham crackers as edible scoops to dig into the melted chocolate and marshmallow filling, breaking off pieces as needed to grab each spoonful. The warm, gooey filling will soften the crackers slightly, creating the perfect texture—this is truly the best part of campfire cooking, so take your time and enjoy every bite!