The concept behind a banana boat is simple. Take a banana with its peel still on and cut it down the middle (along the concave side). Not all the way through, but until the tip of your knife just grazes the peel on the other side. Pull the peel and banana slightly apart to fill your banana with some ingredients. We’ve listed a bunch of specific flavor combinations below, but the basic idea is to include:
Something Melty + Something Sweet + Something Crunchy
Toppings are usually stuffed in a single line down the center of the banana. Feel free to mash your banana to either side to make some extra room.
Traditionally, banana boats are wrapped with aluminum foil. Most bananas will fit in a 1 ft x 1 ft section of aluminum foil.
Depending on the state of your campfire, you have a couple of different options to warm your banana boat. The goal here is to warm the banana and melt the toppings. A controlled, even heat is what you’re looking for.
If your campfire is hot and there are still a lot of flames coming off it, you might want to cook your banana boats on top of a grill grate. Most campfires have adjustable grill grates and often time your banana boats will nest perfectly between the grates. Raise your grate so it’s up and out of the flames, place your wrapped banana boats topping side up, and let the heat rising off the fire warm it up for a few minutes.
If your campfire is low and starting to die down, then you might want to cook your banana boat in the embers. With a stick, spread out the embers a little bit and then nestle your banana boat – topping side up – amongst the coals. It will only take a few minutes to completely warm up.
When your banana is done, remove it with a pair of tongs. Give it a light squeeze to see if it’s done. If it is really firm, it’s probably not done yet. If it’s a little squishy, then it’s ready to eat. Enjoy!
9 FLAVOR COMBINATIONS
CLASSIC S’MORES: Banana + Milk Chocolate + Mini Marshmallows + Crumbled Graham Crackers
STRAWBERRY HAZELNUT: Banana + Strawberries + Nutella + Chopped Hazelnuts
SAMOAS: Banana + Chocolate Chips + Caramel Sauce + Toasted Coconut
DULCE DE LECHE: Banana + Chocolate + Dulce de Leche sauce + Coconut shreds
VEGAN: Banana + Dark Chocolate + Dandies Mini Marshmallows
PB & C: Banana + Peanut Butter + Chocolate Chips
HONEY GINGER: Banana + Honey + Candied Ginger + White or Dark Chocolate
BANANA SPLIT: Banana + Milk Chocolate + Marshmallows + Cherries
PECAN PRALINE: Banana + Pralines + Dark Chocolate
Since 1992, we at Escape Adventures have been blessed to shape and lead adventure travel vacations through some of the most awe-inspiring natural destinations in the world. Each successive season, our passion for adventure grows through memorable moments with our guests. Fresh air, faith, fitness and friends are the building blocks for our ventures, the treasured experiences that keep us moving forward. For those of you who have trekked and traveled with us over the past quarter century, Heather and I express our sincerest gratitude. The memories are priceless.
