Grilling Bananas: This Is How The Sweet Dessert Succeeds On The Grill

Grilling meat and vegetables is a classic – but sweet desserts also work well on the grill. Example: grilling bananas. We explain what is important so that the fruit neither burns nor “runs away” when grilling.

If the bratwurst is one of the basics on the grill, the banana is a barbecue challenge for the more advanced. Because: The yellow fruit needs a little more careful treatment in order not to end up as hot mud. These are our tips:

• When shopping, be sure to choose slightly firmer bananas. Of course, the bananas should already be ripe. Preferably buy organic and/or fair trade fruit.
• To grill bananas, the temperature must not be too high. Hang the grate a little higher, turn the gas down a little – or only prepare bananas towards the end of the barbecue party, when the embers are no longer as strong. Then it’s time for dessert anyway.

Grilling bananas: possible in four ways

There are four ways to grill bananas: you can use the fruit…
peel and wrap in aluminum foil (which is not very environmentally friendly),
place peeled on a grill tray,
Place peeled directly on the grid – but only works with firm fruits and a narrow grid – or
Place the bananas with their skins on the grill grate.
If you choose a grill tray or pan, you can halve the individual bananas beforehand and drizzle them directly with sweet sauces or honey (see picture above). A garnish with slivers of almonds is also an option.

Grill the bananas with their skins on

Grilling bananas directly in the peel has the advantage that you can place the fruit in its natural packaging on the grid – as mentioned, the grill must not be too hot to prevent the banana peels from burning.
Our favourite: Halve the bananas lengthwise, including the peel, before placing them on the grill. This is practical later on the plate, looks smart – and also helps on the grill because you can see exactly when your grilled bananas are done. The fruit, which has been halved lengthwise, can be easily garnished and decorated – either before grilling or later on the plate.

Cut and fill the grilled bananas

Bananas that are grilled in the whole skin can also be cut and filled. For example with sweet sauces, honey, chocolate pieces or slivers, as well as peanuts, almond slivers, or marshmallows.
Incidentally, a scoop of ice cream goes well with grilled bananas – it doesn’t have to be banana ice cream.
By the way: If you prefer it heartier, you can of course also put plantains on the grill. Because they have a firmer texture, plantains can even be cut into chunks and put on a skewer.