Air Fryer Banana Boats
So easy to make and absolutely delicious, these Air Fryer Banana Boats can even be made in your oven, on the grill, or over a campfire. They’re vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free.
This is one of the easiest and most versatile desserts you could ever want to make. There are only 3 main ingredients with lots of room for variations in toppings and cooking methods.
If you’re looking for more easy dessert recipes, try my indoor vegan s’mores, these simple stuffed dates, or our almond butter oat energy balls.
What are banana boats?
The best description I have heard for banana boats is that they are a cross between smores and a banana split. They probably originated as a camping dessert where folks, looking for something easy to make, simply wrapped bananas in foil with chocolate and peanut butter and cooked them over the fire.
Reasons you will love this easy dessert
- Sweet and Indulgent: These vegan banana boats are a sweet and indulgent treat, combining the creamy goodness of bananas with your favorite toppings like chocolate, nuts, and berries for a dessert that feels decadent.
- Easy and Fun to Make: With just a few simple steps, these banana boats are incredibly easy and fun to prepare, making them a perfect activity for kids or a quick, satisfying snack for any time of day.
- Versatile and Customizable: You can easily customize these banana boats with a variety of toppings to suit your taste preferences, from peanut butter and our homemade oil-free granola to dairy-free chocolate chips, ensuring each one is uniquely yours.
Cooking methods
Though they used to be made only over a campfire, there are lots of cooking options available for making this delicious banana dessert at home in the comfort of your own kitchen.
- Air fryer- My personal favorite method that requires no foil and is ready in 6 minutes.
- Oven- Wrap the boats in parchment paper and foil and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.
- Grill- Line foil with parchment paper and crimp over the parchment paper. Cook for approximately 15-20 minutes.
- Campfire- After wrapping well in parchment paper and foil, then cook over embers for about 10 minutes.
- Microwave- I haven’t personally tried it yet, but 2-3 minutes on low should likely do it.
How to make vegan banana boats
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
Since I like to make these in my air fryer, that’s the method we’re using for this recipe. Check out the other cooking methods listed if you want to try something different.
STEP #1: Begin with preferably overly ripe bananas for the best flavor. The ones with a few brown spots here and there work perfectly.
STEP #2: Leave the peels on and cut each banana length-wise from one end to the other, leaving about 1/2″ uncut at both ends. Only cut about 1/2″ deep so as not to go all the way through the banana. Pinch or squeeze each of the ends a little to make them into boats and fluff up the flesh inside just a little bit.
STEP #3: Now they are ready to load, so start with approximately a tablespoon of peanut butter or other nut butter such as almond butter, and spread it from one end to the other.
STEP #4: Next, sprinkle with non-dairy chocolate chips and walnuts or pecans. This is where you can get creative and add some of the other topping ideas I’ve listed below as well.
STEP #5: Place on a piece of parchment paper to keep your air fryer clean. If you skip this part, it will get really messy unnecessarily. Believe me, you’ll want the parchment paper. Set the air fryer to 400°F for 6 minutes and allow it to cook.
STEP #6: Once they are finished, remove the basket and allow them to cool before adding extra toppings like my Vegan Whipped Cream. I’ve included a list of other great topping ideas below.
Topping ideas
These can be eaten completely as-is or add some of these delicious topping ideas.
- Coconut flakes
- Cherries or other berries
- Maple syrup
- Granola. We have a great homemade oil-free granola recipe to try!
- Vegan Whipped Cream
- Vegan Caramel Sauce
- Nuts- walnuts, pecans, cashews, etc.
*The inspiration for this recipe came from a TikTok video someone sent me from LovelyDelites.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s best to prepare air fryer banana boats right before serving, as they’re meant to be enjoyed warm and fresh. However, you can pre-slice the bananas and have your toppings ready to go for quick assembly and cooking when you’re ready.
No. It’s best to use fresh bananas for air fryer banana boats as frozen bananas may become too mushy when heated. Fresh bananas provide the ideal texture for a warm, gooey treat.
They can be a healthy dessert option, especially when topped with wholesome ingredients like nuts, seeds, and fruit. They’re naturally sweet from the bananas and can be made without added sugars, making them a nutritious treat for any time of day.
For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!
If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!
Air Fryer Banana Boats
Ingredients
- 1 ripe banana
- 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter or almond butter
- 1 tablespoon non-dairy chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon walnuts or other nut
Instructions
- Since I like to make these in my air fryer, that’s the method we’re using for this recipe. I've listed other cooking methods below.
- Begin with preferably an overly ripe banana for the best flavor. The ones with a few brown spots here and there work perfectly.
- Leave the peel on and cut the banana length-wise from one end to the other, leaving about 1/2″ uncut at both ends. Only cut about 1/2″ deep so as not to go all the way through the banana.
- Pinch or squeeze each of the ends a little to make it into a boat and fluff up the flesh inside just a little bit. Press down to flatten the bottom enough to keep it from falling over.
- Now it's ready to load, so start with approximately a tablespoon of peanut butter or other nut butter such as almond butter, and spread it from one end to the other.
- Next, sprinkle with non-dairy chocolate chips and walnuts or pecans. This is where you can get creative and add some of the other topping ideas I’ve listed below as well.
- Place on a piece of parchment paper to keep your air fryer clean. If you skip this part, it will get really messy unnecessarily. Believe me, you’ll want the parchment paper.
- Set the air fryer to 400°F for 6 minutes and allow it to cook. Once it’s finished, remove the basket and allow it to cool before adding extra toppings. I’ve included a list of other great topping ideas below.
Video
Notes
- Oven- Wrap the boats in parchment paper and foil and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.
- Grill- Line foil with parchment paper and crimp over the parchment paper. Cook for approximately 15-20 minutes.
- Campfire- After wrapping well in parchment paper and foil, then cook over embers for about 10 minutes.
- Microwave- I haven’t personally tried it yet, but 2-3 minutes on low should likely do it.
- Coconut flakes
- Cherries or other berries
- Maple syrup
- Homemade Oil-Free Healthy Granola
- Vegan Whipped Cream
- Vegan Caramel Sauce
- Nuts- walnuts, pecans, cashews, etc.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…