Grilled Brown Sugar Bananas

By
Derrick Riches
Derrick Riches
Derrick Riches
Derrick Riches is a grilling and barbecue expert. He has written two cookbooks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 07/19/22
Tested by Mary Jo Romano
Grilled Brown Sugar Bananas

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
Prep: 7 mins
Cook: 4 mins
Total: 11 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
310 Calories
5g Fat
69g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 310
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 7%
Saturated Fat 1g 3%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 13mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 69g 25%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 54g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 13mg 63%
Calcium 48mg 4%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 547mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Grilled bananas are a delicious side dish to accompany savory foods, and they make an excellent and easy dessert. Because of their thick and firm texture, bananas are a great fruit to grill when barely ripe, so for this recipe, choose firm yellow bananas and not too mature ones, as the heat will cook them to mush.

Caribbean cuisines rely on bananas to balance out the flavor in spicy dishes or in heavily seasoned meats or fish. These grilled bananas are a great accompaniment to jerk chicken, spicy pulled pork, or even firm white fishes like cod or halibut. Although not very common as a side dish in some parts of the world, don't miss out on these bananas and serve them with your favorite meats. The grilled bananas also make a great dessert, so use them to top vanilla ice cream and drizzle with a whiskey sauce.

For a successful recipe, make sure that you have a well-oiled grate before putting the banana pieces on. By leaving the bananas in the peel, they will hold up better on the grill.

“I actually had never considered grilling bananas, and I am pleasantly surprised with how magnificent they are. Using firm bananas, they held up to grilling and were not too sweet. Too bad I didn't know about this raising my children! I'm delighted to have leftovers for my morning oatmeal.” —Mary Jo Romano

Grilled Brown Sugar Bananas/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 6 large, firm yellow bananas

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

  • 1 1/4 cups lightly packed brown sugar

  • Canola oil, for the grill

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Grilled Brown Sugar Bananas ingredients

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Prepare a medium-low (300°F to 325°F) gas or charcoal grill fire. Without removing the peel, cut each banana in half lengthwise.

    Bananas cut in half

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Brush each half banana with lemon juice.

    Sprinkle each half banana with lemon juice

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Combine the cinnamon and brown sugar in a small bowl.

    Combine the cinnamon and brown sugar in a small bowl

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Generously coat the cut side of the bananas in the sugar mixture.

    Coat the exposed surface of the bananas in the sugar mixture

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Oil the grill grates. Place the banana halves on the grill, peel side up. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

    Bananas on a grill

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Turn the bananas over and cook for another 3 minutes.

    Bananas on a grill

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  8. Remove the bananas from the peels (or serve in the peel) with savory meals or serve them as dessert.

    Grilled Brown Sugar Bananas recipe

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Other Grilled Banana Desserts

Bananas and ice cream is a classic combination, but these grilled bananas can offer so much more. Here are a few ideas to make the best out of your bananas:

  • Fill a premade pie crust with grilled bananas, pour enough egg custard to cover the fruit, and bake until the crust is crispy and the custard has set. Let the pie cool off and decorate with meringue or whipped cream and fresh raspberries.
  • Use the grilled bananas as a wonton filler. Fry the wontons until crispy and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and drizzle with chocolate sauce.
  • The grilled bananas will offer an extra layer of flavor to your favorite banana bread recipe. Simply use the cooked bananas instead of the raw ones in your recipe.
  • Place the grilled bananas on a serving plate, drizzle them with dulce de leche, and top with crushed cashews or almonds.
  • The grilled bananas can be processed into a sauce and further cooked with 1/4 cup of whiskey until the sauce has browned and reduced in volume, around 15 minutes on medium heat. Pour the sauce over pound cake or French toast.

What type of fruit is best to grill?

Fruit that you want to grill should be firm and not overripe; otherwise, they turn to mush. Some of the types of fruit that hold their shape best for grilling are pineapple, peaches, bananas, and pears.