Chocobananas
This might have to be one of the cutest and easiest healthy treats! It seems everything is so much more fun on a stick and these chocolate covered bananas are no exception! With sweet fruit encased in a chocolate shell, plus all the toppings your heart desires, chocobananas are a snack you can prep ahead to please folks of any age.Bananas develop a nice-cream-like texture when frozen, so they taste like an ice cream bar, only with less added sugar and better for you. Frozen bananas coated in a chocolate shell, and have an ice-cream-like texture? Now, that’s hard to resist. Now, if you are like me, you may assume this recipe should be super-easy to make without any additional direction. You just dip a banana in melted chocolate right?Well, it’s almost that easy.As it turns out, it can get kind of messy if you dip a fresh banana into melted chocolate and then try to freeze it. The chocolate can drip off before it starts to harden in the freezer, so you will wind up with a huge flat disc of chocolate on one side of the frozen banana.It’s much more successful and super easy if you start with frozen bananas first. Just cut the bananas in half and insert a popsicle stick and freeze. You want it to be strong enough to hold the frozen banana with all the chocolate and yummy stuff on it.Melt your favorite chocolate (I happened to have both milk and white on hand so I just mixed them together). Mix the melted chocolate with a little coconut oil to thin it and make it smooth and just dunk those bananas into it. Quickly sprinkle the chocolatey bananas with your favorite toppings before the chocolate hardens. You can use whatever type of topping you like…chopped nuts, dried fruit, sprinkles or a dusting of flaky sea salt. These frozen chocolate-dipped bananas were one of my first favorite Disney treats YEARS ago. But since we can’t *always* be at Disneyland, you can make your own chocolate-covered frozen bananas and never look back.When you make this healthy treat at home, you can top them with ANYTHING you want. Let your taste buds run wild with fun toppings and get this Disney-inspired party started…Peanut butter, chocolate chips, flaked coconut, crushed freeze dried berries and cinnamon sugar are just some of the ideas I came up with. But really, the options are endless. Create your own masterpiece or favorite combination. With only 3 core ingredients, like a mini ice cream bar, but much simpler and much healthier. So delicious, all-ages appropriate, the perfect healthy treat made with simple and wholesome ingredients to create a satisfying and yummy dessert or any time snack.
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 3 bananas
- 1 cup chocolate chips, any mix or dark, milk or white
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 6 popsicle sticks
Optional Toppings
- Chopped nuts
- Sprinkles
- Shredded coconut
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Peel the bananas and cut them into halves for larger pops, or into thirds or quarters for smaller pops. Line a plate or baking sheet with parchment paper, and make sure it will fit in your freezer. Insert the popsicle sticks about 2/3 of the way into the center of the bananas so you have a strong base to add your toppings, and lay them down on the lined pan. Place the pan in the freezer until the bananas are frozen solid, about 4 hours, or overnight.Once the bananas are frozen, melt the chocolate. Place chocolate chips and coconut oil in small dish and microwave at 50% power with 30 second bursts stirring between each one until melted and smooth.Or use double boiler method - (pot of boiling water with a bowl resting on top) melt the chocolate chips and the coconut oil together.Stir until smooth.Working one at a time, lift one of the frozen bananas over the bowl of melted chocolate, and use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate evenly over all sides of the banana. Let any excess chocolate drip back into the bowl.If you would like to add a topping, like chopped peanuts, be sure to have the toppings nearby and ready. I recommend keeping an empty plate nearby the bowl of melted chocolate,so you can immediately move the banana over and sprinkle any toppings you like. (The plate will catch any drips as you hover the banana over it.) Be sure to work quickly, as the chocolate may harden in just 60-90 seconds. Repeat with the remaining bananas, and return them to the parchment-lined pan as soon as the chocolate has hardened. You can serve them right away as the frozen banana will help set the chocolate or place the pan in the freezer until you are ready to serve them. Frozen bananas can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If you are looking for more delicious, healthy, no bake desserts and treats to help you reach your health, wellness and fitness goals, you will love my collection here: Blended Bites
