Here’s a summer treat you can give the kids and not feel guilty about! (Though I eat them all year round and I’m not a kid.) They’re also fun to prepare. To make it a simple process please read my notes. This stuff can be messy but if you follow my instructions it’s much easier. Coconut oil can be found in most stores and is one of the healthiest oils for the body with more benefits than I can possibly list. It is a great oil for cooking with, as heating does not change or damage it. Because of its flavor and low melt point it makes the most perfect hard chocolate coating!
I got this recipe from the wonderful Ani’s Raw Food Desserts. I love this little fully color illustrated book. One of the easiest ways to get live nutrients is through raw desserts. Fruit and nuts make the most decadent treats ever and they are off the charts healthy.
Important Notes
Follow these tips for ease in making your bananas.
Coconut oil has a very low melt temp. If your home is over 76 degrees it will be melted in the jar. If not it will appear solid. This means it can change form sitting on your shelf depending on the temperature. If the oil is solid I simply place the amount needed in a bowl and sit it in another bowl of hot water as it will melt in minutes or you can melt it in seconds on the stove. And I do mean seconds.
Use a tall and preferably glass cup to hold the syrup and dip. This is the key to making things easy. You can tilt and spin the cup when dipping to make sure you waste no syrup. And its mess free!
Get everything set up BEFORE dipping so you can move quickly. Dipping the frozen bananas into the melted syrup will make the syrup start to thicken. So move fast! Should the syrup get too thick just plop the cup into a bowl of hot water till it melts again. Lay out your foil or wax paper on a flat surface ready to place your finished dipped banana.
Toppings need put in FAST. Again, because the syrup will harden on the frozen banana almost immediately, if you want toppings on them roll them or sprinkle them fast so they stick!
Double dip if desired. Double dipping is OK. If you want a thicker coating just dip it… let it get hard which takes a few seconds, then dip again.
Freeze your plain bananas on the sticks ahead of time. These only take 10 minutes to make but the bananas must be frozen first. I usually do mine the night before.
Shelf-life of sauce: This chocolate sauce will keep for weeks at room temperature and months in the fridge. Really.
Visual Steps
The Recipe
- 12 Popsicle sticks
- Foil
- Tall glass cup
- 6 medium bananas (makes 12 pops)
- ½ C Coconut oil
- 2 heaping TB Cacao Powder (or carob or coco)
- 2 to 3 TB honey or agave nectar
- Peel bananas and cut in half.
- Insert popsicle sticks in ends.
- Lay side by side if possible in a zip lock bag and freeze a few hours or overnight.
- Lay out a piece of foil or wax paper to put bananas on after dipping. They should not stick but you can coat the foil with a little spray oil if desired.
- Place coconut oil in small bowl. Melt it if its solid. You can do this on the stove at very low heat or by placing the bowl with solid oil in another bowl of hot water. It melts fast!
- Add the chocolate power of choice and honey or agave. Whisk together.
- Pour the syrup in a tall glass.
- Dip your bananas into the glass tilting and turning it to coat quickly.
- It will harden FAST so if your dipping it in nuts or other toppings so so now quickly.
- Lay the banana on the foil and continue dipping the other bananas.
- If the syrup gets too thick you can place the cup into a bowl of hot water to melt it again.
- Store bananas in the freezer. Will keep for several weeks!
- Extra sauce will keep for weeks at room temperature and months in the fridge.
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