Chocolate Dipped Banana Pops – Vegan & Gluten Free
The perfect treat for even the pickiest eater! These frozen chocolate covered banana pops are made extra fun with candy sprinkles!
Many years ago I went to Disney World, and this was way before they had any viable vegan options. By day 3, I couldn’t even look at another french fry. I swear to God, I was surviving on deep fried potatoes and Starbucks iced soy milk lattes.
We took a trek to Animal Kingdom, which also happened to be the hottest day of the trip. I noticed people were walking around with what looked like frozen bananas on a stick, dipped in chocolate and some even had chopped peanuts. This is not an invention I had even known was in existence.
I basically said screw it, tossed away any plans I had for the day, until I could source this frozen delight. After about 35 minutes of super fast walking and asking every vendor, success finally came by means of a small yellow umbrella-ed trolley.
Let me assure you that although I was desperate for something other than fries and Starbucks, I didn’t expect to enjoy this frozen banana treat as much as I did. I opted for the crushed peanuts and oh-my-sweet-lord, did it ever hit the spot.
Since then, chocolate covered banana pops have been on my eventually must make list. I might be 10 years late on my desire to recreate the treat, but by golly I finally did it. And what a success. It was a no-brainer that everyone would love them. Frozen bananas naturally have such an ice ream-y texture, and when topped with chocolate and sprinkles… a winning combo!
Chocolate Dipped Banana Pops – Ingredients
- Bananas – Look for large, firm bananas. You don’t want them to be under-ripe, as they won’t give you that velvety ice cream texture. Too ripe with have too strong of a flavour and distract from the overall goodness. Something perfectly in the middle is what you want.
- Chocolate – I use dark chocolate, however anything will work! Semi-sweet or even vegan white chocolate would be terrific. Camino is one of my most loved brands!
- Sprinkles – Thankfully there are a number of brands beginning to cater to vegan markets (hooray!). However, it can still be tricky to find candy sprinkles that don’t contain bugs. Gross, I know. Vegan Dollhouse has put together a great post about this!
Sooo, looks like you enjoy dessert! Here are some more recipes that might tickle that fancy.
Chocolate Dipped Banana Pops - Vegan & Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 3 large bananas - ripe but firm
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 tsp coconut oil
- 2 tbsp candy sprinkles
- 6 craft sticks
Instructions
- Prep a large plate or baking tray with wax paper. Set aside.
- Peel bananas and cut in half. For aesthetic purposes you can also remove the pointed tops and bottoms of the bananas, to create a more traditional popsicle shape (and to prevent your pre-teen boy from laughing hysterically when he sees them).
- Insert a craft stick into each, careful not to poke through. Place on the prepared plate or tray, cover with plastic wrap and put them in the freezer for 1 hour.
- In a double broiler, combine chocolate and coconut oil. Melt over low heat. Stir frequently. Pour into a medium sized drinking glass.
- Remove the bananas from the freezer. Carefully dip each frozen banana into the cup of melted chocolate. Turn to coat, and VERY quickly sprinkle with candy. Place back onto the prepared tray. Repeat until complete.
- Return to freezer and wait 2 hours before serving. If not consuming immediately, transfer to air tight, freezer safe container.
Notes
- Look for large, firm bananas. You don't want them to be under-ripe, as they won't give you that velvety ice cream texture. Too ripe with have too strong of a flavour and distract from the overall goodness. Something perfectly in the middle is what you want.
- I use dark chocolate, however anything will work! Semi-sweet or even vegan white chocolate would be terrific.
- Thankfully there are a number of brands beginning to cater to vegan markets (hooray!). However, it can still be tricky to find candy sprinkles that don't contain bugs. Gross, I know. Vegan Dollhouse has put together a great post about this!
- You have to work FAST when coating the bananas. The frozen banana freezes that chocolate quickly, which might make topping with the sprinkles tricky. My first two pops were the least attractive of the bunch. Once I got the hang of it, it was totally easy!
- I wouldn't keep these around in the freezer any longer than 2 weeks.
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Vegan and Gluten free food and cooking | Mostly Domestic
Vegan and Gluten free meal plans, prep and food shopping lists | Mostly Domestic
