This set-it-and-forget-it dessert is easy to make, and a perfect surprise for friends. We like to eat these frozen banana pops on ice pop sticks, but if you don’t have any, you can just use your hands—it’ll be messier, but every bit as tasty. After you’ve dipped the bananas in their chocolate shell, feel free to get creative with the toppings and decorations. We love the combination of crushed pistachios and chopped freeze-dried strawberries, but anything that adds crunch and color would be up for the task!
MAKES 8 POPS
4 ripe bananas, peeled and halved crosswise
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons coconut oil
¼ cup almonds, chopped
¼ cup pistachios, chopped
¼ cup freeze-dried strawberries, ground
Line a plate with parchment paper. Insert a wooden pop stick into the cut end of each banana half, pushing it in about halfway up the length. Place the bananas on the lined plate and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
Set a medium saucepan or heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water over low heat, ensuring the top pan (or bowl) does not touch the water directly. Add the chocolate and coconut oil to the top pan and heat, stirring constantly, until completely melted. (Alternatively, melt the chocolate and coconut oil together in a small microwave-safe bowl in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until melted and smooth.)
Transfer the chocolate mixture to a tall, heatproof glass. Remove the bananas from the freezer. Holding onto the pop stick, dip each frozen banana into the chocolate mixture to cover completely. Immediately sprinkle on chopped nuts and freezer-dried strawberries. Hold the bananas upright until the chocolate shell has dried, about 30 seconds, then lay them back on the plate.
Enjoy immediately or return the bananas to the freezer to harden completely, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
“Reprinted with permission from Make This Tonight. Copyright © 2022 by Tastemade, Inc. Photographs copyright © 2022 by Tastemade, Inc.Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House.”
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