I’ve been making frozen bananas for a long time and have decided that Hershey’s Special Dark is the best chocolate to compliment the taste of the banana—odd, since I am usually a milk chocolate devotee. It is also the most economical.

There are three types of Frozen Bananas:

1. Plain—half a banana, frozen, dipped in melted chocolate and re-frozen.
2. Peanut Buttery—my favorite version—half a banana, use a spatula to spread a thin layer of peanut butter over the banana, freeze or re-freeze, remove frozen banana from freezer and dip in melted chocolate, re-freeze.
3. Either version above rolled in a variety of toppings while the chocolate is still soft, then re-freeze.

There are a variety of toppings the chocolate covered banana can be rolled in. The most popular, in my experience, are toasted coconut, chopped peanuts, and rainbow jimmies. Other options include chopped peanut butter chips, mini M&M’s, cookie crumbs, granola, and any kids cereal 🙂 

IMHO, bananas+cereal+bit of chocolate= a special summer breakfast.  I think your kids might nominate you for mom/pop-of-the-year, if you surprised them with a frozen banana as a special treat for a summer birthday, or for a summer half birthday, or for the first/last day of summer vacation, or to celebrate the summer solstice, or virtually any special day whatsoever!

Frozen Bananas—with or without Peanut Butter

Quantities are approximate, as banana sizes vary widely. If you end up with extra bananas, and not enough chocolate, just keep the extra bananas in the freezer until you are ready to make smoothies or banana bread!

INGREDIENTS

• 3-4 perfect bananas—not over-ripe and not green, no bruises or black spots
• 6 or 8 Popsicle sticks—if you don’t have Popsicle sticks, craft sticks, lollipop sticks, chopsticks, or even the tops of plastic Popsicle molds can be used
• Peanut butter, the Skippy or Jif variety—not sure if those healthier versions will freeze properly
• 2  4.25 oz. bars Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate—don’t substitute chocolate chips! If you do, you’ll have to add a few tablespoons of Crisco to help them melt, and I think that’s rather yucky.
• Assorted toppings, optional—rainbow jimmies, chopped peanuts or other nuts, mini M&M’s, chopped peanut butter chips, toasted coconut, granola, cereal…the sky is the limit!

1. Peel the bananas, remove any banana strings, and inspect the bananas carefully, cutting off any bruises or soft parts. 
2. Cut the good bananas in half, and insert a stick into the flat, cut end, of each banana. 
3. Place skewered bananas on a pan/plate/tray that will fit into your freezer and open freeze for an hour or so, or even overnight.
4. PEANUT BUTTER OPTION—remove bananas from freezer when cold and hardened, spread with peanut butter and replace in freezer.
5. Set out chosen toppings in shallow bowls or on pieces of wax paper or foil.
6. Break chocolate into squares, place into good quality microwave safe bowl, and melt chocolate in microwave on 50% power for about 2 or 3 minutes.
7. While chocolate is melting, remove frozen bananas from freezer.
8. Dip frozen banana into warm melted chocolate and, with a knife,  QUICKLY spread chocolate all over the banana, before chocolate hardens. Work quickly! Dip and roll banana in chosen topping. 
9. Repeat with remaining bananas.
10. Place the finished bananas on a parchment lined tray that will fit in your freezer and re-freeze.
11. When the bananas are frozen, remove from freezer, and place in a covered container or Ziploc bag and return to freezer until ready to eat. 
12. Frozen bananas keep well, or at least for a few weeks—I haven’t had any in the freezer for longer than 2 weeks 🙂

Thank for stopping by my kitchen today!