Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bites

Frozen bananas used to be a staple in my refrigerator for making “milkshakes” since their frozen consistency closely mimics that of ice cream. But now that I’m traveling and sadly without any method of blending, I’ve had to give up those tasty desserts. When a couple bananas were on the verge of being overripe recently, though, I cut them in slices and froze them without thinking about it. The frozen banana slices were good even eaten up plain, but I wanted something that was a bit more of a treat. So, with thoughts about my banana breakfast roll in the back of my head, I mixed up some peanut butter and honey (plus a little water to thin it out) and dipped them in that. And then, because peanut butter always calls out for some chocolate, I dipped them in a little melted chocolate, too. Dark chocolate is always my preference – here, I used a chocolate with 85% cocoa content that was too dark for eating out of hand but worked well with the creaminess of the banana and richness of the peanut butter. The result is decadent enough to satisfy an ice cream craving, while still being a healthy option. I like them in bite-sized form like this, but you can also cut the bananas in half and put them on a popsicle stick for something more closely resembling an ice cream bar.

Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bites
Yield: about 30 bites

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas, sliced into 1/2″ coins
• 1/4 cup peanut butter*
• 2 Tbsp honey**
• 2 Tbsp water (optional)
• 2 – 3 ounces chocolate

*Look for peanut butter where the only ingredients are peanuts or peanuts and salt. If unsalted, add a pinch of salt when mixing the peanut butter and honey.
**Or agave syrup for a vegan version.

Method:

1. Spread 2 bananas, sliced into 1/2″ coins on a plate or baking sheet, and freeze until hard, at least 2 hours.
2. In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup peanut butter and 2 Tbsp honey until smooth (heating them slightly will make this easier). Mix in up to 2 Tbsp water, if needed, to thin out the mixture.
3. Dip each frozen banana coin in the peanut butter mixture, then return to the plate or baking sheet, and freeze again until hard, at least 1 hour.
4. In a bowl over boiling water or in 30-second bursts at half power in the microwave, carefully melt 2 – 3 ounces chocolate.
5. Dip each frozen banana coin in the chocolate, then return to the plate or baking sheet, and freeze again until the chocolate has hardened, at least 1 hour. Eat cold.