Banana Popsicles

When the summertime heat hits, having something cool and refreshing like these banana popsicles is a welcome treat! I add coconut milk for creaminess and a hint of the tropics. As an added bonus, bananas contain vitamin B6, vitamin C, and plenty of potassium – these treats are a win win.

One of the things that always excited me about going to Disneyland was the frozen bananas. I know that’s a weird thing to get excited about when you are going to the happiest place on earth, but hey, I’ll own it – I have spent time thinking about and yearning for Disneyland frozen bananas. Summertime heat beating down on you while you line up for hours waiting to ride the Matterhorn – was always so much more bearable with a frozen banana. The only drawback for me was that they were rock hard. I mean you could break a tooth if you didn’t let them warm up (sorry Disneyland, I’m just giving an opinion).

These frozen banana popsicles can be eaten as is, or dipped in chocolate (magic shell recipe) and rolled in nuts to match that magical yumminess I so remember. And these popsicles, although thoroughly frozen, only need a minute or two to be at the perfect eating temperature. And did I mention the health benefits of bananas? Bananas are a superfood with some super health benefits like lowering the risk of stroke, lowering blood pressure, regulating gut health, and helping to fight off illness to name a few as outlined by Women’s Health in this article. As if there weren’t already so many reasons to make them, one more: they can be customized to your liking. Don’t like nuts? How about dipping in chocolate and rolling them in sprinkles, or shredded coconut, drizzle with nut butter or caramel…let your imagination guide you.

These banana popsicles can be made ahead of time and stored in a Ziploc bag so you can have them ready for when you need them.

I feel like there are two types of people in the world, people who like bananas and people who don’t. Although I like bananas, I have to admit I am a bit of a banana snob. There is a very fine window in which I like them. Eat them too soon, and you end up with a weird astringent/bitter taste that you just can’t seem to get out of your mouth. Eat them when they are overripe and you end up with a mushy consistency and an overpowering banana flavour which is a turnoff. But, catch them at their peak of ripeness and you have a beautiful thing.

For this recipe, we need to use bananas that are actually just past their peak. A little soft, and brown patches just starting on the peel. Of course, if you prefer the sweeter more overpowering flavour you can let them go even riper, it is a personal preferance. But I will warn you, if you use them at their peak or before, the popsicles have a bit of a sour taste to them. Now this can always be overcome with dipping them in chocolate and sprinkles to sweeten them up a bit, or just add more maple syrup or sweetener of your choice.

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If you don’t already have one, a popsicle mold like mine, and popsicle sticks are really handy. If you are in a pinch you could use dixie cups and put popsicle sticks in them too.

A blender is really useful in order to combine everything into a smooth liquid. I love my Vitamix! But if you don’t have a blender and still want to make these, a potato masher can mash the bananas into a smooth batter for pouring.

• Bananas – best to use ones that are starting to show brown spots, they will provide the best flavour IMO.
• Coconut milk – adds creaminess and a hint of the tropics. See Note 1 for substitutions.
• Maple syrup – depending on how ripe your bananas are, you may need to add a little sweetener. Honey or sugar could be substituted here as well.
• Popsicle Mold and Popsicle sticks
• Magic Shell – homemade chocolate for dipping frozen items in or for pouring on ice cream (optional).
• Crushed peanuts, and or sprinkles for rolling the chocolate dipped banana popsicle in (optional)

Making the Popsicles
1. In a blender combine 5-6 large bananas, ½ cup coconut milk, and 2 tablespoons of sweetener of your choice see note 2.

2. Blend until smooth about 30 seconds.

3. Pour into popsicle molds leaving about a ¼ inch of space at the top to allow for expansion once frozen. Follow the instructions for your popsicle mold, mine has a lid and then I place in the popsicle sticks.

4. Place popsicle mold into freezer for at least 7 hours or overnight.

5. To release popsicles, run under warm water and then wiggle them out.

Decorating Banana Popsicles
1. You can dip the popsicles into the chocolate magic shell and then roll in crushed peanuts or sprinkles, or both! I won’t judge 😉. The magic shell hardens fairly quickly so working fast is key. I hold the banana popsicle in the magic shell and use a spoon to spoon more magic shell higher up the popsicle letting it drip back down into the cup, then I quickly move it to a plate of crushed nuts and roll it around. For sprinkles, I just used my hands to sprinkle them on the wet chocolate.

2. Although not totally necessary I do put the decorated banana popsicle back in the freezer for a few minutes just to help it firm up. But if you can’t wait, you can eat them right away too!

Notes

1. Coconut milk could be replaced with your favourite milk alternative, or you can go for dairy and add heavy cream.
2. Sweetener. Depending on how ripe your bananas are you may want to add a little sweetener. I used maple syrup but you could go with honey, regular sugar, or artificial sweetener.
3. You can decorate these banana popsicles to your liking. Dipping in just magic shell, or dipping and then adding garnishes of your choice like crushed peanuts, sprinkles, shredded coconut, freeze dried berries etc. I like peanuts and I prefer slightly salted ones, the sweet salty combination is amazing.

FAQs

1. How long can I store them in the freezer? In an airtight container or Ziploc bag these can easily keep for up to three months.
2. If I am having a party do I need to buy a bunch of popsicle molds? No, you shouldn’t need to if you have time to plan ahead. You can make the popsicles, remove from the molds, decorate them and place in a Ziploc bag, then make another batch. You can make as many as you can hold in your freezer if you have the time. You could also store them in the freezer not decorated and then allow your guests to decorate their own. Kids would probably love that.

If you liked these banana popsicles…

If you liked this recipe, please consider leaving a comment below – I love to hear how people get on with my recipes and I truly make an effort to respond to everyone who takes the time to comment. Other recipes you might enjoy include:

Mango Popsicles

Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats (no marshmallow)