With sweet fruit encased in a chocolate shell, plus all the toppings your heart desires, chocolate-covered bananas are a sweet treat you can prep ahead to please folks of any age. Start with just-ripe bananas, which are pleasingly sweet but able to maintain their structural integrity better than ones covered in brown spots. (Save those overripe ones for your next banana bread.)
We like the contrast of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate here, but you can substitute milk chocolate or even white chocolate if that’s what you prefer. You may see recipes that call for thinning the chocolate with coconut oil, but we recommend vegetable oil here—coconut oil will start to solidify the minute it hits the frozen banana, preventing you from getting a good coating of your assorted toppings. Either way, there’s no need to worry about tempering the chocolate—the oil will keep it glossy no matter what. To melt chocolate without a microwave, set a double boiler over medium heat and stir with a wooden spoon or nonreactive rubber spatula until smooth.
This crowd-pleasing dessert recipe serves four and is easily doubled or tripled for a party or playdate. Leftovers keep for up to a week in the freezer. For smaller hands and mouths, chocolate-covered frozen banana pops may be a bit much, but chocolate-covered banana bites are equally beloved: Use a fork to move banana slices in and out of the chocolate mixture and garnish just one side with the toppings of your choice.
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil or parchment paper. Cut 2 firm-ripe bananas in half and insert a popsicle stick into the cut side of each. Place banana pops on prepared baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes.
Step 2
Microwave 6 oz. dark chocolate, chopped, or semisweet chocolate chips, and 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a deep measuring jug in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. (Alternatively, melt chocolate and oil in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water—do not let water touch bowl—and pour chocolate mixture into a tall, narrow heatproof glass.)
Step 3
One at a time, dip each banana half in melted chocolate, let excess chocolate drip back into the jug, then quickly sprinkle with granola; chopped toasted pecans, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, or peanuts; flaked or shredded coconut; crushed freeze-dried berries or cookies (such as shortbread, vanilla wafers, Oreos, or graham crackers); flaky sea salt; mini peanut butter chips; or sprinkles (if using). Freeze until chocolate sets, about 30 minutes. Serve or freeze in an airtight container for up to a week.
Editor’s note: This recipe for chocolate-covered bananas was first printed in the September 2007 issue of ‘Cookie.’ Head this way for more of our favorite chocolate dessert recipes →
Recipe notes
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