These Frozen Chocolate Covered Banana Bites are an easy, healthy dessert that your whole family will love. Just like Trader Joe's Gone Bananas, yet made vegan and gluten-free so everyone can enjoy them.
You'll LOVE these chocolate covered bananas because they're...
- easy to make.
- dairy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free.
- the perfect balance of crispy and soft.
- simply delicious.
What coating works best for chocolate-dipped bananas?
The secret to making perfect chocolate-covered bananas is in the chocolate coating. Many recipes call for melted chocolate chips to coat the bananas. I find this coating to be too hard once it's frozen. I find that coconut oil mixed with cocoa powder and sugar makes the best chocolate coating for frozen fruit.
What you will need to make chocolate covered banana bites...
Ingredients:
- Ripe Bananas - the bananas should be yellow with some brown spots on them. The riper the banana, the sweeter it will be. However, very brown overripe bananas will be too soft and hard to work with.
- Refined Coconut Oil - for the base of the chocolate coating. This will harden quickly once it gets cold, yet it won't get so hard that it's difficult to eat. (You can use unrefined coconut oil as well, but it will have a coconut flavor).
- Cocoa Powder - for the chocolate flavor.
- Sugar - to sweeten the chocolate coating. Powdered sugar makes a smooth creamy coating with evenly distributed sweetness. Granulated sugar will also work, but it tends to remain grainy. I actually love a mix of half powdered sugar, and half granulated sugar to give them a little crunch!
- Salt - for flavor. You can add a pinch to the chocolate coating or you can sprinkle a small amount of Kosher salt on your freshly dipped bananas.
Tools:
- Cookie Sheets - to put the banana slices on in the freezer. (You can also use a freezer-safe large plate).
- Parchment Paper - (optional, but recommended) to keep the chocolate from sticking to the cookie sheet.
How to make frozen banana bites...
- Peel and slice ripe bananas into 1/4 inch rounds and place them on a cookie sheet.
- Freeze the banana slices on the cookie sheet for at least 1 hour.
- Melt the coconut oil, and mix in the cocoa powder, sugar, and salt until it's combined well.
- Place a piece of parchment paper on another cookie sheet next to your prepared chocolate coating mixture.
- Take the frozen bananas out of the freezer.
- Quickly pick them up one piece at a time with a fork and dip them in the chocolate and place them on the prepared parchment paper.
- Repeat this with each slice until they have all been dipped.
- Put them back in the freezer for at least 1/2 hour to refreeze them. (At this point you can put them into a bag or container).
ProTips for perfect chocolate covered banana bites:
- You must freeze the bananas before dipping or the chocolate coating will not stick to them as well. This will also cause the coating to harden quickly and make them less messy.
- If you want thicker chocolate, you can double dip the bananas.
- If you want nuts, sprinkles, kosher salt, or anything else to stick to your chocolate-dipped bananas, sprinkle it on immediately after dipping. The chocolate will harden fast.
- Don't overheat the coconut oil when you melt it. It just needs to be warm enough to stay in the liquid form, you don't want it so hot that it melts the bananas.
How do I store frozen banana bites?
Refreeze the banana bites after dipping them in chocolate until they become very solid. (About 1/2 hour). Then quickly transfer them to a freezer bag or a container with an airtight seal.
Variations of chocolate-covered bananas...
- Banana Pops - follow the directions the same way except for cut bananas in half and put a popsicle stick in the center of it before freezing. Then dip the banana pop in the chocolate coating.
- Banana Bite Sandwiches - put a layer of peanut butter vegan salted caramel, or vegan butterscotch in between two banana slices then cover the double banana bite in chocolate.
Topping for your vegan chocolate-covered bananas:
- Crushed nuts - like peanuts or cashews, because nuts are just delicious with chocolate and bananas!
- Vegan White Chocolate Drizzle - for some color and flavor. Simply melt a vegan white chocolate bar and drizzle it on top of your frozen chocolate-covered bananas.
- Vegan Sprinkles - for some fun festive colors! Make sure to use sprinkles without confectioners glaze if you want it to be vegan.
- Peanut Butter - to drizzle on top.
- Kosher Salt - for a little bit of saltiness and texture.
- Sugar in the Raw - for some extra texture.
If you love frozen chocolate treats, you have to try my healthy freezer fudge!
Love bananas? Make sure to bake up the best vegan banana bread recipe ever!
Be sure to follow me on Instagram or on Pinterest for daily vegan inspiration and recipe ideas! Tag me at #thehiddenveggies! I love to see what you made too!
Frozen Chocolate Covered Banana Bites
Prep Time
10 mins
Freezing Time
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 40 mins
An easy way to make homemade chocolate covered banana bites.
Course:
Dessert
Cuisine:
American
Keyword:
Chocolate Covered Bananas, Frozen Banana Bites
Servings: 4
Calories: 242 kcal
Ingredients
- 2 medium ripe bananas
- 1/3 cup refined coconut oil melted
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar or 1/2 powdered and 1/2 granulated sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
-
Peel and slice ripe bananas into 1/4 inch rounds and place them on a cookie sheet.
-
Freeze the banana slices on the cookie sheet for at least 1 hour.
-
Melt the coconut oil, and mix in the cocoa powder, sugar, and salt until it's well combined.
-
Place a piece of parchment paper on another cookie sheet next to your prepared chocolate coating mixture.
-
Take the frozen bananas out of the freezer.
-
Quickly pick them up one piece at a time with a fork and dip them in the chocolate. Place them on the prepared parchment paper.
-
Repeat this with each slice until they have all been dipped.
-
Put them back in the freezer for at least 1/2 hour to refreeze them.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- You must freeze the bananas before dipping or the chocolate coating will not stick to them as well. The chocolate will harden quicker on the frozen bananas, making them look less messy.
- If you want thicker chocolate, you can double dip the bananas.
- If you want nuts, sprinkles, kosher salt, etc. to stick to your chocolate-dipped bananas, sprinkle it on immediately after dipping. The chocolate will harden fast.
- Don't overheat the coconut oil when you melt it. It just needs to be warm enough to stay in liquid form, you don't want it so hot that it melts the bananas.
- Refreeze before bagging or stacking them in a container.
Nutrition Facts
Frozen Chocolate Covered Banana Bites
Amount Per Serving (5 banana bites)
Calories 242
Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*
Fat 19g29%
Saturated Fat 16g100%
Sodium 74mg3%
Potassium 273mg8%
Carbohydrates 22g7%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 13g14%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 40IU1%
Vitamin C 5.1mg6%
Calcium 8mg1%
Iron 0.7mg4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
