Have Bananas, Will Travel

Frozen chocolate banana bites and one-ingredient ice cream are two perfect, go-to summer treats.

Photos by Leah Lizarondo
 

 

What’s more perfect than a banana? It’s delicious, nutritious, quick and super cheap. Its magical properties help fight everything from osteoporosis to depression to hangovers. It's a go-to ingredient in everything from baked goods to smoothies. Heck, you can even shine your shoes with the banana peel when you’re finished.

Bananas are the original superfood, and there’s only one thing on earth that could possibly be better than a ripe banana.

A frozen banana.

With chocolate.

In bite-sized form.
 

 

Still not enough banana innovation for you? Have you ever transformed bananas into ersatz ice cream?

What? No?!

Well, then. I'm about to blow your mind. Be prepared to buy bananas by the bushel and clear out some freezer space, because these two recipes will rock your summer. Let’s not even call these recipes — they take so little to make and the rewards are so great.

I implore you to try these. Once again, I ask you to suspend disbelief and give these a whirl, because they are that delicious.

The first recipe is for … (*drumroll*)

 

  Frozen Chocolate Banana Bites

 

These are so, so, so much tastier (and better for you) than those lame Nestle Dibs — which contain all kinds of ickiness like artificial vanilla flavor, corn syrup, cream, partially hydrogenated cottonseed and soybean oils, monoglycerides, tapioca maltodextrin, propylene glycol monostearate, monoglycerides, and everyone’s favorite, sodium carboxymethylcellulose.
 

 

Our banana bites have two main ingredients — chocolate and bananas.

These love bites are what I give my little ones. The kids enjoy making these with me (they handle the dipping duties), and they’re are so quick to whip up that you can prep right before dinner and have them for dessert that same night. Super.

Here goes.
 

1. Just melt chocolate chips or baking chocolate (I often use scraps of different dark baking chocolates stored in my freezer). You can do this in very low heat if you have a very good thick-bottomed saucepan, or in a double boiler. If you don’t have either one, here’s a good way to McGyver a double boiler.

2. Cut up some bananas and dip them in the chocolate.

3. Lay the cut bananas on a tray lined with parchment. Sprinkle with shredded coconut, chocolate sprinkles and nuts (or leave them unadorned).

4. Freeze.

5. When frozen, transfer to a container, keep in freezer and enjoy at will.

The second recipe is for … (*drumroll*)

 

  One Ingredient Ice Cream

The one ingredient, of course, is bananas.
 

1. Cut ripe bananas into rounds, set on a tray and freeze them. The ideal “ripe” stage is when the skin starts to become mottled, but not as overripe as you would like them if you were using them for baking.

2. Once frozen, transfer bananas to your food processor and process on high until it turns, magically, into an ice-cream-like consistency. Believe your eyes. Scoop. One taste will remove all doubt.

3. Feeling even more adventurous? Add some peanut butter. Maybe even chocolate. Now we’re talkin’!

This blog has an amazing step-by-step visual guide to make it even easier.

Alternatively, you can also use this magical kitchen tool, Yonanas. Just put bananas (and other frozen fruit) through the machine and, voila, soft serve on a cone in all the fruity flavors you can think of.

These two recipes will keep you cool all summer long!