These Dairy-free Chocolate Frozen Bananas might be THE easiest summer cold treat! They’re so simple to make that my kids can make them themselves. But keep reading for a dipping hack that’ll make these as easy as possible.
Why We Love These Dairy-free Chocolate Frozen Bananas
First, they are SO easy to make! My boys can make these by themselves, especially with my dipping hack below. They only take 20 minutes of hands-on prep, with no baking involved.
Second, they are whole-food-based. We love a delicious, healthy treat! They only use bananas, chocolate, and toppings of choice. That makes them gluten-free, dairy-free, plant-based, and vegan, with Paleo and nut-free options.
Third, they are a nice frozen treat. It often gets to over 100 degrees in NorCal, where I live. Cold treats are a must, and I love one that is fruit-based like this.
Finally, they are budget-friendly! On a California beach, it is not uncommon to charge $7+ for a dipped frozen banana like this one. These can be made easily for under $1 each. They are such a great budget-friendly snack or treat.
The Dipping Hack You Need
Dipping things in chocolate sounds simple but can often be a frustrating mess. After many rounds of not-great results, here’s what I learned for maximum success:
- Cut the bananas in half. Dipping the whole length of a banana gets complicated fast! Cutting them in half makes them way more approachable and just the right size for kids.
- Insert a popsicle stick into the banana before freezing. This will give you something to hold onto while you are dipping as well as while eating!
- Use the bag dipping hack! Once your chocolate is melted, line a tall cup with a disposable sandwich bag. Make sure one of the corners of the bag is sitting down low into the cup (see picture below). This will create a nice deep well of chocolate for dipping!
- Be ready to sprinkle toppings on quickly. Since the bananas are frozen before dipping, the chocolate will harden soon once dipped. So, have hands ready to sprinkle on toppings immediately after dipping so the toppings will stick.
Ingredients
- Bananas – Any size of yellow ripe bananas, peeled, of course. I wouldn’t use overripe bananas – they will still have a weird mushy texture once frozen. Save your overripe bananas for my Paleo Protein Banana Muffins instead!
- Chocolate of choice- If you just need dairy-free, Enjoy Life Chocolate chips are top 8 allergen free and easy to find on Amazon or Walmart. If you want Paleo chocolate, we enjoy Hu Chocolate chips or gems which we get at our local natural food store, but you can also buy on Amazon.
- Toppings of choice – Have fun with these! Chopped nuts, sprinkles, chocolate chips, coconut flakes, crushed freeze-dried strawberries, or even crushed cookies all work well here. If you want sprinkles without food coloring or dyes, even Walmart has a natural sprinkle option now!
How to Make Dairy-free Chocolate Frozen Bananas
- Line a small tray or pan with parchment. Make sure it’s big enough to fit in your freezer!
- Cut peeled bananas in half. Insert a popsicle stick halfway through the banana through the cut side (below).
- Freeze bananas for about 1 hour or until solid. Freeze time will vary greatly depending on the size of your freezer and how full it is.
- Melt chocolate. If you are using dairy-free or paleo chocolate, I have the most success doing this in a small pot on the stove over low heat. Stir regularly until melted, being sure not to overcook and burn. I don’t recommend melting dairy-free chocolate in the microwave, as it burns easily.
- Use the bag dipping hack! Once your chocolate is melted, line a tall cup with a disposable sandwich bag. Make sure one of the corners of the bag is sitting down low into the cup (see picture below). This will create a nice deep well of chocolate for dipping!
- Be ready to sprinkle toppings on quickly. Since the bananas are frozen before dipping, the chocolate will harden soon once dipped. So, have hands ready to sprinkle on toppings immediately after dipping so the toppings will stick.
- You can return them to the freezer for 10 minutes to set, though often they will be set by the time you are done dipping them all.
- Enjoy straight from the freezer. Store in a sealed bag or container for up to 3 months.
Dairy-Free Chocolate Frozen Bananas
An EASY 3-ingredient whole food summer treat or snack that is dairy-free + paleo!
Equipment
- 10 small popsicle sticks
Ingredients
- 5 large ripe bananas
- 1 1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil optional, see notes
Instructions
- Line a small tray or pan with parchment. Make sure it's a size that will fit in your freezer!
- Cut peeled bananas in half. Insert a popsicle stick halfway through the banana through the cut side (see photo in blog post above). Lay down flat on prepared pan.
- Freeze bananas for about 1 hour or until solid. Freeze time will vary greatly depending on the size of your freezer and how full it is.
- Melt chocolate. If you are using dairy-free or paleo chocolate, I have the most success doing this in a small pot on the stove over low heat. Stir regularly until melted, being sure not to overcook and burn. Optional to include the coconut oil to chocolate while melting - this will just thin out the chocolate and make it easier to dip.
- Use the bag dipping hack! Once your chocolate is melted, line a tall cup with a disposable sandwich bag. Make sure one of the corners of the bag is sitting down low into the cup (see picture in blog above). This will create a nice deep well of chocolate for dipping.
- Be ready to sprinkle toppings on quickly. Since the bananas are frozen before dipping, the chocolate will harden quickly once dipped. So, have hands ready to sprinkle on toppings immediately after dipping so the toppings will stick.
- Can return to freezer for 10 minutes to set, though often these will be set by the time you are done dipping them all.
- Enjoy straight from the freezer. Store in a sealed bag or container in the freezer (must stay frozen) for up to 3 months.
Notes
See blog post above for details on ingredients, including links to favorite dairy-free and Paleo chocolate options.
Nutrition facts do not include any toppings of choice.
Nutrition
Calories: 215kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 3gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 243mgFiber: 4gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 44IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
I made these and my husband ate all of them! He loved them!! Another great recipe from Autumn!
Haha, I love that they were DEVOURED. Glad this was a big hit. Thank you!
If I could give more stars I would! These chocolate dipped bananas were delicious. I followed Autumn’s instructions and my first batch turned out amazing. I think these will be a hit for BBQs all summer. I will also be making these with the kiddos in my life who love to cook. I may think about cutting the bananas in four next time to serve as smaller bite-size options. Thank you again, Autumn/wholefoodfor7
YESSSS! I’m so glad you found these a simple slam dunk and those tips helped them feel easy. I hope you do rock them all summer long! Thanks so much for the review.