Healthy Chocolate Covered Bananas

Growing up you couldn’t keep me away from chocolate covered bananas.This healthy recipe will have you quickly whipping up a batch and you might even have trouble sharing them – or at least I did! I love having a choice of plain chocolate or something crunchy like these sunflower seeds. The extra chocolate was used to make little banana sunflower butter sandwiches that are just as amazing, but bite sized – perfect cool down after a sweaty workout!

The secret ingredient that makes these healthy – chocolate Vega One protein powder. The other power house players are coconut oil and coconut butter. You can make this with all coconut oil if you don’t have coconut butter. These are vegan, gluten free, and so easy to make!

I have vivid memories of standing in the park on some of the hottest days of the summer, covered in chocolate and smiling from ear to ear! You see when I was little I was in the same summer camp from the time I was 6 till I moved here to North Carolina in my teens. And the highlight of camp was going to the park a few blocks away. They had a huge swimming pool and across the street there was an ice cream shop that sold chocolate covered bananas. We would beg our camp counselor to take us over to the ice cream shop. And while many of the kids got things like ice cream with sprinkles or banana splits, I always got the chocolate covered bananas. ALWAYS! Oh man chocolate covered bananas really scream summer to me!

I found out in my 20’s just how easy chocolate covered bananas were to make. Simply melt chocolate and pour over frozen bananas, and viola! My chocolate covered banana obsession soon returned, and I was making these every weekend. My waist line soon started to show this, I mean that was a ton of chocolate I was eating! So of course I’ve since found a way to enjoy this treat, and I’ve made it healthy enough I can enjoy again every weekend if I please!!

Protein powder is already sweet enough, this recipe does not require any additional sweeteners. Simply melt the coconut butter and coconut oil. and mix in the protein powder, vanilla and cocoa powder. Pour over frozen bananas and you are ready to enjoy! These can be stored in the freezer for a few weeks in a plastic zip lock bag as well! But honestly, I’ve never had to deal with that in my house.

Chocolate Covered Frozen Bananas Recipe Tips

Like I mentioned, I used Vega One All-In-One Nutritional Shake Protein Powder. This protein powder tends to be really thick, and I had to use quite a bit of coconut butter and coconut oil to get the right consistency. The protein powder you are using may not require this much coconut oil, so be sure to add one tablespoon at a time. The end product should look like melted chocolate and when you taste it, it should not be gritty. If you taste grit from the protein powder, add more coconut oil, your chocolate coating is not quite right yet. I like to use coconut butter as well with this recipe. The coconut butter is naturally sweet and adds a great texture and flavor.

The chocolate sets up fast, so if you are adding chopped nuts or toasted coconut flakes, be sure to have them ready before you start covering the frozen bananas in chocolate. To assemble, have a piece of wax paper set up to place the freshly coated bananas on (the chocolate doesn’t stick to wax paper). Pour chocolate over the bananas with a spoon (this is my preferred method) and quickly add nuts. Continue around the banana until it’s covered to your liking. I’ve tried dunking the frozen bananas in chocolate before, and the chocolate ends up freezing a bit in the bowl, making it hard to work with, so I tend to use a spoon for this. Be sure to freeze for 5-10 minutes further to allow the chocolate coating to really set up.

If you love a healthy chocolate treat make sure to try these Dairy Free Chocolate Pumpkin Sunbutter Cups (allergy friendly) or this Mint Chocolate Chia Pudding.

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Healthy Chocolate Covered Bananas

These healthy chocolate covered bananas will make even the hottest summer day enjoyable! Made with chocolate protein powder and heart healthy coconut oil, these are a dessert you can be happy about eating all summer long!

4.84 from 6 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate

Prep Time: 9 hours

Total Time: 9 hours

Servings: 6

Calories: 169kcal

Author: Samantha Rowland

Ingredients

• 3-4 bananas halved, sticks in bottom and frozen
• 1 scoop Vega One Chocolate Nutritional Shake or chocolate protein powder of choice
• 1/4-1/2 cup melted coconut oil
• 1-2 tbs. coconut butter
• 1 tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder I used Hershey's special dark
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

• Freeze bananas overnight or for at least 8 hours after peeling, cutting in half and placing a stick in the end of the banana. Freeze individually in plastic wrap or in a freezer bag.
• Once bananas are frozen, make the chocolate coating.
• Melt the coconut oil and coconut butter (can use all coconut oil) until no longer hardened. This usually takes about 30 seconds in the microwave.
• Add 1/4 cup melted coconut oil, 1 tbs. coconut butter (optional can use another tbs. coconut oil), the protein powder, vanilla and cocoa powder to a bowl. Stir to combine.
• Check the texture, if this is still dry or clumpy, add an additional tablespoon of coconut oil until you reach a desired consistency. Feel free to add an additonal tablespoon of coconut butter while you are testing the consistency. It really makes the chocolate creamy and have a smoother flavor. Taste to make sure the chocolate is not grainy.
• Use a spoon to cover the frozen bananas. If adding a topping, add it immediately before the chocolate has time to set up. Place on wax paper and return to freezer for 10 minutes before enjoying.

Nutrition

Calories: 169kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 14mg | Potassium: 244mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Vitamin C: 5.1mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 0.3mg

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What about you?

• What is your favorite childhood treat?
• Have you ever had water ice (Italian Ice)
• Do you ever make your own chocolate covered treats?