Frozen chocolate bananas are real crowd pleasers. They are great for those parties and play date and are not as unhealthy as they may seem. These banana treats can be a good food source as well as a mouth-watering treat.
Bananas are one of the most widespread fruit crops in the world. The "Cavendish" banana is the most popular type of banana and is known for its sweet taste and good nutritional properties including, potassium, manganese, dietary fiber and vitamins B6, C and A.
Much of the positive hype on dark chocolate comes from the antioxidants found in raw cocoa beans, or cocoa solids. Cocoa and dark chocolate are rich in a group of antioxidants known as oligomeric procyanidins (OPCs) – which are often referred to by the more general term, flavanols. But not all dark chocolate is equal. The benefits come from the cocoa, and many "dark" chocolates don't contain enough flavanols to give you any real effect.
Make Recipe Healthier
- Stick to the bitter, darker varieties, with a cocoa solids content of 70 per cent or higher.
- Steer clear of the milkier dark chocolates.
- Flavonoids also known as antioxidants protect the body from aging caused by free radicals by scavenging these free radicals and neutralising them.
Ingredients
- 2 ripe and firm bananas
- 1 block dark chocolate, chopped, or dark chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup granola, chopped peanuts, chopped pecans and walnuts, or desiccated coconut
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the bananas in half and insert a popsicle stick into each half. Place them on the prepared baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt the chocolate with the oil in a microwave or using a double boiler on the stove. Stir continuously to make sure the chocolate does not burn.
- Take the bananas out of the freezer and roll each half in the chocolate, then if using a topping, quickly sprinkle and freeze until the chocolate sets, about 30 minutes. Serve straight away or freeze in an airtight container for up to a week.