All You Need Is A Popsicle Stick To Transform Overripe Bananas Into A Frozen Treat

Those of us who enjoy fruit varieties that can easily be transformed into delicious snacks and meals almost always have a bunch or two of bananas on hand. Not only are bananas one of the most affordable raw fruits available, but they're also quite nutritious. These creamy herb-born fruits are packed with plenty of potassium, fiber, magnesium, and other health-propelling agents, making them an ideal snack. But as another typical work week drags on, you may realize your remaining bananas for the week have ripened. Instead of making another batch of extra-moist banana bread, why not transform those overripe bananas into delicious frozen confections?

Bananas become sweeter as they ripen, so instead of adding some of this mashed natural sweetener to your next pot of oatmeal or batch of breakfast cookies, freeze them whole with a few simple additions to make them one satisfying and healthy dessert. Most banana lovers are already privy to the freezing process if breakfast smoothies are a mainstay. Yet with just a few simple adjustments and some handy popsicle sticks, you can create yet another delicious snack. 

Before we uncover additional methods of making banana-based frozen treats, let's uncover the step-by-step process behind making simple banana popsicles.

Skip buying a bunch of fresh fruits to make easy, homemade healthy popsicles and utilize the ripe bananas you already have at your disposal. You can make luscious banana popsicles in just a few simple steps. To turn overripe bananas into delicious frozen treats you don't need many extra ingredients. To start, gather a bag of chocolate chips, a small amount of neutral oil, popsicle sticks, and any favorite textured extras you may want to add to these frozen confections, such as crushed cookies, freeze-dried fruit, or chopped nuts.

Start by peeling and inserting popsicle sticks into the base of whole or halved bananas and freeze them on a baking sheet for at least three hours. Once the bananas are frozen, pour any additional extras on small plates for easy dipping. To prepare the melted chocolate, combine chocolate chips and oil in the microwave or double-boiler until melted. Holding the base of the frozen bananas by the popsicle stick ends, dip the frozen bananas into the melted chocolate and roll or sprinkle on your toppings of choice. Lay dipped bananas on parchment or wax paper-lined baking sheets and freeze until ready to eat. Once they've hardened, feel free to store the dipped confections in resealable freezer-safe plastic bags. 

Now that you know how easy it is to transform ripe bananas into deliciously icy desserts, you have a few more options to consider.

If you love the idea of turning bananas into frozen treats, you have an abundance of options. To take the use of your trusty popsicle sticks even further, instead of dipping frozen bananas into chocolate, why not try yogurt? Not only does yogurt contain an adequate dose of calcium and essential nutrients, but this creamy food also packs healthy amounts of protein. To make frozen yogurt bananas, follow the same process as outlined above, but instead of dipping the frozen bananas in chocolate, dip them in yogurt and smooth the exterior of each banana before freezing.

On the other hand, if you have no reservations about using chocolate, but want to enjoy frozen banana popsicles in a new way, try making frozen chocolate bananas with a simple silicone mold. All you need for this dessert is to cover your favorite silicone mold in melted chocolate, add a scoop of mashed bananas to each mold, and cover with another fine layer of melted chocolate. Then, simply add the popsicle sticks and freeze before consuming. Mashed banana gives this delicious healthy treat a fun new twist and you get the added enjoyment of eating chocolate bananas in an exciting new form. 

Whether you're dipping whole bananas in melted chocolate or pouring blended bananas, milk, and honey into convenient popsicle molds, you'll need popsicle sticks to finish off these simple and tasty dessert alternatives.