Transform the humble banana into a dairy-free Frozen Vegan Banana Pop Board – perfect for entertaining.
Preparing the Banana
This recipe couldn’t be easier. You can create a mouthwatering dessert with just a few ingredients and minimal effort.
The first step is to peel fresh bananas and slice them horizontally, creating halves that will be transformed into ice cream bars. Place the banana halves in a single layer on a baking tray lined with baking paper (parchment paper), ensuring they’re nicely spaced out. Insert popsicle sticks into the thicker ends of each banana about halfway through to create convenient handles for dipping.
Freeze the prepared bananas for a minimum of 2 hours or until solid. When ready to assemble, remove the frozen bananas from the freezer and let them sit for a minute or two to soften the outer layer slightly. A few minutes of thawing at room temperature yields a perfect ice cream bar consistency. Now, your frozen whole bananas are primed and ready to be transformed with the enticing toppings on the frozen vegan banana pops board.
Using Frozen Unpeeled Banana
Do you place overripe bananas with lots of brown spots in the freezer for later use? Perfect! Peeling a frozen banana isn’t the painstakingly difficult process you might expect. Just follow these tips:
As the banana is frozen, the outer layer tends to be firm.
Let it Sit Briefly: After pulling the frozen banana from the freezer, the best way to peel is to first give it a minute or two at room temperature. This short wait allows the outer layer to thaw slightly, making peeling a breeze.
Score the Skin: Use a knife to score the skin along the banana’s length, making a shallow cut without piercing the banana. This creates a starting point for peeling.
Gently Separate the Skin: With the skin scored, use your fingers to gently pry apart the edges. Begin peeling from the scored area, working your way down the banana. If the skin resists, make small additional cuts along the scored line.
Rotate and Repeat: Peel one side, rotate the banana, and repeat. Continue until the entire banana is free from the skin. Patience and a gentle touch are key to avoiding any unwanted banana breakages.
Handle Carefully: Frozen bananas can be delicate, so handle them gently to prevent breakage. If a small piece breaks off during peeling, consider it a chef’s treat or an early taste test!
Crafting Your Frozen Vegan Banana Pops Board
Creating an Instagram-worthy dessert is a breeze with our unique serving suggestion. Arrange the frozen banana pops on a parchment-lined baking tray, place the melted chocolate coating in the centre, and artfully arrange your favourite toppings. Whether it’s gluten-free pretzels, sprinkles, chopped pistachios, or shredded coconut – the choice is yours!
This dessert isn’t just about satisfying taste buds but crafting an experience for your guests. Let them take the reins by combining toppings in a small bowl before diving into the decadent chocolate pool. The chocolate coating hardens quickly on the frozen banana, so encourage your guests to choose their toppings before the delightful dip. Get ready for a dessert adventure that’s as engaging as it is delicious
Frozen bananas are also perfect for banana muffins, banana cake and smoothie bowls. Speaking of smoothies, you can also use frozen banana pieces to make your own banana ice cream (also known as nice cream). To transform a frozen banana into creamy and luscious banana ice cream or nice cream, simply blend frozen banana slices until smooth, creating a delightful frozen treat with a naturally sweet and velvety texture.
Freezing Banana
If you have leftover mashed banana, don’t through it out. Freezing mashed bananas is a convenient way to preserve its sweetness and creamy texture for later use like in smoothie recipes, baked goods, or as a base for homemade ice cream or nice cream. To freeze mashed bananas, simply seal them in an airtight container or a freezer bag, ensuring there’s minimal air to prevent freezer burn. Thawed frozen mashed bananas may have a slightly different texture than fresh ones, but they remain an excellent addition to various culinary creations.
Frozen Vegan Banana Pops Board
Ingredients
- 4 bananas
- 1¼ cups (220g) gluten-free vegan chocolate pieces
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) refined coconut oil, melted
- ½ cup (120g) gluten-free peanut butter
- ¼ cup (35g) pistachios, finely chopped
- ¼ cup (35g) almonds, finely chopped
- ¼ cup (35g) gluten-free vegan sprinkles
- ¼ cup (5g) freeze-dried strawberries, crushed
- ¼ cup (20g) unsweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup (20g) gluten-free potato chips, crushed
- ½ cup (70g) gluten-free pretzels, crushed
- 2 tablespoons (30g) flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel the bananas and slice them in half crosswise. Stick a popsicle stick through the thicker end of each banana and push it halfway through. Arrange the bananas in a single layer on the baking sheet and freeze for at least 2 hours.
- Meanwhile, make the chocolate coating. Pour the chocolate pieces and coconut oil into a glass bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals until melted. Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate chunks using a double boiler. Pour the chocolate coating into a small bowl and set aside.
- Set a square of parchment paper on the board. Put the peanut butter, pistachios, almonds, vegan sprinkles, freeze-dried strawberries, shredded coconut, crushed potato chips and crushed pretzels in bowls of similar size. Pour the flaky sea salt into a mini bowl. Set all of the toppings around the perimeter of the board.
- Place the bowl of chocolate sauce in the middle and set the frozen banana pops on either side.
- Have your guests combine their chosen toppings in a small bowl before selecting their banana pop; each banana pop holds about 2 tablespoons (16g) of toppings.
- The chocolate coating will harden very quickly when it comes into contact with the frozen banana. Allow everyone to dip their bananas in the chocolate coating and quickly sprinkle with their selected toppings.
Notes
