Chocolate Covered Bananas

Indulge in a delicious frozen treat with this easy chocolate-covered banana recipe. Dip in a simple two-ingredient chocolate sauce for a crisp shell, but you can easily add your favorite toppings for a customizable dessert.

This frozen sweet treat is popular at carnivals, fairs, or beachside stands. But wait in line when you can make chocolate-covered bananas at home! Like fruit popsicles, this delicious healthy dessert cools you down on a hot day.

There are a few key steps to ensure the right texture and flavor. Properly freezing the banana is critical. For this recipe, I use my magic shell ice cream chocolate sauce as the dip, which yields an irresistibly crisp coating. Using three simple ingredients and a little patience, you’ll have homemade chocolate-dipped bananas. The best part, they are easy to customize!

Key ingredients

• Bananas: Select ripe bananas, but ensure no soft, mushy spots. Use medium size, about 7 to 8 inches, for a two-serving piece. Smaller 5 to 6-inch can be used.
• Chocolate: Use your favorite type of chocolate chips for the coating. I prefer semi-sweet dark chocolate for its balanced sweetness and bitter cocoa taste. Chopped chocolate bars can also be used; you’ll need 1 cup.
• Coconut Oil: Add refined coconut oil to the chocolate for a thin and crisp banana coating. Unrefined coconut oil can be used but will have a more robust coconut flavor.
• Toppings: This is optional! However, chopped types of nuts like peanuts or almonds are a classic topping. Using lightly salted nuts adds a delicious contrast to the sweet chocolate. Sprinkles, crushed cookies, small candies, caramel sauce, or peanut butter are colorful and tasty options.

Prepare the bananas

Peel the bananas, then cut them in half crosswise to yield two pieces, about 4 inches long. I find this to be an excellent individual portion size. Use a lollipop or popsicle stick to make a handle for dipping and eating. Insert it into the cut side of the fruit, making sure not to push it through the other side.

Freeze the bananas

To properly freeze the bananas, add a piece of parchment paper or waxed paper sheet on a baking sheet. This helps to prevent sticking. Immediately place the prepared banana on the baking sheet, lining them up so they do not touch.

Freeze the bananas until they are solid, about 2 to 4 hours, depending on size. They must become hardened entirely, or they will defrost too quickly after dipping and release too much liquid, tasting mushy.

Melt the chocolate

To make the chocolate coating, melt chocolate chips with coconut oil. This can be done over a double boiler on the stovetop or in the microwave. I use the microwave method for this recipe, heating on the high setting in 15-second intervals and stirring in between. It only takes about 1 minute or so to achieve a glossy sauce.

Do not let the mixture go over 100ºF (38ºC); it can lose the characteristic taste or become burnt in flavor. Cool the sauce to 73 to 80ºF (23 to 27ºC) for about 20 minutes. You don’t want it to defrost the outside of the banana.

Dip the frozen bananas

It’s essential to work quickly and have your dipping station ready. If using nuts, have them chopped and ready to sprinkle. Transfer the chocolate sauce to a tall glass or jar that can fit ¾ cup of sauce. I use a highball glass for serving mojitos. The narrow volume ensures that the long pieces get entirely coated. Tip the glass as there is less sauce to use.

Working one at a time, dip the frozen banana into the chocolate sauce. Lift, quickly shaking off the excess. Immediately grab a hand full of chopped peanuts or desired topping and sprinkle it over the coating. The magic shell will turn from glossy to matte within a minute. Once that happens, the topping won’t stick. Do not roll the bananas in the toppings. It will create a mess!

Serving and storing

For the best texture, enjoy the frozen chocolate-covered bananas right away. However, if not serving immediately, freeze them on a baking sheet to harden the chocolate shell. This also prevents the bananas from defrosting.

If the ice melts, the fruit will become soft and mushy, falling off the stick. Store them in an airtight container or resealable freezer bag for up to 1 month. The bananas do not have to be defrosted before eating.

Flavor variations

The best part about making homemade chocolate-covered bananas is you can customize the flavors! Try these delicious variations to switch up the chocolate or toppings:

• Chocolate: Try white chocolate, milk chocolate, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate between 60 to 70% cocoa for a bittersweet flavor on the coating. Try ruby chocolate for a berry-colored dip.
• Flavoring: Add vanilla, banana, coconut, almond, hazelnut, or peppermint extract to flavor the chocolate coating.
• Nuts: Add chopped peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, or shredded coconut (it tastes delicious toasted!).
• Cookies: Crush graham crackers, Oreos, chocolate wafers, nilla wafers, and crispy chocolate chip cookies to coat the outside of the banana.
• Sauce: Drizzle caramel sauce, marshmallow fluff, white or dark chocolate, or melted peanut butter or almond butter over the chocolate coating, then freeze to harden.
• Candy: Mini M&M’s or chocolate chips, toffee bits, colorful sprinkles like jimmies or nonpareils, or crushed candy canes.
• Fruit: Freeze-dried and chopped strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or pineapple.

Serving suggestions

There are different ways to serve the chocolate-dipped bananas to make it a fun handheld treat. Try these ideas:

• If you prefer to make chocolate-covered banana bites, slice the bananas into 1/2-inch thick rounds. This makes for a more petite indulgent treat.
• Use a popsicle stick to make them easy to grab. Paper straws work well too!
• Add a lollipop or cake pop stick and wrap it in a plastic bag with a colorful twist tie to serve for parties or as a gift to make it easy to grab. Colorful paper straws or short
• To catch any toppings or chocolate pieces when eating, poke a paper cupcake liner through the stick. I do this with popsicles for my kids; less of a drippy mess! Check out the photo in the recipe.

Frequently asked questions