1 food 5 ways, Bananas, Way #1: State Fair Style Frozen Bananas

I've grown up hearing a story about my older brother visiting my grandparents and asking for a piece of fruit. He was offered apples, oranges, grapes and probably some other varieties of fruit. But with a little pout on his face, he refused them all declaring they didn't have any fruit because there were no bananas.

I'm pretty convinced that most of my family feels this way about bananas. I'd be willing to wager that not one of us goes longer than a day or two without bananas in the house. So it just seemed a natural choice for my next set of posts. (You can read more about bananas at World's Healthiest Foods)

One of my favorite things to do with bananas is to wait until they get really ripe, cut them in chunks and freeze them. It's good to have them ready for smoothies. It's also good to just break off a few chunks and eat them as a not-too-sweet frozen dessert or snack.

But this week is state fair week in NC. Surprisingly, there are quite a few choices I have of things to eat at the fair. But I have to admit I really miss the frozen bananas (which are up to $3 at the fair now!!) So I decided to attempt my own and was pleased with the results.

My original plan was to use Enjoy Life chocolate chips and some coconut oil to get the chocolate coating on the bananas. I'm pretty sure that would be a quick, easy option. However, I made these on Saturday when my sister was over for a visit. She can't do the cane sugar and also loves frozen bananas. That made me determined to find another option. If you can't find vegan, soy-free chocolate chips where you are, my sister made it easier on you :)

State Fair Style Frozen Bananas
Makes 6


You will need:
A small saucepan
A freezer safe container, bottom lined with waxed paper (I used a 9" metal cake pan)

6 Popsicle sticks - see note #6 (6" lollipop sticks might work too, but I haven't tried)

3 Large Bananas (about 8"), ripe but not mushy. You could try 6 small ones, but if they aren't big enough around, they might crack from the popsicle stick.
4 Tbsp Coconut Oil (I didn't use the extra virgin kind, if you do expect a little bit of a coconut-y flavor)
6 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
3 Tbsp Agave
2 tsp arrowroot, mixed with a fork in 1 Tbsp Water
2 Tbsp water
Chopped peanuts, optional (I didn't measure but probably had about 1/4 cup whole peanuts)

Directions:
If using the large bananas, cut them in half. If using the small bananas, cut one end off so you have a flat end to insert the sticks. (You can freeze those ends separately to save for a smoothie). Insert the popsicle sticks. Be as careful as you can not to crack the bananas. If you get some hairline cracks, it's no big deal, just smooth them over with your finger. Put the bananas in the waxed paper lined freezer safe container, uncovered is ok. Freeze them for an hour or two before making the chocolate coating. They don't have to be frozen hard, but the chocolate will work better if the bananas are really cold.

Chop peanuts, if using, and set aside.

Melt the coconut oil in the sauce pan over low heat. Using a fork, stir in the agave nectar and cocoa powder until combined. At this point, it will probably be clumpy in some spots and watery in others. Add the arrowroot-water mixture and stir until everything is well combined and smooth. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp water and stir until smooth. Immediately remove from heat and pour the chocolate into a plate.

Coat a banana in chocolate as well as you can and then use a spoon to fill in the missed spots. (I used a tablespoon - not the measuring kind) Over another plate, sprinkle on the peanuts. Return to waxed paper. Repeat with the remaining bananas. You can use the peanuts that have fallen on the plate to finish up the last banana.

Put container back in the freezer until bananas are completely frozen. 6 hours to overnight.

Notes:

1. The coating is not crunchy a la magic shell. At first I thought this wouldn't be a good thing, but it ended up being better because it didn't crack off the bananas when we bit into them.

2. There will probably be a little leftover chocolate. It will not freeze to become a candy (I tried). At first it looked like it was going to be gummy candy consistency, but leaving it in the freezer longer, it froze into a frosting/spread consistency. We ate it with our fingers, but in retrospect it would have been really good on apple slices or with almonds dipped in.

3. You can eat them before the bananas are completely frozen, but the chocolate gets a little melty. After they are completely frozen, that wasn't an issue.

4. I haven't tried it yet, but I think toasted coconut would be a nice alternative to peanuts.

5. I was totally discouraged at the clumpy/watery stage and was about to throw in the towel. I suddenly realized why so much chocolate has soy lecithin in it (emulsifier). Then my brilliant sister, knowing that eggs are an emulsifier, asked me what I use in place of eggs. Going down the list in my head brought me to arrowroot! Yay, B, for saving an almost-failure especially since you knew I had just thrown in the last of the cocoa!

6. You should be able to buy popsicle sticks at craft stores or craft sections of large discount stores. Or you can do what I did and rely on the kindness of a crafty home-school mom that can share a few. Otherwise, I may have felt obligated to make frozen bananas every week so I could warrant the purchase of all those sticks. Thank you, L, for saving me from myself ;)

7. I ended up holding the sticks with a paper towel because I kept getting chocolate all over the sticks. Would have tasted as good, but not looked nearly as pretty.

This was the first time I've made them, but I'm sure it wont be the last. Let me know how they go if you try them at home so if the recipe needs tweaking, we can.