BANANA POPS

Everyone loves an ice cream or ice lolly this time of year; it’s not really Summer without an icey treat to cool ya down, but I am always on the look out for healthier alternatives to treats like this. There’s just something way more satisfying about devouring a homemade version without all the added artificial nasties! These are the perfect ice cream substitute, and if you have a couple of them, they even count as one of your five a day ;)

I’ve seen this idea floating around instagram/pinterest for ages now, so thought I would give it a go myself, and was amazed at how effective and deliciousss it was for such a quick and easy idea.

They are so so simple and fun to make. You can get creative with the toppings and go as healthy as you like or just treat yourself! I definitely recommend opting for freeze-dried raspberries/strawberries as an alternative to sprinkles. They look just as cute, taste even better AND they are literally just fruit, what’s not to love! Keep reading for a quick round up of the recipe/how-to...

 You will need;

- Bananas (1/2 per pop!)

- 1-2 100g bars Dark Choc (I used 85% cocoa)

- Lollypop sticks (I found mine in Tiger)

- Toppings of choice, I used:

- Dessicated Coconut

- Pistachios

- Rose Petals

- Freeze dried Raspberries and Strawberries

- Goji Berries 

How to make:

• Begin by peeling and prepping the bananas - I halved mine so they would fit the lolly sticks, but they would also look cute in little bitesized pieces on cocktail sticks!
• Once all your banana pieces are prepped, carefully push the lolly stick through the centre. This can be tricky especially if you are working with jumbo sticks like mine! So be careful to not poke them out the other end (I had a few failed attempts...)
• Next step is to melt the chocolate. I did this using a heatproof bowl over some boiling water in a saucepan, or you could just pop it in a bowl in the microwave on a super low heat. 
• Once the choc is melted spoon it over the banana pieces until they are fully covered, and pop on a plate or baking tray
• Now for the fun part.. the toppings! I think opting for a few contrasting toppings works really well to make these looking inviting and that little bit more profesh. Coconut and chocolate is a simple and classic combo, but also one of the tastiest! I also got a bit fancy and added some rose petals to my pistachio encrusted pops, which added a lovely subtle flavour which complimented the nuts perfectly and looked v pretty! Finally my last topping of choice was a berry mix. Dried goji berries added a bit of chew and some superfood goodness, whilst the freeze dried berries added a crunch and burst of sweetness to the bitter dark choc.
• The final step is to set the chocolate, either in the freezer for frozen pops, or as I did in the fridge. When refrigerating they don’t take long to set at all, and I actually prefer this method as they are much softer and easier to eat, but still a nice creamy texture with a crisp chocolatey coating. Yummmm!