Mini Banana Chocolate Pops

I don't know about your neck of the woods, but here it is suddenly hot. On Monday I was making a nice soup and then yesterday, as my son put it, "Ever since I got home from school, I've been sweating." Which was very true. That night I finally broke down and turned the AC on, only to find the air cool but not cold, only to find that the AC would not even bring the temperature of the house down one degree. Sigh.

So today we're on to cold things. These are just about as easy as they come. Though not as perfectly nutritious as these or this, they still have something substantial at their core (which isn't to say your kids won't eat the chocolate off the banana and leave it to become a sliming mess on the table as my youngest did--It's like that old saying goes, "You can lead a horse to water, but he might eat the chocolate off and leave the rest." Don't you just love old sayings?)

Anyway, I thought they were really good, though they did give me a little teeth freeze. I didn't mind; it's toasty 'round here.

Mini Banana Chocolate Pops
adapted from Everyday Food
Makes 8
Prep time: 5 minutes
Freeze time: 30 minutes
Cost: $.90
(bananas: .30, chocolate: .60)

2 large ripe bananas, cut into 4 or 5 pieces
3/4 C chocolate chips
2-3 Tbsp milk
sprinkles if you wish

Cut your bananas into 4-5 pieces. Place them on a pan with wax paper or parchment paper. Stick toothpicks or small skewers in them. Freeze for at least 30 minutes.

When bananas are ready, combine chocolate chips and milk in microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 20-30 second intervals, stirring in between. (If it's too thick, add a little more milk and heat and stir. It should be thick, but not unspreadable.)

Remove bananas from freezer and spread chocolate onto each one. I just used a spoon and globbed and spread. Globbing and spreading is often my method of choice (maybe you should know this before asking me to make you a birthday cake). You're going to glob and spread around the outside edge (of course you could glob and spread the top and bottom too, but that might not be nutritious, right?). Put them back on the was paper and sprinkle (be sure to get those sprinkles on quickly or the chocolate will set and they won't stick). Repeat with other bananas.

If your chocolate becomes too hard to work with, throw it in the microwave for another 15 seconds and then have at it again.

The chocolate will freeze pretty quickly to the frozen bananas so you can eat these immediately if you wish. Otherwise put them back in the refrigerator. Once they're fully set, you can store them in a Ziploc bag.

And you're done. You can eat these straight out of the freezer, but if you'd like to avoid serious tooth freeze, take them out and give them 4-5 minutes before you bite in (they'll still be cold, but not quite as hard).

PRINTABLE RECIPE