Recipe: 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter and Banana Popsicles
The magic of one-ingredient banana ice cream is truly undeniable. Freeze some bananas, give them a turn in the food processor, and presto — easy, dreamy, dairy-free ice cream that you can feel good about eating.
Banana ice cream is a simple, modern classic that shuns fuss and finesse at its core, but why let that stop you from making it a bit more exciting? With just a little extra effort (only two more ingredients!), you can make this frozen dessert into something super special.
To jazz up these banana ice pops, we swirled in some peanut butter and then gave them a dunk in melted chocolate and a shower of sprinkles. For extra flavor and texture, roll the pops in graham cracker crumbs, chopped peanuts, dessicated coconut, or — if you want to be truly wild — Reese’s Pieces. Go the distance.
Personally, I like to keep things simple. A generous pinch of confetti sprinkles is a sure-fire way to put a smile on my face!
3-Ingredient Peanut Butter and Banana Popsicles
Serves 8
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 7
bananas (2 pounds, 7 ounces with the peels on)
- 3/4 cup
peanut butter
- 2 1/2 cups
dark chocolate chips
Instructions
Peel the bananas and cut them into coins. It doesn't matter what shape or size the pieces are in, as long as they are chopped up into evenly sized and somewhat small pieces. Put the bananas in a freezer-safe glass bowl or bag. Freeze for at least 2 hours, but ideally overnight.
Once the bananas are frozen, break them up and put half of them them into your food processor. Pulse the frozen banana pieces, being careful not to overwork your food processor. Once the pieces are small and even, set your food processor to low and keep blending. The banana will look crumbly, then gooey, then like oatmeal. Scrape down the food processor when it seems like the banana is getting stuck. Keep blending until the mixture is smooth, then add half of the peanut butter. Blend for a few more seconds to aerate the ice cream. Remove the peanut butter and banana ice cream from the food processor and load into a piping bag. Fill half of your popsicle molds, tap them firmly on the counter to remove air bubbles, and transfer them to the freezer. Repeat with the remaining bananas and peanut butter. Let the popsicles freeze overnight to set completely.
When the popsicles are frozen, melt the chocolate. Put the chocolate chips into a tall, narrow, microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir well with a rubber spatula, then microwave again for 15 seconds. Stir well, and repeat until the chocolate is smooth. Allow to cool briefly.
Remove the popsicles from the mold. The easiest way to do this is to fill your sink with hot water and hold the popsicles in the hot water for about 5 seconds. Wrap your hand around an individual popsicle mold and hold tightly to warm. Pull the stick firmly, but gently, straight up. It's tempting, but do not rock the popsicle back and forth because it might break.
One by one, dip the popsicles in the melted chocolate and set on a parchment-lined sheet pan to set. Sprinkle with your topping of choice, if desired. Once all of the popsicles have been dipped, place the sheet tray in the freezer for about 10 minutes to set.
Recipe Notes
This is going to be a little tough on your food processor! I recommend working in batches, as directed, instead of trying to do it all at once.
A piping bag is the easiest way to fill the molds. You can do it with two spoons, but I recommend using a piping bag or a plastic bag with the corner cut off.