Make: Frozen Chocolate Banana Bites

Our new recipe blogger is sharing one of her favorite recipes—dessert, of course—by way of introduction.

Frozen chocolate banana bites. Photograph by Becca Boyd

Hello, Be Well Philly readers! My name is Becca Boyd and I’ll be posting healthy, delicious recipes here a few times each month.

A bit about me: I’m a family and consumer science teacher at Radnor High School. It’s basically the modern-day version of a home economics course. Among other things, I teach high schoolers how to cook. Last year, I started a blog, Home Beccanomics (cute, right?), to record recipes and photos from the school kitchen so my students could get the “how to” when they were home or away at college. Over the summer, I really caught the blogging bug and continued with recipes of my own (some that I come up with, others from my favorite cookbooks). I had a baby in September (love you, Tess!), so this year I’m out on maternity leave—which gives me a lot of time to experiment in the kitchen. My husband, Rich, sure isn’t complaining.

That's me with my husband, Rich.

Enough with the backstory. I figure the best way for you to get to know me is with a recipe, one that incorporates my favorite ingredients. So think of the mind-numbingly easy (and delish) recipe below as my “About Me.”

First, you’ll probably notice that one of the main ingredients of this recipe is chocolate. That’s no mistake: If I can incorporate chocolate into a recipe, I will. Second, I believe (within reason) that whole foods are the way to go and that it’s best to eat what you know is good for your body—at least a majority of the time. My husband and I are both healthy eaters, so the things I make for just us will always be light. Next, out of the need to develop recipes that high school freshman could succeed at, my recipes are simple but thorough, and I will take every opportunity to explain the cooking terms that I use. And finally, I hate wasting food, so after staring at the overabundance of perfectly ripe bananas on my counter for a good twenty minutes, this recipe was born!

I love food. I think food is important. I’m excited to share the fruits (pun intended) of my pesky, obsessive, sometimes-time-consuming-but-generally-smile-inducing love affair with food. If you have a dish or dessert that needs to be “healthified” or you want an easy recipe for a certain food, let me know in the comments!

Frozen Banana Bites
Makes 12 bites

3 ripe bananas, cut into 1½ inch chunks
2 cups bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips (Tip: use dark chocolate to save a few calories)
2 tablespoons canola oil

For the toppings (Note: Feel free to mix-and-match here, or use just one topping. No matter how you decide to divide it up, you’ll need about two cups total to coat the 12 bites.)
½ cup flaked coconut
½ cup crumbled graham crackers
½ cup finely chopped almonds
½ cup crushed pretzels

1. Arrange banana chunks on a plate and freeze, uncovered, at least 1 hour (or up to a day).
2. Set up coatings in bowls and remove bananas from freezer.
3. Place chocolate and oil in a glass bowl or measuring cup and microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth.
4. Using your fingers, dunk banana in chocolate and immediately place in bowl with coating. Cover completely with coating. Because the banana is frozen, the chocolate wants to harden quickly. Make sure to get it coated before this happens!
5. Place finished bites back on plate and freeze uncovered for about twenty minutes. Bites can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for several weeks. Let bites sit out at room temperature for about five minutes before eating.

*My husband ranked the coatings. He says graham cracker is best, followed by pretzel, then almond, then coconut. If health is your mantra (of course it is!), go for the nuts.

————

Becca Boyd is a wife and new mom who teaches culinary courses to students at Radnor High School. She creates healthy and delicious recipes in her West Chester kitchen and blogs about them on her website, Home Beccanomics.