There is something about popsicles that makes a day feel like summer, even on a cloudy, rainy day. That dripping coldness as it runs down your chin and you try to catch it with your tongue; that icy brain freeze from biting into the popsicle before it completely melts; and trying to catch those final bites before it falls off the stick onto the ground.
I have what my mom calls the ice cream gene. If I am offered the chance to get some ice cream, I will almost always say yes. It could be freezing outside, and I will still gobble down that bowl of ice cream. I’m not alone in my ice cream gene, though. My grandmother, mom, aunt, and Little Miss all have it, too.
But you know, if I’m going to give my kids ice cream and popsicles, I do try to make them at least a smidge healthy. I’m not talking about hiding vegetables in ice cream – I’m not desperate yet – but I do try to use whole fruit instead of flavoring and natural sugars instead of syrup. So this is the basis of this healthy summer snack!
The other thing I love about popsicles and ice cream and other healthy summer snacks that I’ve featured as that they are easy to make with the kids. I mean, after all, I’m a parenting blog, not a food blog! So I try to always keep in mind that I want my little ones doing the majority of the work.
Today, even though it was cloudy and rainy, we made chocolate-covered banana popsicles! Last year we made these orange cremesicle popsicles and it was love at first sight from me and the kids. Those suckers (every pun intended) did not last long. I have a feeling these banana popsicles are going to be the same way.
When doing research for popsicles recipes, I comb through popsicles recipes in books and on Pinterest. I look for what fruits seem to be most popular. I look for what is feasible for children to safely help with. I look for what are the common ingredients that make up a popsicle.
Then I sit down and think about my kids’ favorite fruits. Recently, my kids have been on a banana kick. I don’t know if it’s because of the minions from Despicable Me or if they really love bananas, but either way, I’m ok that they eat them. My son goes through terribly fast growth spurts that cause him severe growing pains, particularly in his feet. The bananas seem to help lessen that pain, so these banana popsicles seem like a win-win to me!
Our recipe yields about 8 popsicles, depending on your molds and how full you fill them.
Supplies:
- Popsicle Molds – I like this Zoku Popsicle Mold best. Our popsicle mold is made by Koju, but sadly, they no longer make it. This one by Zoku is almost exactly the same. The sticks have a part that keeps the melting gooeyness from getting all over your hands and it has a stand for each individual popsicle.
- Blender or Food Processer
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Scraper
- Knife – We have this Starpack Knife Set that is kid-safe and both Little Miss and Little Mister use them all the time.
- Cutting board
Ingredients:
- 2 Almost Over-Ripe Bananas
- 1 ½ Cups Plain Greek Yogurt
- ¼ Cup Heavy Cream
- 3 Tablespoons Honey
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- Magic Shell Chocolate Coating
Directions:
1. Cut the bananas into small chunks and slices. These don’t have to be perfect or equal, so this is a great chance to let your kids practice their cutting skills. Once cut, add banana to blender or food processor.
2. Add yogurt, heavy cream, honey, and vanilla extract.
3. Blend until smooth, scraping the sides a couple of times in between.
4. Have a small taste test to ensure appropriate sweetness. Sometimes the yogurt can be overpowering. You can add a little more honey to make it sweeter if you desire.
5. Once mixture is smooth, slowly pour into popsicle molds, ensuring they are not too full. Insert in popsicle sticks.
6. Freeze for at least 4 hours, but overnight is even better. This is the hard part. It is really hard to explain to little ones that the popsicles aren’t ready right away. Sometimes a dance party is enough to distract them.
7. Once frozen and you are ready to finish with the chocolate covering, take the popsicles out of the freezer and run under warm water for a few seconds to loosen the molds. The popsicles should slide out easily without force. If they aren’t sliding out, run them under warm water a little longer and try again. Forcing will pull out the stick without the popsicle attached.
8. Pour the magic shell chocolate coating into a bowl for dipping. Dip each popsicle into the chocolate to coat it half way. Allow coating to harden.
9. Enjoy!
These popsicles were a big hit in our house. Even my husband got in on the action and devoured his popsicle. I hope your little ones enjoy making these as much as mine did!