Banana Chocolate Popsicles (Extra Fudgy)

These banana chocolate popsicles are not only delicious and fudgy but also healthy and nutritious due to the peanut butter and dates. Perfect for your little ones but also for you when craving a healthy and rich snack.

Our family always has some homemade healthy popsicles in our freezer, no matter if it’s summer or winter. Especially my 3-year-old son loves coming home from kindergarten and taking a look in the freezer. If there are popsicles there, he will have one or two (sometimes three). If not, then we make them together!

The ingredients are simple:
– ripe bananas,
– cocoa powder,
– juicy dates,
– peanut butter,
– salt.

These banana chocolate popsicles are one of our favorites, and I feel good about giving them to my son because they contain some healthy fats from the peanut butter and fiber from the dates.

Why you will love these banana chocolate popsicles

• Don’t contain any refined sugars
• Nutritious, healthy, dairy-free, vegan
• Are rich, dense, and filling
• Super fudgy & creamy
• Perfect for little kids

In a nutshell, it can not get more perfect than that! Eat as many banana chocolate popsicles as you want and give them to your kids!

Ingredients, tips & substitutions

Bananas – Make sure your bananas are as ripe as possible. This will ensure that the popsicles are going to include all the natural sugars from the ripe bananas. Dark spots on the banana don’t mean it went bad, it means it’s perfect for making popsicles (or other recipes, such as this buckwheat banana bread).

Cocoa powder – Both cocoa powder and cacao powder will work, choose whichever you have at home. Some cacao powders include sugars in them, so make sure to check the ingredients before buying.

Juicy dates – I love using dates for this kind of recipe! They don’t only provide sweetness but also add to the fudginess of the popsicles, making them caramelly and delicious! If your dates are not juicy but rather dry, you can still use them. However, you will need to boil them for 5 minutes or soak them for 30 minutes before adding to the blender.

Peanut butter – The peanut butter is what makes these banana chocolate popsicles extra fudgy! I don’t recommend skipping or substituting this ingredient. However, if you can’t have peanuts (or other nuts), tahini can work well too!

Salt – This ingredient is very important. It enhances the flavor of the cacao powder and balances the flavors. Reduce the amount of salt if your peanut butter contains salt.

How to make these banana chocolate popsicles?

It is super easy to make these popsicles.

The equipment you need is:
– a blender or a food processor
– ice cream molds.

1. Add all of your ingredients (bananas, cacao powder, dates, peanut butter, and salt) to a food processor. Blend until completely smooth.
2. Divide the mixture among the ice cream molds and freeze for at least 6 hours. That’s it!

Tips for the perfect popsicles

• The riper your bananas, the creamier and sweeter your popsicles will be. If your bananas aren’t ripe enough, wait for a few more days to get the best results.
• Some chocolate chips and/or peanut butter chips will be a great addition here because they will add crunchiness to the popsicles. The diversification of texture is also a plus when it comes to any sweets.
• In case your dates are dry, you can rehydrate them by placing them in warm water for up to 2 hours. Another option is to boil them for 5 minutes, run some cold water over them, and then they are ready to be used.