7/11

Banana Coconut and Chia Popsicles

Cold, Desserts, Food, Healthy, Ice Cream, Sweet
By Emma Chapman

Coconut banana popsicles (via abeautifulmess.com) Coconut banana chocolate popsicles It’s summer time, guys! That means bring on all the frozen treats, right? These popsicles are just that but with the added bonus of being EASY to make as well as pretty darn healthy.

Coconut banana popsicles Coconut banana popsicles These combine some of my favorite flavors and ingredients at the moment – toasted coconut, ripe bananas, chia seeds, and a little bit of dark chocolate. Mmmm. You better believe that after snapping the photos of this batch, I promptly ate one of these for an afternoon snack!

Ingredients for coconut banana chocolate popsiclesBanana Coconut and Chia Popsicles, makes 10-12 depending on your mold size

1 can (13.6 oz) coconut milk (full fat, unsweetened)
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon chia seeds
4 ripe bananas
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon maple syrup or brown sugar, optional*
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup toasted coconut flakes (unsweetened)

*The maple syrup or brown sugar truly is optional here. I made these without it as well, and I thought it was plenty sweet just from the bananas and then, of course, the chocolate. But if you want to sweeten them a little, feel free, especially if you are thinking about skipping the chocolate on the outside.

In a small mixing bowl, stir together the coconut milk, water, and chia seeds. Let that sit and thicken for 15-20 minutes. This is not enough seeds to make chia pudding, but the mixture will thicken some as the chia develop that gel coating around them as they soak. Appetizing term, right? Gel coating. 🙂

In a blender combine 2 ripe bananas (peeled), vanilla extract, sweetener if using, and the coconut chia mixture. Blend for just a few seconds until smooth. Slice up the remaining two bananas and add them to your molds. Then fill with the liquid. Freeze overnight.

Toasted coconut How to make coconut banana chocolate popsiclesNow for the fun part. While your mold is sitting out thawing a bit so it’s easy to slide the popsicles out, prep the outside coating. Toast the coconut flakes in a dry pan over medium heat. Use a heatproof rubber spatula to stir them, and remove them from the pan once they are toasted. Keep an eye on them, as they will toast quickly and you don’t want them to burn.

Next, in a microwave safe bowl combine the chocolate chips and olive oil. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between. After about a minute and half, the chocolate will be melted. You could also melt it in a double boiler on the stove if you don’t like to use or don’t own a microwave.

How to make coconut banana chocolate popsicles Remove the popsicles from their molds and place on a cutting board covered with wax paper that will fit in your freezer. If you have trouble getting them out, run the bottom of the molds under hot water for a minute to loosen them. Drizzle on the melted chocolate and sprinkle with toasted coconut. Then pop the whole thing into the freezer for 10-15 minutes until the chocolate hardens.

Coconut banana popsicles That’s it – easy, simple, light, delicious, and very refreshing. Make some popsicles before summer is over, guys – put it on your summer bucket list! xo. Emma

Credits // Author and Photography: Emma Chapman. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.

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