Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bites
Introducing my new favorite treat—chocolate peanut butter banana bites. Dark chocolate, peanut butter, and bananas are three foods I eat on almost a daily basis, so it only seemed fitting to combine them for the ultimate snack. These bites are slightly sweet, satiating, and still loaded with beneficial nutrients. Keep them stashed in the freezer whenever you want a sweet bite.
The nutrition highlights:
Greek yogurt: Rich in micronutrients like calcium, vitamin B12, and selenium and high in protein. Greek yogurt is also a great source of probiotics to support gut health.
Peanut butter: Loaded with healthy unsaturated fats and protein—a winning combination to boost satiety and help stabilize blood sugar levels when paired with carbohydrates.
Banana: Contains prebiotic fibers that serve as food for the probiotics found in the yogurt and also provides important minerals like potassium and magnesium.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bites
Makes 7-8 (larger 1/3 cup bites) or 9-10 (smaller 1/4 cup bites)
Ingredients:
3 medium bananas (about 2.5 cups sliced), sliced
1 cup plain greek yogurt*
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
1 tbsp coconut oil (to thin out the melted chocolate)
Instructions:
Slice bananas, set aside.
In a medium bowl, add greek yogurt, peanut butter, and vanilla extract. Mix until thoroughly combined.
Add sliced bananas to greek yogurt mixture. Gently combine with a spoon.
Scoop 1/4 - 1/3 cup at a time of the banana and greek yogurt mixture and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Gently pat down with the back of a spoon to form small disks.
Place baking sheet with banana bites in freezer for at least 2 hours.
Remove banana bites from freezer. Add dark chocolate chips and coconut oil to a small bowl and microwave in 30 second increments (stirring in between) until chocolate is melted.
Using two spoons or forks, pick up a banana bite and dip one side into the dark chocolate. Flip and dip the other side. Use a spoon to pour on chocolate to any uncovered spots and spread out the chocolate as needed. The cold banana bites will freeze the chocolate, so try to work quickly. You can also choose to dip only one side in chocolate or drizzle the chocolate onto the banana bites (less mess, but also less chocolate).
Place each bite back onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Once all bites are done, return the baking sheet to the freezer and freeze for at least one hour before serving.
You can enjoy these straight from the freezer, but for the best texture, let sit for about 15 minutes before serving.
*Feel free to use whatever fat content for the greek yogurt you prefer. A higher fat content will make it more creamy and a lower fat content is helpful if you need to watch your saturated fat intake. I used Fage BestSelf Lactose-Free Greek Yogurt (2%).
