Vegan Banana Ice Lollies (Easy Dairy-Free Recipe)
Make these creamy banana ice lollies with just a few simple ingredients. They’re naturally sweet and perfect for a hot summer day.
A Tiny Bit Vegan Banana ice lollies
If you’re trying to eat more healthily and cut down on sugar, these vegan banana ice lollies are the perfect homemade treat for a hot summer day. Made with only two ingredients, plus any sprinkles, they’re so easy to prepare and loved by both kids and adults.
I adore ice cream and lollies over the summer months and it’s too easy to give myself an extra scoop out of the tub or indulge in a few too many lollies. These are the perfect compromise for me. Yes sure, they are still dipped in dark chocolate but I make myself feel better by the fact that it’s dark chocolate and I can replace the sugary sprinkles, which kids love, with some shredded coconut instead.
And honestly, there is such little work and they’re actually quite fun to make. You don’t need any special equipment to make these banana ice lollies but you will need some wooden lolly sticks. You’re unlikely to find these at regular grocery stores but they are widely available in places such as Lakeland, Hobby Craft or through other online cake decorating suppliers.
Bananas – one of the most popular snacks in the world
According to WorldAtlas bananas are the most-produced fruit in the world, at about 135 million tons in 2022. They were also among the first fruits ever cultivated, in the wetlands of the Kuk valley in highland New Guinea, as far back as 8000 to 5000 BCE.
The humble banana arrives in its own protective peel and needs no washing so you can grab and go. It is also a useful source of potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, fibre and magnesium.
If you’re a fan of bananas you may also enjoy our vegan banana pancakes with caramel. They make the perfect treat for a special breakfast.
Recipe highlights
- No faff healthy ice lolly treats
- Dairy-free and gluten-free
- Although you do have to wait until your bananas firm up in the freezer and for the chocolate to set, there is very little hands-on time to make these
- Get little ones involved by allowing them to add their choice of sprinkle
- You don’t have to add sugary sprinkles, crushed almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts or desiccated coconut are brilliant alternatives
- Double or triple the recipe as you wish then once the chocolate is set, you can keep your banana ice lollies in a sealed food bag or container in the freezer for up to three months
Ingredients you’ll need to make our vegan banana ice lollies
Bananas – you do of course need bananas. Now, the bananas need to be just perfectly ripe. By this, I mean, the peel mustn’t be green, as they’ll have that chalky taste, but neither should they have black streaks. If they’re overripen with black streaks, you will just dent and mush them and they will more than likely break or drop off the lolly sticks when you try to coat them in the melted chocolate. So, no green bits and no black bits on your bananas please!
Dark chocolate – you can use any vegan-friendly chocolate but you will need a good amount of it and dark is usually the easiest to find, and the best value for money. Plus, dark chocolate is generally less sweet than other types of chocolate making it the perfect partner for the naturally sweet bananas.
Sprinkles – these are of course optional but make these banana ice lollies even more fun and colourful – if you use cake sprinkles. But you don’t have to use sugary sprinkles. A dusted of desiccated coconut or crushed peanuts, hazelnuts or almonds will also look and taste really good.
Equipment you’ll need to make your vegan banana ice lollies
- 4 wooden lolly sticks (to place in the bananas)
- I large bowl (to melt your chocolate)
- 1 pan (your bowl must sit on it without touching the bottom to create a bain-marie to melt the chocolate)
- I sheet baking paper (to place your chocolate dipped bananas on)
- I large plate or tray (to place your chocolate dipped bananas on)
- And space in your freezer to chill the bananas and store them once the chocolate is set
What is a bain-marie?
A bain-marie is simply where you use a pan of hot water and a bowl to create steam to melt the chocolate. The technique is also used for other delicate foods that would get ruined under direct heat.
While you could in theory melt the chocolate in a microwave, it’s really easy to overheat it that way and once the chocolate gets overheated and seizes, the texture is ruined and there’s no bringing it back.
A bain-maire is idea because it distributes heat gently and evenly which prevents the chocolate from burning or seizing.
Making a bain-marie in your kitchen is really easy. Simply place a heatproof bowl with the chocolate in it, over a simmering saucepan of water on your stove. Just make sure the bowl isn’t touching the hot water as again, this could cause the chocolate to burn.
Ingredient quantities you’ll need to make our ice cream lollies
This recipe makes four lollies but you can simply double or triple it to make more if you wish.
- 200g dark chocolate (broken into small pieces)
- 2 large bananas
- 1 tbsp cake sprinkle or crushed nuts (optional)
How to make our vegan banana ice lollies
- Place two large bananas with the peels on in the freezer for two hours. If you leave them too much longer than this, they may freeze to the point where they become difficult to cut in half, which we will want to do in the following steps.
- Line a large plate or tray with baking paper to place your chocolate dipped bananas on.
- Melt your chocolate using a bain-marie (instructions given in the post above on how to create a bain-marie) on a low heat until its smooth and runny. Carefully remove the bowl from sauce pan onto a heat mat or kitchen towel ready to create your lollies.
- Take your bananas out of the freezer and slice them in half. Remove the peel of the first piece then take a wooden lolly stick, dip it in the melted chocolate, then carefully insert it into the chopped end of the banana. The chocolate will help to secure the lolly stick in place and it should solidify quickly because your banana is chilled/almost frozen.
- Now carefully dip the banana in the bowl of chocolate until it’s all coated. Work as quickly as possible and try not to keep dipping it too much. You want a smooth finish and the few dips you make, the smoother and cleaner your banana lolly with look.
- Add on some sprinkles or crushed nuts if you wish before placing your lolly on the baking paper lined plate for the chocolate to completely solidify.
- Repeat this process with the remaining three pieces banana.
- Once the chocolate is set, place your banana lollies into a food bag or airtight container and store in the freezer for them to freeze completely.
How to store your banana ice lollies
Keep your banana ice lollies stored in a sealed container or food bag, in the freezer. They are best eaten within three months of making them.
Planning to make these lollies?
Let us know how it goes in the comments, we’d love to hear from you!
Vegan Banana Ice Lollies (Easy Dairy-Free Recipe)
Equipment
- 4 wooden lolly sticks (to place in the bananas)
- 1 large bowl (to melt your chocolate)
- 1 pan (your bowl must sit on it without touching the bottom to create a bain-marie to melt the chocolate)
- 1 sheet baking paper (to place your chocolate dipped bananas on)
- 1 large plate or tray (to place your chocolate dipped bananas on)
Ingredients
- 200g vegan dark chocolate
- 2 large bananas
- 1 tbsp vegan cake sprinkles or crushed nuts (optional)
Instructions
- Place two large bananas with the peels on in the freezer for two hours. If you leave them too much longer than this, they may freeze to the point where they become difficult to cut in half, which we will want to do in the following steps.
- Line a large plate or tray with baking paper to place your chocolate dipped bananas on.
- Melt your chocolate using a bain-marie (instructions given in the post above on how to create a bain-marie) on a low heat until its smooth and runny. Carefully remove the bowl from sauce pan onto a heat mat or kitchen towel ready to create your lollies.
- Take your bananas out of the freezer and slice them in half. Remove the peel of the first piece then take a wooden lolly stick, dip it in the melted chocolate, then carefully insert it into the chopped end of the banana. The chocolate will help to secure the lolly stick in place and it should solidify quickly because your banana is chilled/almost frozen.
- Now carefully dip the banana in the bowl of chocolate until it’s all coated. Work as quickly as possible and try not to keep dipping it too much. You want a smooth finish and the few dips you make, the smoother and cleaner your banana lolly with look.
- Add on some sprinkles or crushed nuts if you wish before placing your lolly on the baking paper lined plate for the chocolate to completely solidify.
- Repeat this process with the remaining three pieces banana.
- Once the chocolate is set, place your banana lollies into a food bag or airtight container and store in the freezer for them to freeze completely.
