Healthier-for-you Frozen Boo-Nanas

Recipe by: Julia Davie, Registered Holistic Nutritionist 

This Halloween, skip the candy and let your children enjoy a healthily sweet treat! Fun, easy to make, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and not too spooky!

Versions of this recipe have been floating around social media streams lately, but most of them contain yogurt, chocolate or white chocolate as the way to "stick" the shredded coconut to the banana. Because this recipe was designed by an RHN, it doesn't use sugary, milky, chocolate: using carob chips instead gives this recipe its nutty, chocolatey taste, but without the added sweeteners. Carob chips have about the same number of calories as chocolate chips, but contain twice as much fibre and are naturally sweet!

Ingredients

3 ripe organic bananas, peeled and cut in half

3/4 cup carob chips

2 tbsp. coconut oil

1 tbsp. raw honey

1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut 

pinch Himalayan sea salt 

Carob chips or Cacao nibs (optional) 

6 popsicle sticks 

Directions

1. Insert one popsicle stick into each banana half. Place the banana halves on parchment paper and place in the freezer for 2 hours or until frozen. 
2. Place a double broiler over low-medium heat. Melt carob chips and coconut oil in the double broiler, stirring until smooth. 
3. Add a pinch of salt and stir until well combined. 
4. Pour carob mixture into a bowl. 
5. Place shredded coconut on a large plate. 
6. Dip each frozen banana in carob. Roll in shredded unsweetened coconut and use cacao nibs or carob chips to make a ghosty face. 
7. Place on parchment paper and freeze. 
8. Enjoy!