Chocolate peanut butter banana bites are little frozen sandwiches: two rounds of banana with peanut butter in the middle, half dipped in melted dark chocolate. Two large bananas make 12 to 14 bites. It takes about 40 minutes, and only 10 of those are hands on; the rest is freezer time.
The trick is a short first freeze. Fifteen minutes firms the sandwiches enough to dip without turning the banana to ice.
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- You need: 2 large bananas, ½ cup creamy peanut butter, 1 cup dark or semi sweet chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon coconut oil (optional), flaky sea salt (optional)
- Slices: ½ inch thick, with about ½ teaspoon peanut butter in each sandwich
- First freeze: 15 to 20 minutes before dipping
- Chocolate set: 15 minutes in the freezer
- Makes: 12 to 14 bites
- Keeps: up to 1 week in the freezer; rest 3 to 5 minutes before eating
Picking Bananas That Slice Clean
You want bananas that are ripe but firm: fully yellow, no brown spots, maybe a touch of green at the stem. They taste sweet but still cut into neat rounds. Spotty, soft bananas smear under the knife, and the sandwiches slide apart when you dip them.
Cut every round ½ inch thick. Thicker slices are heavy and tend to slip off the peanut butter. Thinner ones get lost, and all you taste is filling. Matching sizes also means each top fits its bottom.
Peanut Butter or Almond Butter?
Creamy peanut butter is the one to use. It is thick enough to glue the slices together and firms up well in the freezer. Crunchy peanut butter makes lumpy, uneven sandwiches that wobble on the fork.
Almond butter works too and gives a milder, less salty bite. It is softer, though, so give those sandwiches a few extra minutes in the freezer before dipping and plan to eat them the same day. Each sandwich only takes about ½ teaspoon, so the ½ cup leaves you plenty. A slightly thicker layer is fine, as long as it does not squeeze out the sides.
Why the First Freeze Is Only 15 Minutes
Lay the sandwiches in a single layer on a parchment lined tray and set a timer for 15 minutes, 20 at most. At that point the peanut butter is firm and the banana holds its shape. Leave them much longer and the banana turns icy. Chocolate then sets the second it touches, cracks, and pops off in flakes.
Too short is the other problem. Soft sandwiches twist apart on the fork and drag peanut butter into the chocolate bowl.
Melting the Chocolate and Dipping Without Seizing It
Put the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a dry microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second bursts, stirring between each. Stop while a few small lumps remain and stir until they melt. Chocolate seizes into a thick paste from too much heat or from a drop of water, so keep the bowl, spoon and fork dry. The coconut oil thins it so it coats in a thin, glossy shell that sets with a snap. Without it the coating is thicker but still works.
It is ready when it runs off a spoon in a smooth ribbon. Let it cool for a minute or two; very hot chocolate melts the peanut butter.
Take out 4 or 5 sandwiches at a time and leave the rest in the freezer. Brush off any frost. Dip each one halfway with a fork, let the extra drip back, and set it on the parchment. Add a pinch of flaky salt now if you like; readers have told me it cuts the sweetness. Back in the freezer for 15 minutes and they are done.
When the Chocolate Slides Off or Cracks
- Chocolate slides off: the banana was wet, either from overripe fruit or from sandwiches that sat out and sweated. Dip in small batches straight from the freezer.
- Shell cracks and flakes away: the sandwiches were frozen too long and too hard. Keep the first freeze to 15 to 20 minutes.
- Chocolate gets thick halfway through: cold bananas cool the bowl. Warm it for 10 seconds and stir.
- Grainy, stiff chocolate: it seized from water or overheating. Start a fresh batch; seized chocolate will not coat thinly again.
- Sandwiches come apart in the chocolate: not frozen long enough, or too much peanut butter.
Keeping Banana Bites in the Freezer
Store the bites in a single layer, or with parchment between layers, in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 week. Take out only what you need. After 3 to 5 minutes at room temperature, the banana softens and the chocolate cracks cleanly when you bite. Straight from the freezer they are rock hard.
For a fully plant based version, use dairy free chocolate chips with almond butter, with the longer first freeze.
Questions About Chocolate Banana Bites
What can I make with 2 bananas?
This recipe uses exactly 2 large bananas for 12 to 14 bites. For something baked, try peanut butter banana bread. With no oven at all, a peanut butter banana smoothie or banana overnight oats work just as well.
What simple no-bake recipes use chocolate and nut butter together?
Besides these bites, buckeyes, no bake peanut butter bars and peanut butter energy balls all pair the two without an oven.
Can I use frozen bananas?
No. Thawed frozen bananas are too soft and wet to slice into rounds, and the chocolate will not stick. Start with fresh bananas.
Can I use white or milk chocolate?
Milk chocolate works and tastes sweeter. White chocolate is very sweet next to banana and sets softer, so dark or semi sweet is the better choice.
Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Banana Bites
These chocolate peanut butter banana bites are a no bake frozen snack made with banana slices, creamy peanut butter and melted dark or semi sweet chocolate chips. Two large bananas make 12 to 14 bites in about 40 minutes, only 10 of them hands on, and each bite is a cold, creamy banana sandwich with a crisp chocolate shell. The key is a short 15 to 20 minute freeze before dipping, so the banana and peanut butter sandwiches hold together without turning icy and the chocolate clings instead of cracking off. Pack these chocolate dipped banana bites for after school, an afternoon snack or a light dessert with flaky sea salt. Swap in almond butter and dairy free chocolate if you like, and freeze for up to 1 week.
Ingredients
- 2 large ripe (but firm) bananas
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (or almond butter)
- 1 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (optional, helps chocolate melt smoothly)
- Sea salt flakes (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- PREPARE THE BANANAS: Peel the bananas and slice them into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Keep the slices uniform in size to make even sandwiches.
- ASSEMBLE THE SANDWICHES: Spread about 1/2 teaspoon of peanut butter on one banana slice, then press a second slice on top to form a sandwich. Repeat with all slices.
- FREEZE THE SANDWICHES: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the banana-peanut butter sandwiches in a single layer. Freeze for 15–20 minutes to firm them up for dipping.
- MELT THE CHOCOLATE: Add chocolate chips and coconut oil to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until fully melted and smooth. Alternatively, melt using a double boiler.
- DIP THE SANDWICHES: Remove the banana sandwiches from the freezer. Use a fork to dip each one halfway into the melted chocolate, letting excess chocolate drip off. Place back on the parchment-lined tray. If desired, sprinkle with sea salt before the chocolate sets.
- SET IN THE FREEZER: Return the tray to the freezer for 15 minutes or until the chocolate is completely firm and set.
Notes
Use bananas that are ripe but firm, fully yellow with no brown spots, so the slices stay neat.
Freeze the sandwiches only 15 to 20 minutes before dipping; frozen too long, the chocolate cracks off.
Dip 4 or 5 at a time and keep the rest in the freezer so the bananas do not sweat. If the chocolate thickens, warm it for 10 seconds.
Keep the bowl and fork dry; water or overheating makes chocolate seize.
Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 week. Let sit at room temperature for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.
