EASTER FROZEN BANANA ANIMAL TREATS

Easter is one of my favorite holidays for so many reasons including the adorable animals (especially bunnies)! These Easter Frozen Banana Animal treats or “bananimals” are an easy and delicious way to create all of the cute animals of spring for an ear-resistable snack or dessert. Taffy and itty-bitty marshmallows make decorating simple and fun for little ones, and they will be amazed to watch the melted chocolate and coconut oil transform into a shell on the frozen bananas.

Easter Bananimals – Ingredients: (Makes 8 bananimal pops)

• 4 ripe bananas
• 8 popsicle sticks
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• ½ cup milk chocolate chips
• 3 Tablespoons refined coconut oil
• Yellow oil-based food coloring (also called candy coloring)
• Rainbow jimmies
• Mallow bits, or itty bitty hot cocoa marshmallows
• 3 small marshmallows
• 3 Small heart sprinkles
• 2 orange rainbow chips
• 3 pieces chocolate taffy
• 2 pieces yellow taffy
• 3 pieces white taffy

*All cutting should be done by an adult.

Instructions:

Step 1. Cut the bananas in half and carefully remove the peels. Gently add a popsicle stick to each half being careful not to push too hard or the bananas will split ☺. Place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper, and transfer to your freezer for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Step 2. Once you are ready to decorate, you will need 3 heatproof cups or bowls for melting the chocolate chips (I found that short mason jars work really well for this). Place ½ cup of the white chocolate chips in two of the jars, and the milk chocolate chips in the third jar. Add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to each jar. Heat the jars in the microwave, in 20-second intervals, stirring in between each interval until smooth and completely melted. Add a few drops of yellow candy coloring to one of the jars of melted white chocolate and stir to combine. Any of the melted chips can be reheated the same way if they harden while decorating.

Step 3. To make the chicks, dip 2 of the frozen bananas into the yellow chocolate. Hold the banana pops over the chocolate to let the excess drip off (the chocolate shell will set quickly). Transfer the bananas back to your baking tray in the freezer. Cut the 2 pieces of yellow taffy in half, heat the pieces in the microwave (on a heat proof plate) for about 5-7 seconds or until they become pliable. Mold each half into a teardrop shape to form the wings. Using more of the yellow chocolate shell, attach the wings, orange chips (for the beaks), and yellow jimmies to the tops of each banana for feathers. Use a toothpick dipped into a little of the milk chocolate chips to add the eyes to each chick, and then place them back in the freezer.

Step 4. To make the bunnies, dip 3 more of the frozen bananas in either the melted white or milk chocolate (or a combination of the 2). Transfer to the freezer while making the ears and paws. For the white chocolate dipped bunnies, heat a piece of white taffy as you did for the chicks, and use it to form the ears and paws. For the milk chocolate bunnies, repeat this process with the chocolate taffy. Use a little more of the melted white or milk chocolate to attach the ears and paws to each as well as a sprinkle heart for the nose, and 2 chocolate or white jimmies to each side for whiskers. You can also use a toothpick dipped in the opposite color chocolate (white for the milk choc bunnies, and milk for the white choc bunnies) to draw their eyes and mouths. Add a small marshmallow tail to each and place them back in the freezer.

Step 5. To make the fuzzy lambs, dip the last 3 bananas in your choice of melted milk or white chocolate chips and immediately either sprinkle the marshmallow bits over the chocolate, or roll the banana over a plate full of the marshmallows, leaving a small circular space free for the face. If you are having trouble covering the whole banana before the chocolate sets, you can use a spoon to drizzle more chocolate on working in small sections. Place the bananas back in the freezer. Repeat the process you used for the bunnies, and heat the chocolate and white taffy, to match your lambs, to make the ears and feet. Use more of the melted chocolate to attach the taffy pieces, and a toothpick dipped in either the milk or white chocolate to draw the faces onto each lamb banana, and place them back in your freezer.

Enjoy your cute bananimals right away, or transfer them to a freezer safe container for storage. They are sure to bring a smile to any bunny’s face. Check out these fruit and yogurt pops for even more Easter fun!

Check out more creative Spring and Easter ideas for kids. 

Yield: Makes 8 banaimal pops

EASTER FROZEN BANANA ANIMAL TREATS

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These Easter Frozen Banana Animal treats or “bananimals” are an easy and delicious way to create all of the cute animals of spring for an ear-resistable snack or dessert.

Ingredients

• 4 ripe bananas
• 8 popsicle sticks
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• ½ cup milk chocolate chips
• 3 Tablespoons refined coconut oil
• Yellow oil-based food coloring (also called candy coloring)
• Rainbow jimmies
• Mallow bits, or itty bitty hot cocoa marshmallows
• 3 small marshmallows
• 3 Small heart sprinkles
• 2 orange rainbow chips
• 3 pieces chocolate taffy
• 2 pieces yellow taffy
• 3 pieces white taffy

Instructions

Step 1. Cut the bananas in half and carefully remove the peels. Gently add a popsicle stick to each half being careful not to push too hard or the bananas will split ☺. Place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper, and transfer to your freezer for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Step 2. Once you are ready to decorate, you will need 3 heatproof cups or bowls for melting the chocolate chips (I found that short mason jars work really well for this). Place ½ cup of the white chocolate chips in two of the jars, and the milk chocolate chips in the third jar. Add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to each jar. Heat the jars in the microwave, in 20-second intervals, stirring in between each interval until smooth and completely melted. Add a few drops of yellow candy coloring to one of the jars of melted white chocolate and stir to combine. Any of the melted chips can be reheated the same way if they harden while decorating.

Step 3. To make the chicks, dip 2 of the frozen bananas into the yellow chocolate. Hold the banana pops over the chocolate to let the excess drip off (the chocolate shell will set quickly). Transfer the bananas back to your baking tray in the freezer. Cut the 2 pieces of yellow taffy in half, heat the pieces in the microwave (on a heat proof plate) for about 5-7 seconds or until they become pliable. Mold each half into a teardrop shape to form the wings. Using more of the yellow chocolate shell, attach the wings, orange chips (for the beaks), and yellow jimmies to the tops of each banana for feathers. Use a toothpick dipped into a little of the milk chocolate chips to add the eyes to each chick, and then place them back in the freezer.

Step 4. To make the bunnies, dip 3 more of the frozen bananas in either the melted white or milk chocolate (or a combination of the 2). Transfer to the freezer while making the ears and paws. For the white chocolate dipped bunnies, heat a piece of white taffy as you did for the chicks, and use it to form the ears and paws. For the milk chocolate bunnies, repeat this process with the chocolate taffy. Use a little more of the melted white or milk chocolate to attach the ears and paws to each as well as a sprinkle heart for the nose, and 2 chocolate or white jimmies to each side for whiskers. You can also use a toothpick dipped in the opposite color chocolate (white for the milk choc bunnies, and milk for the white choc bunnies) to draw their eyes and mouths. Add a small marshmallow tail to each and place them back in the freezer.

Step 5. To make the fuzzy lambs, dip the last 3 bananas in your choice of melted milk or white chocolate chips and immediately either sprinkle the marshmallow bits over the chocolate, or roll the banana over a plate full of the marshmallows, leaving a small circular space free for the face. If you are having trouble covering the whole banana before the chocolate sets, you can use a spoon to drizzle more chocolate on working in small sections. Place the bananas back in the freezer. Repeat the process you used for the bunnies, and heat the chocolate and white taffy, to match your lambs, to make the ears and feet. Use more of the melted chocolate to attach the taffy pieces, and a toothpick dipped in either the milk or white chocolate to draw the faces onto each lamb banana, and place them back in your freezer.

Enjoy your cute bananimals right away, or transfer them to a freezer safe container for storage.

Notes

*All cutting should be done by an adult.

Jessica Lucius is a food and flatlay stylist with a fondness for baking, making, and all things cute. She’s also the founder and creative force behind her newly established blog, Luxe and the Lady, where she shares fun ways to bring her favorite animals and childhood characters to life with food. When Jessica’s not busy playing with her food, or at the grocery picking out just the right ingredient to turn into eyes and ears, you can find her trail running, working out, reading, recipe testing, and playing with her fluffy baby lionhead bunny, Marshmallow. Follow Jessica on Instagram @luxeandthelady.

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