Mommies 2 Cents

It’s time to share another great snack idea from Chiquita. This one was a big hit! You know the type…tasty, easy, hands on and FUN!

My kids LOVE going for ice cream. Besides the fact that it’s not the most nutritious treat out there it can also be VERY expensive. Trying to convince the kids that a treat at home will be just as good as going out for ice cream…well, that doesn’t go over so well.

I found the answer I was looking for with Chiquita banana pops! Here is the recipe and then I’ll tell you how we mixed it up a bit…

1 whole Chiquita Banana
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup rice cereal or crushed nuts
2 popsicle sticks
1 sheet wax paper
1 sheet plastic wrap

Peel banana and then cut in half (width wise). Insert sticks about 1 1/2 inches into banana half. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for about an hour. (Better to prep this part before the kids get involved) Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and melt them on half-power, checking every 10 seconds so they do not burn. Dip the Chiquita bananas in the melted chocolate until they are coated. Dip in rice cereal or crushed nuts, if you like. Place on wax paper and put in the freezer to set for at least 1 hour. ENJOY!

Here is how we changed it up. I cut the banana in quarters so they were smaller. Instead of covering them in melted chocolate and letting them freeze, I covered them in peanut butter and then passed them to the kids so they could roll them in the toppings. For toppings we had mini m&m’s, mini chocolate chips, rice cereal, and mini marshmallows. The kids had a wonderful time dipping their banana pops. They loved adding more and more toppings and the clean up was a breeze for me. I lined a cookies sheet with wax paper and put all of the toppings on there. When we were done decorating, I just wrapped it up and tossed it. It you are looking for a hands on (but not too messy) treat for your little ones, this is it!