6 Recipes For Healthiest Frozen Banana Desserts

It’s summertime again, and that means barbecues by the pool, long days at the beach, gallons of sunscreen, and delicious frozen treats. When it comes to your sweet tooth this summer, frozen desserts don’t require you to sacrifice your health. If you are trying to cool off with a frozen delight but don’t want to overdose on sugar and calories, bananas are the secret to a healthy dessert that you will continue to crave.

Here are six recipes for healthy frozen banana desserts. Not only are bananas full of vitamins that are great for your health, but they also aren’t loaded with processed sugar, preservatives, or extra calories. Bananas are nature’s dessert, and with a little help and a few recipes, bananas will become your family’s favorite frozen treat.

Simple Banana Ice Cream

This recipe, from That Clean Life, is one of the easiest ways to enjoy a classic dessert option without all the unhealthy stuff. Transform bananas into rich and creamy “ice cream,” and you will be amazed at how great it tastes! You’ll also be surprised by how easy it is to make:

• Place bananas in the freezer for at least one hour.
• Add frozen bananas to your food processor and blend until smooth.
• Add your favorite toppings (chopped nuts, diced strawberries, and honey are great), and enjoy paired with your favorite movie on movie night.

Dark Chocolate, Peanut-Covered Frozen Bananas

If you’ve ever been to a theme park or carnival, you’ll recognize these treats from Epicurious right away. There is nothing like the crunch of peanuts followed by smooth chocolate and the intense flavor of ripe bananas. By using dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate, it becomes a healthier take on a delicious old-fashioned recipe.

• Melt dark chocolate in a bowl over boiling water, stirring periodically and scraping the sides of the bowl.
• Place wax paper over a baking sheet, so the final product won’t stick to the pan.
• Push a popsicle-stick inside each banana.
• Dip the bananas in melted chocolate, and carefully place them on the baking sheet.
• Sprinkle your freshly dipped bananas with chopped peanuts.
• Freeze for at least an hour or until frozen, and then indulge while sitting poolside with all of your friends.

Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate Banana Bites

With all the protein of peanut butter and the savory taste of dark chocolate, these Banana Bites from Not Enough Cinnamon are great to keep in the fridge for when you want to fill up on something sweet. There is really no comparison to the taste of peanut butter and chocolate together in one little package.

• Slice the banana into small circles around an inch thick.
• Add a dollop of peanut butter on top of each slice.
• Melt dark chocolate in a bowl over boiling water, stirring occasionally.
• Prepare a baking sheet with wax paper so the final product won’t get stuck.
• Poke banana pieces through the side with a tooth pick, and dip them in the melted chocolate.
• Place tray in the freezer for several hours before eating.

These are great to bring to summer soirees or company get-togethers!

Banana Fruit Smoothie

When your diet is stricter and dark chocolate just doesn’t make the cut, a smoothie is the best possible way to enjoy frozen banana goodness and stay fit. Adding a variety of fruits to your smoothie will really take things to the next level. (For recipes detailing great fruit combinations see Chiquita Bananas’s smoothies.)

• In a blender, mix all of your favorite fruits, a spoonful of honey, and a scoop of milk or yogurt.
• Blend until smooth.

Perfect for an energy boost before you hit the gym or for post-workout fuel!

Frozen Yogurt Banana Popsicles

If you enjoy the rich tangy taste of yogurt, these popsicles from Not Enough Cinnamon may be perfect. Cold bananas and yogurt melt in your mouth, and you can add a plethora of other extras to your popsicles to make them really special on steamy days when the temperatures are high.

• Blend bananas, plain yogurt, and honey together in a blender until smooth.
• Pour into a popsicle tray and add popsicle-sticks.
• Freeze for several hours until hardened.

This is a great snack to have in the freezer for when friends come to visit or when you need something to keep you going while mowing the lawn.

Gram Cracker & Honey Banana Squares

If you’re looking for something that will give you the feeling of camping without the extra-hot fire, these squares will be excellent. Adding a little honey to the concoction will sweeten things up a bit, and gram crackers add an amazing cinnamon twist. Healthy and nutritious cinnamon banana satisfaction in a bite sized package, and they are easy to make.

• Blend bananas, honey, and peanut butter together in your blender.
• Let the mixture cool in the fridge or freezer for about a half hour.
• Once chilled, place a spoonful between graham cracker squares and dig in.

This one is great to serve at parties or for a quick snack in the afternoon!

During the summer it can be hard to stay cool and even harder to eat healthy when choosing a cool-down dessert; but there are always alternatives to the typical sugary sweets. A quick, healthy, frozen snack can not only be delicious, but with the right recipes it can be made in a snap, too. Have a blast this summer, and give these six recipes for healthy frozen banana desserts a try next time you’re trying to keep cool while staying healthy.

Photo credits: Chocolate covered banana one, Banana Ice Cream, Banana Smoothie, Chocolate covered banana two

Grilled Watermelon, Mint, and Feta Salad

Try this recipe: Grilled Watermelon, Mint, and Feta Salad

This fresh watermelon salad can be whipped up in just a few minutes. And thanks to the delicious combination of sweet-and-smoky grilled watermelon cubes and tangy feta cheese, it basically tastes like summer on a plate.

Ingredients: Small watermelon, mint leaves, feta cheese, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt, black pepper

Calories: 122

The Best Watermelon Recipes to Try This Summer

Watermelon recipes

Nothing says summer quite like a juicy slice of watermelon. Not only is it low-calorie and full of H2O (it's one of the best foods to help you stay hydrated, with a water content of 90%), but the brightly colored summer fruit also boasts some serious health benefits. Like tomatoes, watermelon is a terrific source of lycopene, a powerful chemical pigment that's been found to help fight heart disease and certain types of cancer. (Here are more facts about watermelon you didn't know.)

Here, eight delicious new ways to use watermelon this summer, from soups to salads to cocktails.

Make Your Own Detox Drink for Daily Enjoyment & Cleansing

Whether you’re just trying to steer clear of the sugary drinks, or aim to really help your body flush out any toxins lurking in your system, this refreshing blend of foods and flavors will satisfy your tastebuds needs.

Included: Watermelon/cucumber, lemon/lime, mint leaves, and water.

Why Watermelon (or cucumber): Watermelon helps the body flush out toxins because it contains the organic compound citrulline, which is an amino acid that has been shown to help the liver and kidneys filter and get rid of ammonia. Ammonia comes in external forms, but is also a by-product of the proteins our bodies are burning up constantly for energy, and it’s quite damaging to our cells. Cucumber also contains citrulline, but not as much as watermelon. Watermelon may also just give the liver an overall boost.

Why water: H20 is just plain good for us, but it’s thought that it helps flush nasty toxins and waste through our system, giving organs like the liver and kidney an easier time doing their job.

Why lemon (or lime): Lemon or lime juice helps stimulate and regulate the digestive track (which is why it’s so helpful with constipation, heartburn and gas), stimulates bile production, and thins out bile, which allows it to flow more freely. Bile is produced by the liver and ends up in the small intestine to break down lipids (fats) that we’ve consumed.

Why mint leaves: Mint leaves are a nice refreshing flavor to add to your drink. On top of that, it can help you digest more effectively, improving the flow of bile from the liver, to the gallbladder, to the small intestine, where it breaks down dietary fats. Mint also helps relax cramped up stomach muscles.

You will need…

-1-2 liters’ of water, depending on how strong you want it to taste
-Part of 1 watermelon or 1 cucumber
-1 lemon or lime
-A handful of fresh mint leaves (approximately 10-13)
-Ice cubes

Directions

Slice up a good amount of watermelon into cubes, rind and all, and put them into a jug or pitcher. Cut 1 juicy lime into wedges and toss in with the watermelon. Add a handful of fresh, fragrant, mint leaves and pour in 2 liters of cool water, filling the jug all the way to the top. Let this sit overnight in the fridge and let all the yummy flavors steep and infuse the water. When you want to drink it, put in a generous helping of ice cubes, pour, and enjoy daily.

Watermelon & mint

Cucumber & lemon.

Flavor Tips

• Try substituting a lemon for the lime, cucumber for the watermelon, or a combination of all of them.

• Pour water in first and then add the ingredients. I feel like there’s more of a burst of flavor when the water gets poured in and everything swirls around, but there’s something to be said for letting it gently infuse itself as well (the water tends to stay a bit clearer as well.)

• Don’t add ice to the entire jug, and leave it on a cup-by-cup basis. If you plan on drinking it over time, this can help prevent it from getting diluted as the ice melts.

• Start with 2 liters’ of water steeping overnight, and then experiment with longer/shorter times and more or less water.

• Squeeze in the juice of 1 lime and/or lemon and then slice up another and add that to give it a little extra citrus kick.

• This isn’t for flavor, but this drink looks mighty appealing in a glass pitcher on a hot summer day.

DIY Detox Drink

We all have different tastes and preferences, and like to mix things up every once in a while too. Experiment by trying out various ingredients, amounts, and methods (like blending, or boiling into a tea, or infusing into water, etc.) Below is a list of foods that have been shown to help boost your built-in detox system (namely liver, G.I., and kidney function.) If possible, always buy organic to avoid chemical ingredients or pesticides.

Cruciferous vegetables & leafy greens: This group includes a lot of veggie superheroes, and is why you see so many “green” detox drinks or smoothies. Included are broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce, bok choy, and spinach. Broccoli and co. increases the amount of glucosinolate (organic compounds) in our body, which in turn help create enzymes that help our body’s breakdown and digest things. Leafy greens like lettuce and bok choy have the ability to neutralize metals, chemicals, and pesticides that find their way into our systems.

Avocado: Avocados can help your body produce an antioxidant, glutathione, which our liver needs to do its job and filter properly.

Grapefruit: High in antioxidants and vitamin C, grapefruit or grapefruit juice also aids the liver in flushing carcinogens (things linked to causing cancer, like stuff in cigarettes and tobacco, as well as some pre-prepared foods) and possibly pesticides out of the body.

Beets: The systems in the body all work together, and for various reasons beets seem to be helpful to more than one major organ. However, they’ve shown themselves to be particularly helpful when it comes to aiding the liver in detoxification.

If it’s chilly, try making some detox tea to keep you warm and healthy, or mix up an icy cool drink in hot weather. Play around with what you like and keep in mind things you know are good for your body’s own detox system-not things that claim to be a miracle detox system all on their own.

You may also like… Breaking Down Detox: Is it Good, Bad, or Just a Fad?

P.S. Click here to download my free Coconut Oil eBook. It has over 107 everyday coconut oil uses, including uses for- weight loss, pet health, hair, skin, house cleaning, pests, DIY beauty products and so much more.

Make These Gorgeous Pink Salmon Kebabs The Next Time You Have Guests Over!

This dish will bowl you over with its beauty and simplicity. All you have to do is pour beetroot juice over salmon strips, grill them on a pan and ta-da! Salmon is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, proteins, phosphorous, potassium and Vitamins B and D, whereas beetroot is rich in Vitamin C, magnesium, iron, copper, phosphorus and flavanoids. 

Make This Low-Carb Margarita Pizza With A Super Healthy Cauliflower Crust!

Pizza crust is usually extremely unhealthy, since it is made with refined flour that has no nutritional value whatsoever and has the same effect on the body as eating plain sugar. To be able to enjoy your pizza without all the carbs, make this low-carb version that has a cauliflower crust!

Cover image via Home Cooking Adventure

Learn How To Cook Mushrooms In This Delicious Onion Gravy!

If you love mushrooms, you have to try this recipe. All you have to do is sauté button mushrooms with onions and garlic and voila! The recipe calls for some white wine, but if you don’t have it you can replace it with a cup of chicken or vegetable stock, a mixture of lemon juice and water or some white grape juice. 

Cover image via YouTube

Make This Yummy And Fat-Free Tandoori Chicken Recipe At Home, Without A Tandoor!

We all know how fattening tandoori chicken is, but we eat it anyway because well, it’s tandoori chicken! The good news is that you don’t have to compromise on your diet any more. This easy recipe teaches you how to make a fat-free version of this high-calorie dish at home. The best part? You can get the smoky tandoori flavour without a tandoor! 

Cover image via http://www.healthyandcooking.com/

Here's An Egg In Tomato Sauce Recipe That Makes For A Healthy Breakfast

If you’re done with the usual egg preparations, here’s a new recipe you have to try. Poached eggs are cooked with this delicious tomato gravy, making a colourful, delicious and healthy breakfast. 

Cover image via YouTube

Make These Delicious And Healthy Whole Wheat Biscuits At Home To Go With Your Tea!

Biscuits tend to be made with a lot of refined flour, sugar, salt, additives and preservatives. Instead of buying them from the store, make your own at home with this super easy recipe. You can eat them with your tea or serve them with dip!