This Banana Bark Will Curb All Your Banana Cravings

It took me YEARS to like bananas. I used to despise everything about bananas: the taste, the texture, the color, and now I just can't get enough of 'em! Now that I enjoy bananas, I am always on the lookout for new and exciting recipes which utilize them. Bananas offer themselves as great neutral bases for recipes, as they contribute to the thickness of batters and are not overly sweet compared to other fruits. The fruit is specifically so versatile due to the fact that it can be eaten as is, smashed, blended, sliced; it's hidden in so many recipes that would never even come to mind.

Behold, the "Banana Bark!" I wanted to create a recipe that would be able to be manipulated in a variety of ways and easy for anyone to follow. This is an especially an awesome summer treat that is refreshing and pretty healthy (depending on what you choose to do with it). I made several different combinations, but you can really put your own spin on this recipe and have fun with it.

Frozen Banana Bark

• Prep Time:10 mins
• Cook Time:4 hrs
• Total Time:4 hrs 10 mins
• Servings:4
• Easy

Ingredients

• 2 Frozen bananas
• 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
• Various optional toppings:
• Chocolate chips
• Almond Butter or any nut butter
• Blueberries
• Diced strawberries
• Diced raspberries
• Pistachios
• Coconut flakes

• Step 1

  Blend your bananas and vanilla extract in a food processor until they resemble a smooth, creamy, ice cream like consistency. It's imperative to use frozen bananas because they will freeze into a better consistency than if used with regular bananas. It was so difficult to not stop after this step and eat the whole thing as is!

  

• Step 2

  Spread the banana concoction evenly across a sheet tray to your desired thickness; I went about 1/4" thick. You can add more bananas to the recipe depending on if you'd like the bark to come out thicker.

  

• Step 3

  Decorate your frozen treat with whichever toppings you prefer. I chose to split the bark into eight different sections; plain, almond butter drizzle, chocolate chips, diced blueberries, diced strawberries, diced raspberries, coconut flakes, pistachios. This part is super fun because you have the freedom to top the banana bark in whichever way you choose.

  

• Step 4

  Place in the freezer for at least 4 hours, no peeking! Also, make sure that nothing in the freezer falls on the open sheet tray and ruins the bark.

  

• Step 5

  Once the bark is frozen solid, take it out of the freezer and break into different sized pieces. I was able to use my hands to do this, but depending on how frozen it is, you might need to break some tools out.

  

• Step 6

  Enjoy this guilt-free, frozen treat!

  

#spoontip: Enjoy your banana bark on the faster side, as it prone to melting. This frozen treat is healthier than the normal ice cream and is super creative for any party or event. Another idea might be to utilize a popsicle mold; instead of adding the toppings afterward, mix them in with the blended banana and place into the mold. There are so many fun ways bananas can be utilized, and this is one recipe that ANY banana lover should keep handy in their collection.