It can be difficult to eat healthy during the holidays, when holiday get-togethers, rich food, sweet desserts and strong drinks abound. If sweet treats are your weakness, we have a lovely recipe to help you satisfy those cravings while cutting down on empty calories and sugar: Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bites!
These delicious little bites take just minutes to assemble, are ready to eat in just over half an hour (most of which is time spent in the freezer), will last up to 2 weeks frozen, and contain just 3 simple nutrient-packed ingredients: dark chocolate chips, peanut butter, and bananas. Choose no-sugar-added ingredients for the healthiest and still very delicious results!
How Healthy Are Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Bites?
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bites are far healthier than many other dessert choices, especially when compared with popular options like ice cream, cakes, pies, cookies, etc. While delicious, most of the aforementioned popular dessert picks are scarily high in sugar and calories while containing very little nutritious value. Two banana bites are less than 100 calories, and the simple, no-sugar-added ingredients are all nutrient-packed!
Dark Chocolate:
Is packed with antioxidants, which in the mouth helps prevent bacteria from turning into damaging acids, reduces the production of plaque, reduces and helps prevent inflammation of the gums, one of the harmful effects of gum disease. Cocoa butter also coats the teeth, making it harder for plaque to adhere to them. But perhaps the most effective oral health benefit of dark chocolate is the compound CBH,
which studies have found hardens tooth enamel, making teeth more resistant to sensitivity and cavities.
Though dark chocolate provides numerous fantastic oral health benefits, due to its high caloric content it is still not exactly healthy or good for your waistline. It is also important to choose dark chocolate with high cocoa content - milk and white chocolate are highly processed, do not contain adequate amounts of cocoa, and contain far too much sugar, too. Choose dark chocolate with 70% or more cocoa content and less than 8 grams of sugar per serving.
Peanut Butter:
Though quite high in calories, peanut butter is also nutrient-rich and protein-packed. It is a good source of healthy fats, lean protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. We recommend choosing a no-sugar-added peanut butter; you can also substitute with another nut or seed butter of your choice, such as almond butter, walnut butter, cashew butter or sunflower seed butter.
Bananas:
While relatively high in natural sugar, bananas also contain fiber and antioxidants which are good for digestion and heart health, while also being relatively low in calories. Bananas are also a good source of potassium, which is an essential mineral for strong and healthy bones and tooth enamel.
Considering all the aforementioned health benefits, it’s important to remember that while Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bites are a healthier dessert option than many others, they are still a dessert with higher caloric and sugar content per ounce when compared with a healthy, balanced meal. Enjoy these treats thoroughly, but enjoy them in moderation! We also recommend swishing your mouth with plain water after indulging in several tasty bites, and as always, remember to brush and floss your teeth at night before going to bed!
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Bites Recipe
Ingredients:
2 Bananas, ripe
¼ cup Peanut Butter (no sugar added recommended; can substitute nut/seed butter of your choice)
½ cup Dark Chocolate Chips
Tools & Appliances Needed:
1 Knife
1 Fork
Plate or Platter
Parchment Paper
Microwave-Safe Bowl & Microwave
Freezer
Instructions:
Slice your bananas into approximately ¼ inch thick rounds.
Spread about a teaspoon of peanut butter on one banana slice and top it with another slice of banana – you are essentially making tiny banana+peanut butter sandwiches!
Place your banana+peanut butter sandwich bites on a plate lined with parchment paper (which prevents the bites from sticking), and place the plate in the freezer for about 30 minutes, to allow the bites to harden up.
Once your banana+peanut butter bites are firmed up, prepare your dark chocolate. Tip your dark chocolate chips into your microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until the chocolate is smooth and creamy. (You can melt the chocolate in a saucepan on the stovetop if you prefer, but the microwave method is quicker and easier!)
Retrieve your platter of banana bites from the freezer and, using your fork, dip each one halfway into the melted chocolate. (If you wish to fully cover the banana bites with dark chocolate, you will need to double the amount of dark chocolate chips to 1 cup.)
Place the now chocolate-covered bites back onto the parchment lined platter and into the freezer for about 15 minutes to let the chocolate harden. Once the chocolate is set, enjoy your utterly delicious Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bites!
Notes:
If you wish to enjoy your bites later, you can freeze them easily in a freezer-safe container, and they will last for up to two weeks! If the bites have been frozen for a while, they get quite hard and can be difficult to eat, so we recommend removing frozen bites from the freezer and letting them thaw out at room temperature for about 5 minutes before eating.
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