Frozen Chocolate Covered Banana Slices

 I've been in a bit of a blogging rut the past couple of weeks.  I've lacked inspiration and desire for this little space and it was starting to worry me.  I even started questioning whether I wanted to keep blogging and if it was worth it.  I knew that it would be easy if I stopped, allowing more time for naps on the couch or yoga or who knows what else.  But, I think this was lazy Courtney talking.  It's really easy to be lazy, you know?  I'm actually not a lazy person (I have both a full time job and a small business to run), but I think it's easy to slip into lazy tendencies when I'm feeling tired or run down.

I finally had some motivation for a post yesterday after a run/walk on the trail in the scorching heat.  I was regularly running at the end of last year and at the beginning of this year but a couple of injuries sidelined that. Since I've established a good yoga routine (I do it everyday), I decided to add in a few days of run/walking to see if I could get back up to where I was without re-injuring myself.  All of this is to say that I was craving something really cold after my run/walk yesterday.  I knew I had a couple of bananas and that I should probably eat them to replenish the potassium in my system.  Since I've been seeing several frozen chocolate covered banana concoctions recently, I decided to go that route and make what I'm sharing with you here.

These little treats are healthy enough for a post run snack, and decadent enough for a summer dessert.  You can make a larger batch if you like so that you always have some at the ready.  I tend to prefer eating just ripe bananas (with no brown on the skin yet) so that is what I've used here.  I think bananas that are much riper might be a tad too sweet, but go with what you like.  The toppings listed below are a combination of what I love, but that part is up to you as well.  Maybe you're a pecan & coconut kind of person, or perhaps some hemp hearts and a sprinkle of maca is your jam.  Whatever route you take, just make sure to use a tasty vegan dark chocolate :)

Frozen Chocolate Covered Banana Slices
inspired by this post

2 large bananas, just ripe
ground cardamom (optional)

3 oz vegan dark chocolate, chopped (I used a 70% dark)
2 tsp coconut oil (optional -- makes the chocolate set faster & keeps it shiny)

unsweetened shredded coconut, finely chopped pistachios, & fleur de sel for topping

Line a medium/large baking sheet with parchment and set it aside.  Remove the peel from the bananas and
slice them into rounds to your desired thickness (this depends on what kind of banana to chocolate ratio you want).  Place the rounds on the lined baking sheet and sprinkle with a bit of ground cardamom.  Place the sheet in the freezer while you prep everything else.

Combine the chocolate and coconut oil in a double boiler over medium/low heat.  Stir the chocolate gently as it melts.  Once it is smooth and completely melted, remove it from the heat.  Make an assembly line with your melted chocolate and toppings.  Remove the baking sheet from the freezer and gently place a banana slice into the chocolate, making sure it is completely coated.  It's easiest to do this with a fork.  Gently shake off any excess chocolate, then place it back on the baking sheet.  Sprinkle with the toppings.  Repeat with the remaining banana slices.

When you are finished with all of the slices, place the baking sheet back in the freezer and leave it for a couple of hours until the chocolate sets and the bananas are frozen.  Once the slices are frozen you can transfer them to an airtight container and keep them in the freezer.  Makes 30-40 slices.