These Chunky Monkey Ice Cream Bites are delicious and easy-to-make banana and coconut milk frozen treats coated in chocolate and made with only 6 ingredients! It’s the perfect way to refresh with a healthy frozen dessert.
When the weather gets warmer, I want to turn my classic no-bake desserts into frozen treats. While I’ve already made delicious bites, like my Ice Cream Bites or Snickers Frozen Chocolate Banana Bites, I wanted to make something that had the texture of ice cream, the creaminess and sweetness of banana while still having a crunchy chocolate shell.
I came up with the idea of mixing all my favorite ingredients for the filling: coconut yogurt, banana, and maple syrup. I had to find the perfect balance between taste and freezability because not all blends will keep a good texture after freezing. Some mixes turn crystally, and I wanted to keep some creaminess. So I knew I had to go for bananas.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Bananas: The ideal is to choose bananas that are ripe but not overly mushy. They should have brown spots but still hold their shape when peeled. Riper bananas will bring a lot of sweetness.
- Coconut Yogurt: Use a high-quality, thick coconut yogurt for a creamy texture. Avoid yogurts with added sugars or thickeners. You can alternatively use soy, cashew, or almond yogurt.
- Maple Syrup: I like to use pure maple syrup rather than pancake syrup. Pure maple syrup has a richer flavor and no added ingredients. Alternatively, you can use coconut nectar or agave syrup.
- Dark Chocolate: I choose dairy-free dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa content for a rich flavor. For the ice cream, I include some chunks that I blender with the bananas, and for the coating, I use chocolate chips. But you can use chips for both or chunks for both.
- Walnuts: Choose raw, unsalted walnuts for a natural taste. Chop them into small, uniform pieces for even distribution in the ice cream bites.
How to Make Chunky Monkey Ice Cream Bites
This is a really easy, quick recipe. The full instructions are further down, but I included below a few pictures of the critical steps.
Combine the banana and yogurt in the blender, blend, add the maple syrup and chocolate chips and blend again.
Pour the yogurt filling into a silicone mini-muffin pan and place them in the freezer for a few hours.
After a few hours, take the bites out of the fridge.
They should be firm but not too icy. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a large bowl.
Dip each of the ice cream bites into the melted chocolate.
Add a few chopped walnuts on top of the bites and place them on a plate to go back to the freezer for a few minutes.
Tweaking and Flavoring
- Sweetness Level: Adjust the sweetness by varying the amount of maple syrup or using other natural sweeteners like agave nectar or date syrup.
- Flavor Variations: Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract or a pinch of cinnamon to the banana mixture for extra flavor depth.
- Texture: For added texture, mix in some shredded coconut, mini chocolate chips (not blended), vegan marshmallows, or chia seeds.
- Serving Suggestions: Serve the ice cream bites with a drizzle of almond butter, a sprinkle of sea salt, or a handful of fresh berries for an extra-special treat.
- Storage Tips: Store the ice cream bites in an airtight container in the freezer. They can be enjoyed straight from the freezer or allowed to sit at room temperature for a few minutes for a softer bite.
Tips from a Pro
- Ripe Bananas: Use ripe bananas with brown spots for maximum sweetness and creaminess. This will ensure your ice cream bites have a naturally sweet flavor without the need for extra sugar.
- Blending Technique: You can blend the bananas and coconut yogurt until completely smooth before adding the maple syrup and blending again. This helps to achieve a creamy, uniform texture for your ice cream bites.
- Chocolate Coating: When melting the dark chocolate, the coconut oil brings a smooth and shiny coating. It also helps the chocolate to set more firmly and gives it a nice sheen.
- Freezing Time: Allow the bites to freeze completely for at least 2-3 hours before dipping them in chocolate. This helps them maintain their shape and ensures the chocolate sets quickly.
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Chunky Monkey Ice Cream Bites
Ingredients
- 2 ripe Bananas
- 3-4 tablespoon Maple Syrup
- 1 can Coconut Milk
- ⅓ cup Walnuts
- ½ cup Dark Chocolate Chunks - or chocolate chips
To cover the bites
- 1 ½ cup Dark Chocolate Chips
- 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil
Instructions
- Place a 12-hole silicone muffin pan onto a chopping board. This makes it easier to bring the filled mild into the freezer later in the recipe. Set aside.
- In a blender, blend bananas, coconut milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until it's smooth like a banana smoothie.
- Chop some walnuts and dark chocolate into big chunks and fold in the mixture.
- Divide the mixture evenly into a 12-hole silicone muffin pan.
- Freeze overnight until hard.
- The next day, cover a plate with parchment paper. Set it aside. This is where you will place the chocolate-covered chunky monkey ice cream bites.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil by microwaving the mixture in 30-second bursts. Stir with a rubber spoon, and microwave again until fully melted and shiny.
- Remove the ice cream bites from the freezer, release them from the mold one at a time, and using a fork, quickly dip and flip them to cover them with the melted chocolate. The chocolate shell sets fast, so work quickly.
- Place the coated ice cream bite on the plate and sprinkle with extra chopped walnuts. Repeat with the remaining ice cream bites.
- Bring back for 10 minutes in the freezer until the chocolate shell has hardened.
- Store the chunky monkey ice cream bites in the freezer for up to 3 months in an airtight bag or container.
- Remove for 10-12 minutes from the freezer to soften before eating.
Have not made this yet, I might be missing it but I do not see a measurement if I like to use yogurt only see 1 can of coconut milk.
Yes, the recipe use a can of coconut milk, which equivalent to about 1 1/4 cup of yogurt. The texture of your ice cream will be icy with yogurt, because the recipe is not using an ice cream machine, that’s why the recipe is written with a higher fat ingredients like canned coconut milk
These ice cream bites were so easy to make and they’re delicious. I added shredded coconut to them.
Hello I was wondering if you could let me know what muffin pan you used for this recipe? Thank you for this delicious recipe
It’s a 3×4 silicone mold I bought from a local shop. I tried to see if it’s available online but couldn’t find it. But any standard 3 x 4 silicone muffin pan should work fine!
Hi- I can’t wait to try. Can you recommend anything else to use for sweetener in this recipe besides syrup? Thanks
Coconut nectar works as well