Naturally creamy and delicious banana popsicles made with just 4 ingredients is an incredibly easy treat to make with kids. It is a vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free treat.
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Looking for a fun recipe to make with toddlers? Then you are at the right place. Nothing could be as easy and simple as this sugar free banana popsicles recipe. Toddlers love popping the bananas in the blender jar and rotating the knob.
Involving young children in kitchen activities not only helps them to learn essential life skills but also allows them to explore and try food with various textures and flavours.
While cooking with kids sounds exciting, kids’ safety should be given the utmost importance. Ensure to supervise the kids all the time they are in the kitchen and do not allow them to handle the blender on their own. Refer safety disclaimer for more details.
Don't forget to watch the video in the recipe card featuring my toddler and 9-year-old daughter having fun making homemade popsicles. While it gets messy with a toddler, it is a great bonding time for siblings.
Check more recipe ideas to cook with kids that you might like: apple popsicles, open-faced sandwich, date snickers, mango cherry popsicles, strawberry frozen yogurt, watermelon slushie, and peanut butter energy balls.
Ingredients
- Banana: Large ripe bananas must be used in this recipe. Fully ripe banana yields sweet and creamy popsicles.
- Sweetener: I have used maple syrup but you can leave it out if you think the sweetness from the banana is just enough.
- Spices: I have used ground green cardamom to add a lovely flavour. This is optional so leave it out if you don't have it on hand.
- Milk: To make these vegan popsicles I have used coconut milk. Feel free to use any milk of your choice.
Find the quantities and a short video in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
How to make banana popsicles?
In a blender, add peeled banana, coconut milk, maple syrup and cardamom.
Close the blender jar with a lid and blend until smooth and creamy.
Pour the banana mixture into the popsicle moulds.
Close each popsicle mould with a handle.
Place the popsicle base in the freezer overnight or for at least 6 hours.
Run the popsicle mould under water for a minute to loosen up the popsicles.
Enjoy homemade banana popsicles!
Substitutions and Variations
Chocolate Banana Popsicles: Mix in cocoa powder and blend along with other ingredients to transform it into delicious chocolate banana popsicles.
Alternatively, dip ¾ of each banana popsicle in melted chocolate and place it on a lined baking sheet, sprinkle chopped nuts and pop it back in the freezer for 20 minutes or until the chocolate sets. These chocolate covered banana popsicles are a decadent treat and are more appealing for kids.
Spices: Try adding cinnamon or vanilla extract instead of cardamom for a change.
Strawberries: Transform them into strawberry banana popsicles by adding strawberries. These popsicles not only are bright and bold but are eye appealing for kids.
Peanut Butter: Blend peanut butter along to make it a tasty and protein-rich treat.
Storage
Store these creamy banana popsicles in the freezer for up to 3 months. Perhaps they may not stay that long, do they? My kids finish them off in less than a week!
To save space in the freezer, remove the base once the popsicles are frozen and then store them in the zip-lock bag.
Tips and Tricks
Coconut Milk: It is essential to use full-fat coconut milk in this banana popsicle recipe. The fat content makes the popsicles creamy and prevents them from getting icy or crystallised. So the popsicles made of low-fat coconut milk may not be as creamy and tasty as that of full-fat ones.
Spices: Use crushed or powdered cardamom pods as the hard outer layer of cardamom may not taste pleasant for toddlers. The fibrous cardamom layer sometimes gets stuck in the teeth and little ones might not like it.
Water: Either run the popsicle mould under running warm water for a minute or dip the mould in a container filled with water. This helps to take the popsicles out of the mould easily.
Use ripe bananas to get a sweet taste and texture.
Sweetener: Do not use maple syrup or any other sweetener if you are making this recipe for infants.
FAQ
Yes, you can use small disposable paper cups to make popsicles. Fill ¾ of the paper cups with blended banana mixture, cover and seal each cup with aluminium foil. Cut a small slit with a knife and insert a wooden popsicle stick. Freeze overnight or until banana popsicles solidify. Even the sauce containers with lids or ice cube trays could be used for fun size popsicles.
Of course, if you have time to make your own coconut milk, use it. However, ensure to use only the milk that you extract the first time as the subsequent batches of coconut milk won’t be as concentrated and creamy as the first batch. It is essential to use thick and creamy milk to make popsicles.
KEEP IN TOUCH
Do let me know if you make these toddler-friendly banana popsicles. If you like this recipe kindly consider rating it using stars in the comment section or on the recipe card to help more people find this recipe online. You can stay up to date by following me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or subscribing to my Youtube channel. Or why not subscribe to my blog and get simple recipes straight to your inbox?
📖 Recipe Card
Creamy Banana Popsicles (Toddler Friendly)
Equipment
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250ml ; 1 Tablespoon = 15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml
- 2 Large Bananas peeled
- 1 Cup Full Fat Coconut Milk
- ½ Tablespoon Maple syrup
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Cardamom
Instructions
- In a blender, add peeled banana, coconut milk, maple syrup and cardamom. Blend until smooth and creamy.2 Large Bananas, 1 Cup Full Fat Coconut Milk, ½ Tablespoon Maple syrup, 1 Teaspoon Ground Cardamom
- Pour the banana mixture into the popsicle moulds. Close each popsicle mould with a handle
- Place them in the freezer overnight or for at least 4 hours.
- Run the popsicle mould under water for a minute to loosen up the popsicles.
- Enjoy homemade banana popsicles!
Notes
Nutrition
Related
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Welcome to Flavours Treat. I share vegetarian recipes made with wholesome, mostly fresh ingredients. Every recipe has easy-to-follow instructions with process shots (detailed step-wise pictures), a short video and lots of tips to help your cooking journey. Read more
Ron
Hi Geetha.
Do we use almond or coconut milk?
Thanks.
Geetha Priyanka
Hi Ron,
I would say full fat coconut milk is better than almond milk to get that creamy texture and to minimise icy crystals.