Recipes with a Cause: 5-ingredient, Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Popsicles

Wherever you are, if it’s summer, it’s probably pretty hot outside (Turns fan on full blast).

This time of year, when it comes to food, refreshing is the secret ingredient we’re all looking for. Have you ever been agonizing about turning on your oven in the summer because you can’t even think about eating hot food right now? Well, we can’t fix your hot food problem, but this week we can introduce a no fuss, cold treat that will leave your feeling healthy and satisfied.

Caitlin, of From My Bowl, has just the thing for those hot summer days. Follow her on Instagram for more recipes and scroll down for your chilled treat!

Hey there, I’m Caitlin!

I make easy-to-follow, wholesome, and budget-friendly vegan recipes that are mostly gluten-free and refined sugar-free. I'm also an avid yogi, love the great outdoors, am chocolate-obsessed, and enjoy eating almond butter straight off of the spoon.

These Peanut Butter Banana Popsicles are sweet, creamy, and irresistible! Made with only 5 healthy ingredients, this fuss-free recipe is the perfect warm-weather treat.

While popsicles may be seen as a kids-only treat, I’d argue that even adults will love these Peanut Butter & Banana Popsicles! They’re the perfect way to use up those ripe bananas you have sitting on your counter, without having to turn on your oven. Plus, you can easily customize them by adding in some cacao powder or cinnamon -- see the recipe notes for more details.

Peanut Butter Banana Popsicles

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 large bananas (~90 g), extra ripe (make sure they are brown & spotty!)

• ½ cup (125 g) natural peanut butter

• 1 cup (235 ml) unsweetened non-dairy milk

• 3 tablespoons grade A maple syrup, plus more to taste

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

• Other equipment needed: popsicle mold

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add the peeled ripe bananas to a high-speed blender along with the peanut butter, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth and creamy, 45 to 60 seconds. Taste the batter and add any extra maple syrup, if necessary (note that the popsicles will taste much less sweet once frozen).

2. Pour the blended mixture into your popsicle mold, leaving a little room at the top of each mold to allow the liquid to expand. Place in the freezer for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

3. Let the popsicles sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before you remove them from the mold. It also helps to carefully run some room temperature water around the outside of the mold, to soften the outermost layer of the popsicle. 

4. Serve chilled and enjoy! Leftovers will keep in the popsicle mold, a freezer-safe bag, or another sealable container for up to one month.

NOTES:

• This recipe will make 8-10 popsicles, depending on the size of your popsicle mold.

• Flavor Variations: replace the peanut butter with another nut/seed butter of your choice for a fun twist! You can also add in some cinnamon, cacao powder, or replace some of the nut milk with coffee if you’re feeling adventurous.