Turn Sliced Bananas Into The Ultimate Sweet Snack With A Freezer Hack

When you're craving a sweet treat, it's easy to resort to anything from cookies to cupcakes or even a milkshake. But sometimes you want something that also had added nutrients, and it's tough to find one in the dessert aisle. Next time you're craving a chocolate-filled snack, try making an easy combination of chocolate, peanut butter, and bananas using a simple freezer trick — no baking required.

Thin banana slices make the perfect base for an easy frozen dessert because they freeze well enough to hold other toppings, but they don't get so rock solid that they're hard to eat. All you have to do is arrange them on a baking sheet, so they're all touching (add a little parchment paper, so they don't stick to the sheet pan), then top them with any toppings you want, and pop them in the freezer. Depending on the thickness of the chocolate and bananas, the snack will need at least an hour to fully freeze. To make sure the bananas don't soften, keep the bark in the freezer unless you're eating it. Otherwise, everything will defrost and change the bark's texture. It's easy to get creative with this recipe, adding anything from chocolate to peanut butter to any sweet toppings of your choice.

Make sure each piece of banana is evenly sliced and connected on the baking sheet — this creates a "bark" effect, allowing you to break up the banana pieces once they're fully frozen. The easiest way to make this dessert is to add a thin layer of peanut butter, top it with a thin layer of melted chocolate, then let the entire banana bark freeze. Once it's fully set, break it into pieces, and that's it.

In addition to peanut butter and chocolate, though, there are plenty of other toppings that can take this treat to the next level. You can skip the peanut butter altogether if you're looking for a nut-free version, or opt for crushed peanuts instead of peanut butter to give the dish plenty of texture. Other options include pairing the chocolate layer with sprinkles, adding coconut flakes on top, or even adding dehydrated fruit. For an extra hint of sweet, top it with a caramel drizzle before freezing, leaving you with the nutrients from the bananas, protein from the peanut butter, and all of the sweet, delicious flavor from the chocolate and caramel.