Happy Monday, friends! I have a super important question to ask you:
What would you doooooooo for a Banana Almond Butter Klondike Bar?
Every summer since I was wee, we’ve gone on vacation with my dad’s side of the family to a big house in the Outer Banks. If you’ve never been to the Outer Banks before, there isn’t much to do except for sit out by the beach, sit out by the pool, and eat. Which is exactly what I want in a vacation.
It’s literally the best week of the year.
Part of the huge gaggle of Peduzzis who partake in the whole “Beach Week” thing are my two younger cousins, Sarah and Brooke. They are HUGE dessert fans just like yours truly, so naturally, we get along swimmingly.
So one night last year, we were playing a card game and, of course, the three of us wanted dessert. But instead of digging around in the sweets-filled freezer, I convinced them to go a different route.
And it seriously blew their minds.
We made ice cream out of bananas and Nutella.
Brooke is one of those poor souls who’s allergic to peanuts, and therefore peanut butter, so her and her family always have a jar of Nutella waiting in the pantry. So a couple frozen bananas and a giant glob (…OK, two) of Nutella later, we had a delicious, quick, and somewhat nutritious dessert in 10 seconds flat. #holla
And boy oh boy, I cannot wait to make THESE hunka hunka frozen loves for them this year!
Banana Almond Butter Klondike Bars. Same general principle of our Nutella-banana ice cream, but oh-so much better.
I was a huge fan of Klondike Bars as a kid. Of course, I’d opt for the Reese’s variety. But because I’ve been posting so many chocolate-peanut butter recipes recently, AND so that my little cousin can enjoy these, I made my homemade version with almond butter!
I’m very hot-and-cold with almond butter; some days I eat it by the spoonful, and other days…I’d rather just eat peanut butter by the spoonful. Right now, I’m riding that almond butter train allllll the way to delicious town. I love how rich and nutty it is without being the only flavor you taste (I’m looking at you, PB).
Dearest Peanut Butter,
You know I love you, but some time apart, even if it’s just for a day, might do us some good.
Lots of love,
Alexa
So we blend the almond butter with some frozen bananas. We freeze them until solid. AND THEN…we dunk them in chocolate. Dessert is so much better when coated in chocolate. Can I get an “amen”?
We’ll use my go-to chocolate sauce, coating, and everything in-between for the coating! It’s essentially a healthier chocolate shell made from coconut oil, cocoa powder, and maple syrup. The coconut oil gives this chocolate coating that Klondike-y snap as you bite into these babies. They’re a mess to make and an even bigger mess to eat. But they’re just so fun and so gosh-darn delicious. New favorite summer treat right here!
You know, after I wrote all of this, I kind of wondered…am I totally showing my age by making Klondike Bars? Are Klondike Bars even a thing any more? Have I really reached that point in my young adult life? Haaaalp.
Regardless, these things rock, and you need to make them asap. You really can’t argue with this five ingredient, refined sugar-free, and vegan deliciousness! Best Monday ever.
PrintBanana Almond Butter Klondike Bars
- Prep Time: 10
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 klondike bars
Ingredients
FOR THE ICE CREAM:
- 2 bananas, cut and frozen
- 2 Tbsp. almond butter, plus more for swirling and drizzling
FOR THE CHOCOLATE COATING:
- 2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
- chopped nuts, optional
Instructions
- Make the ice cream: Add bananas and almond butter to a food processor, and blend until creamy, scraping down the sides as necessary.
- Once blended, swirl in an extra 1-2 tsp. almond butter with a spoon or knife. Don’t mix all the way – you want those nice nut buttery swirls in the final klondike.
- Divide the banana “ice cream” into two and pile them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Form into a square with a spatula. If it’s too melty, just pop it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, then shape them into a square. Freeze until solid, about 3 hours.
- Make the chocolate coating*: When your ice cream is frozen, make the chocolate coating. Place melted coconut oil, cocoa powder, and maple syrup in a shallow, wide-mouthed bowl. Stir until smooth. If it’s too thick (aka. glopy), add another tsp. melted coconut oil and stir. Keep in mind that you do want it on the thicker side, but not too thick that it can’t be poured.
- Assemble your Banana Almond Butter Klondike Bars: Remove ice cream squares from the freezer. Dunk the tops and sides of the klondikes in the chocolate mixture, slightly heating and stirring the chocolate mixture between dunks. Sprinkle with nuts if desired.
- Place back on the parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze until set, about 30 minutes. Drizzle with almond butter mixed with a bit of coconut oil if desired.
Notes
*I only coated the tops/sides of my Klondike Bars with chocolate. If you want the entire thing covered with chocolate like the original, double the chocolate recipe.
OMG you don’t wanna know what I would do for this Klondike bar ;) Haha no these look absolutely mouth-watering Alexa! Definitely going to make these soon with all the bananas I currently have sitting in my fruit bowl! Thank you for sharing :)
HAHA. Literally laughed out loud at this. Let me know if you give this a try!
Yaaas you are a Klondike genius!! Love this, perfect for Summer nights!! <3
Thanks, Christina! I totally agree – I can’t wait to munch on one of these near a campfire this summer :)
I had something very similar to this in mind for the blog, but forgot all about it. Now I think I’ll just make some of yours to enjoy instead :)
:) There you go! Sounds like a plan, Emily! Let me know if you give them a try!
Wow- these look amazing! Summer has got me craving treats like these. Will def be trying these at some point! :)
Summer makes me crave all the frozen treats, too! I can’t wait :)
Is before 9am a suitable time for making these? Second breakfast maybe. They look amazing.
Um…is that even a question? These Klondikes were MADE for second breakfast ;)
Wow! These sound heavenly!
Thanks, Sarah! They’re great to keep in the freezer for a quick sweet treat :)
Sign me UP! These look sooooooooooooooooooo so good! <3 <3 <3
:) Thanks, Kristy! We’re definitely big fans!
These are genius!! Vegan Nice Cream Klondike Bars?!?! Best. thing. ever!
YES!! So much love for these :)
These look delicious!!! Yay!! A Klondike I will eat!! I just bought a whole package of Klondikes yesterday for the
rest of the family ~~ but I try to eat more healthy and won’t eat the regular Klondikes ~
I cannot wait to try these and I’m super glad you made them with Almond Butter!!
Thank you so much, Mrs. L! :) I’ll have to make these for you guys some time!
Okay, after I get back from my trip I am TOTALLY making these! YUM!!!
:) Have SO much fun!
These look heavenly! And so much easier to make than I would expect. Perfect summer treat!! ;)
Yes! SO easy! I can’t image a summer day without ’em ;)
I’m going to think about these the entire day. Add this to my must make list. Pinning for the weekend.
Thanks so much for pinning, Jill! I just finished up my batch, and I’m dying to make another one!
I just looked at the forecast for next week and the temps are supposed to be in the upper 80s. Yeah….these are definitely happening soon <3
YAAAAAS! Perfect homemade klondike weather ;)
Love banana ice cream! Covering it in chocolate = genius!
Banana ice cream is the best! One of my favorite flavors :)
Oh no you didn’t!!! I’m in a state of drool-worthy staring right now. You are SO insanely creative!
Aw thank you so much, Chrissa! You made my day :) I hope you get the chance to try these~
This is GENIUS Alexa. I would have never thought to do this, but it is seriously amazing, and I think it looks tastier than Klondike.
haha thanks, Emily! Definitely a fun frozen treat :)
OH MY GOSH!!! I seriously forgot Klondike bars existed until you posted a pic of this recipe on IG. CAN’T WAIT TO TRY MAKING THESE.
YES!! You’ll have to let me know what you think, Jess!!
THESE ARE EPIC.
Haha thanks, Kaila!
This sounds so good! I love klondike bars, and it’s even better with your additions!
I made these once and the verdict is that I will be making more.
Can the recipe be doubled?
Can I eat them all the time?
Hey, Lisa! SO glad you liked these :) You can double, triple, quadruple the recipe just as long as the ingredients fit in your food processor! And eating them all the time is mandatory ;) Enjoy!