Healthy Hot Chocolate (made with fruit!)

Winter and I aren’t the best of buds. I miss the sunny warmth, the shorts + tank top dress code, and ice cream. Banana ice cream that is. I have been known to still enjoy a bowl of nicecream in a snuggly sweatshirt huddled in front of the fireplace, but it does feel kind of silly. Saying goodbye to this indulgent banana treat as the warm weather slips away is hard, but I have a solution…

Melted ice cream! Just a a little heat transforms banana ice cream into a warm chocolatey treat.  All the decadence, all the ‘nana sweetness, none of the chills. The name ‘melted ice cream’ doesn’t do this mug of warm and fuzzies justice, so I’m calling it hot chocolate. But this mug of fruit-filled hot chocolate is better than any traditional cocoa I’ve ever tasted.

It’s rich, warm, and chocolatey, but you will probably need a spoon for this indulgent mug. If you want a thinner more sippable consistency (said no one ever), then just add a splash of non-dairy milk to thin it out.

The caramel really puts it over the top. I made a simple date caramel sauce, then blended it in with the bananas and cacao.

But it doesn’t stop there….

Banana chunks plopped into the mug mimic cocoa’s best friend, marshmallows. Or opt for some actual vegan marshmallows.

It doesn’t even stop there…

There’s still caramel drizzling left to do on the tippy top of this delicious mug.

Okay, now we’re done. Any more decadence would be excessive.

Caramel Hot Chocolate the Fruity Way

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• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 2 1x

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Ingredients

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• 4 ripe bananas
• 1 1/2 tbsps cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
• 8 pitted medjool dates
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

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Instructions

1. FOR THE CARAMEL SAUCE: Blend the dates, water, and vanilla on high until smooth. You will have extra, but if you make a smaller batch it won’t blend. It keeps in the fridge for days.
2. FOR THE HOT CHOCOLATE: Blend the bananas with the cacao powder and 2 tablespoons of the caramel sauce. You can add non-dairy milk to thin it out if you want.
3. Pour into a mug. Microwave for 20-30 seconds until toasty warm. Stir. Don’t microwave it too long or it will start to taste funky. Alternatively, you can heat it up in a saucepan on the stove.
4. Slice the fresh banana into large “marshmallow” chunks.
5. Top your warm hot chocolate with the “marshmallows” and a drizzle of caramel sauce.

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