coconut chia banana bites

During a recent Costco trip, my mom discovered—and then shared with me—a cheeky little combo of coconut, chocolate, quinoa, and pumpkin + sunflower seeds. They're called dark chocolate "keto nuggets," and they gave me an idea: add some yogurt, swap in chia seeds for the quinoa, and you've got a riff on frozen banana bites. It was one of those rare times when inspiration struck and I had everything I needed to make it happen that same day.

The verdict: these delightful frozen nuggets are a refreshing protein boost around 3 p.m. when energy's lagging. They're also a great way to use up bananas that are nearing overripeness. So slice up your speckled bananas, get your chia blooming, and clear some space in the freezer—your peckish future self will thank you.

A few notes on the recipe:

*I chose to soak my chia seeds, because a lot of sources say this gets you better access to all the nutrients packed inside. However, lots of sites also told me you can eat 'em bloomed or unbloomed—so if you're not into the gelatinous texture (or you don't have time for the 20-minute soak), just toss them in dry.

*The yogurt I used was nondairy and not terribly sweet, so the maple syrup came in handy—I probably could have added even more—but feel free to omit if your yogurt is already sweet, or swap it with honey if you like that better.

*Adding oil to the chocolate chips makes the melted chocolate extra smooth and glossy. I used coconut oil for the flavor it adds, but if you don't have any, vegetable oil will work too.

Watch the recipe video!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon chia seeds

1/2 cup yogurt

2 teaspoons maple syrup (or omit if your yogurt is sweet already)

1/4 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup pepitas

1 or two bananas, sliced

1 cup dark or semisweet chocolate

1/2 tablespoon coconut oil

Directions:

1. Soak the chia seeds in 1/2 cup water for 20-30 minutes. Strain out any remaining water that the seeds didn’t absorb.

2. Combine the gelatinous seeds with the yogurt, maple syrup, coconut, and pepitas.

3. Coat the sliced bananas in the yogurt mix and lay them on a parchment-lined pan.

4. Freeze the pan of coated bananas for 30 minutes.

5. In the meantime, microwave the chocolate chips and coconut oil for 20-second increments until melted and smooth.

6. Spoon the melted chocolate over the frozen banana slices. Freeze the bananas for 10 more minutes to set the chocolate.