Best No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Bark
Let me introduce you to your new favorite healthy dessert! This is the Best No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Bark that you’ve ever tasted! Deliciously ripe bananas are topped with a combination of peanut butter, dark chocolate, peanuts, and salt. After a quick sit in the freezer, break it into pieces, and enjoy a healthy snack or dessert anytime!
Sharing is caring!
This dessert might seem odd for my meal prep series, but I want to tell you why it fits perfectly.
First of all, this banana bark is a great make-ahead dessert for the week. You could leave it in the freezer until you are ready to have a piece. It’s super easy to take on the go. Just break off a piece of bark, throw it into a Ziploc bag or airtight container, and place it into your lunch box, no utensils or plates are needed. Or you can pre-portion the banana bark into small Ziploc bags after the initial freeze and then just grab them from the freezer throughout the week.
Secondly, it uses simple ingredients and just a few of them. (4 to be exact) Meal prep is all about saving us time and money. A short ingredient list is necessary for both of those things.
Thirdly, it’s a no-bake dessert. That means there is no cooking involved. There are no pots and pans that will need to be washed. No heating up your house with the oven. No splatters on the stove.
(Can I get an AMEN?!)
Lastly, it’s cheap. Bananas are one of the most inexpensive fruits on the market and the amount of chocolate you will need doesn’t amount to much more than a singular chocolate bar. I’m going to assume that salt is already in your pantry and the nuts are delicious but optional. (You could use crunchy peanut butter and kill two birds with one stone at no additional cost!)
One problem that everyone seems to have with bananas is that they go bad before they can be used up. (Nobody likes food waste, especially me!) This easy recipe is a great way to take care of that problem. If you are staring at bananas on the counter that only have a few days left, or even if you have overripe bananas, no worries, make banana bark! One of the best ways to stop that ripening process and preserve all of that wonderful banana flavor is to put the bananas into the freezer.
Be Sure To Pin It For Later!
Let’s talk about how healthy this ripe banana dessert recipe really is, or how healthy you can make it.
Bananas are an excellent fresh fruit to add to your diet. Bananas are high in potassium, vitamin b6, and vitamin C, as well as many antioxidants. I think that people place bananas into the “unhealthy” food category simply because of the carbs, but the truth is we need good, healthy carbs for fuel. (And no one even mentions the fact that bananas have NO FAT!) Bananas also contain a good amount of soluble fiber and for people that are not diabetic, they don’t cause spikes in your blood sugar because of it.
As for the peanut butter, some health benefits might shock you! Peanut butter has a decent amount of protein and fiber. It’s also considered a “heart-healthy” food because it contains no cholesterol and has a good ratio of unsaturated and saturated fats. But you must make sure that you are choosing the “right” peanut butter. And by the “right” peanut butter, I just mean one that doesn’t have added sugar and oil. Read the label and try to find one that only has peanuts and a touch of salt.
The same goes for the chocolate that you choose to place on top. Dark chocolate is bar far the best choice because of its lower sugar content. (I LOVE dark chocolate.) And it contains the most antioxidants. Just think of it this way… the higher the cocoa percentage, the better the chocolate will be for you.
This healthy treat can help you satisfy those sweet tooth cravings without all of the guilt!
Tips for Best No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Bark:
- Choose whether or not you are going to use salted nuts. If you do use salted nuts, then don’t sprinkle the additional salt on the bark. I like to use unsalted nuts because I like to control the amount of salt and the type of salt.
- Don’t skip the step of parchment paper or wax paper. This will save you time on cleanup and prevent the bananas from sticking to your cookie sheet.
- Arrange your sliced bananas in squares (4). My serving size is based on 4 banana slices together. (Think of a banana square)
- You could also squish your bananas make a banana puree and spread it evenly onto your parchment paper for a smoother texture.
Make the Best No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Bark with me on YouTube!
Best No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Bark Ingredients:
- 2 fresh, ripe bananas sliced (If you want a sweeter flavor, use the bananas that have a few brown spots on them.)
- 50 grams melted dark chocolate (I used 72% Cacao)
- 3 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter
- 28 grams chopped unsalted peanuts
- Salt
Best No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Bark Instructions:
- First, prepare a cookie sheet for the bark by lining it with parchment paper.
- Second, slice the bananas into an even number of slices. (You want an even number for the serving size later in the post.)
- Third, spread the 3 tablespoons of peanut butter onto the banana slices evenly. Make sure to go all the way to the edge.
- Then, place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and melt.
- Pour the melted chocolate on top of the peanut butter layer and spread evenly. Again, make sure to go all the way to the edges.
- Sprinkle the salt and chopped peanuts on top of the melted chocolate while it is still wet.
- Then, place the banana bark into the freezer for at least an hour to set.
- Finally, take the banana bark out of the freezer, break it into pieces, and enjoy!
- For meal prep and nutritional purposes, I cut the bark into serving sizes of 4 banana slices.
- You can choose to portion your Banana Bark however you would like.
Substitutions for the Best No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Bark: (Ingredients)
- Dark chocolate – Instead of using a chocolate bar, feel free to use chocolate chips, milk chocolate, or white chocolate.
- Peanut butter – Instead, try using almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, and even cookie butter would be AMAZING in this dessert!
- Peanuts – Instead, try other nuts like pecans, cashews, and almonds. (If you choose salted nuts, leave the salt out of the recipe.)
Variations for the Best No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Bark: (Famous Banana Recipes)
- Banana Split Bark – Spread the sliced bananas with vanilla flavored (yogurt, ice cream, or pudding), top with strawberry jam, melted chocolate, dried pineapple, and cherries, and finish with a sprinkling of peanuts.
- Bananas Foster Bark – Spread the sliced bananas with vanilla flavored (yogurt, ice cream, or pudding), a buttery rum sauce, and top with chopped walnuts.
- Banana Pudding Bark – Spread the sliced bananas with vanilla flavored (yogurt, ice cream, or pudding) and top with crushed vanilla wafers.
- Banana Nut Bread Bark – Spread the sliced bananas with cookie butter mixed with a touch of ground cinnamon. Top with chopped walnuts.
Variations for the Best No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Bark: (Salty Flavor Combos)
- Pretzel Bark – Spread the sliced bananas with peanut butter and melted chocolate. Then top with chopped pretzels.
- Candy Bar Bark – Spread the sliced bananas with peanut butter and melted chocolate. Then top with chopped-up pieces of your favorite candy bar.
- – Reese’s, Snickers, Baby Ruth, Almond Joy, etc…
- S’Mores Bark – Spread the sliced bananas with marshmallow fluff and then melted chocolate. Top with crushed graham crackers.
Storage for Best No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Bark:
- The bark should be stored in the freezer in Ziploc bags or an airtight container until ready to eat.
- Store for up to 3 months in the freezer.
What are the Macros for the Best No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Bark?
Makes 7 servings (Nutritional information below is for 1 serving = 4 banana slices)
- Calories – 128
- Protein – 3.6 grams
- Carbs – 10.5 grams (net)
- Fat – 8.5 grams
Check out some of my other Meal prep recipes!
The Best Low-Calorie Chocolate Protein Oreo Fluff
Easy 5 Ingredient Keto Low-Carb Egg Muffin Bites
If you try this recipe and love it, please consider giving it 5 STARS.
Also, tag me on:
- Instagram – @jessie.w.thompson
- Facebook – @Jessie’s Food, Faith, and Family
- TikTok – @jessiesfoodfaithandfam
Recommended Posts:
No-Bake Cookies – Monster Bites
Best No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Bark
Equipment
- 1 cookie sheet
- Parchment paper (or wax paper)
Ingredients
- 2 fresh ripe bananas sliced (If you want a sweeter flavor, use the bananas that have a few brown spots on them.)
- 50 grams melted dark chocolate I used 72% Cacao
- 3 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter
- 28 grams chopped unsalted peanuts
- Salt
Instructions
- First, prepare a cookie sheet for the bark by lining it with parchment paper.
- Second, slice the bananas into an even number of slices. (You want an even number for the serving size later in the post.)
- Third, spread the 3 tablespoons of peanut butter onto the banana slices evenly. Make sure to go all the way to the edge.
- Then, place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and melt.
- Pour the melted chocolate on top of the peanut butter layer and spread evenly. Again, make sure to go all the way to the edges.
- Sprinkle the salt and chopped peanuts on top of the melted chocolate while it is still wet.
- Then, place the banana bark into the freezer for at least an hour to set.
- Finally, take the banana bark out of the freezer, break it into pieces, and enjoy!
- For meal prep and nutritional purposes, I cut the bark into serving sizes of 4 banana slices.
- You can choose to portion your Banana Bark however you would like.
Video
