Sometimes all you want on a blistering hot day is creamy banana pecan paletas. These banana popsicles have only 3 ingredients. are vegan, super easy to make, have no refined sugar, and are so deliciously creamy that you will keep coming back for more.
This year I'm participating in #paletaweek hosted by Lola's Cocina, which is a Mexican recipe blog. It is not vegan, but Lola has a huge selection of agua fresca and paleta recipes that are almost all vegan. There are so many possibilities with paletas, the options are endless. Paletas in Mexico are usually made with fresh fruits that are in season. The paletas themselves have tons of fruit pieces and are just the right amount of sweet. Vendors sell them on the street in small refrigerated carts, and the flavors can range from classic strawberry to the unconventional sweet corn flavor. My absolute favorite is coconut, and in second place mango con chamoy.
One of my favorite ice creams is butter pecan or just plain pecan. When I set out to make these paletas I wanted them to be pecan flavored, but I didn't want to add a ton of refined sugar to them. So I decided to use bananas instead of a plant milk. The result surpassed my expectations! The banana gives this paleta its sweetness, but at the same time, the pecan flavor doesn't get lost in the mix. The heat here in San Antonio has been pretty intense, and testing these paletas several times this week definitely made things better.
The Recipe: Creamy Banana Pecan Paletas
Make sure you freeze the bananas beforehand, otherwise your paletas will turn a sad grayish-brown color. Feel free to add a bit more almond milk if your blender is having trouble processing the bananas. You can also roast the pecans in the oven for a more intense pecan flavor.
Creamy Banana Pecan Paletas
Ingredients
- 5 Bananas, ripe, peeled, cut into rounds, and frozen overnight
- ½ cup Almond milk, vanilla, unsweetened
- ⅓ cup + 3 tbsp Chopped pecans
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Freeze peeled and cut bananas overnight in a Ziploc bag.
- The following day place the bananas and almond milk in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
- If the mixture is too thick you can add some more almond milk.
- You must work quickly otherwise your bananas will start to turn brown.
- Add 1/3 cup of the chopped pecans and mix pulse for 2 to 3 seconds.
- Pour the banana-almond milk mixture into a piping bag.
- Pour the mixture into your popsicle molds and top with a generous sprinkle of chopped pecans.
- Place the lid on your popsicle molds, insert popsicle sticks, and freeze overnight.
These were pretty tasty! I did have to add extra almond milk (almost a whole cup) and I doubled the amount of pecans since we love nuts. Next time with add a teaspoon of vanilla to the mixture and maybe try dipping the frozen paletas in dark chocolate and more crush pecans. Thanks for the recipe!