As much as I love Dove Bars, I couldn’t afford their high-calorie and saturated fat content: 250 kcals and 40% fat. Chocolate-dipped smoothie pops at 150 calories and 25% saturated fat provided more bang for my calorie budget. And the higher protein and added nutrients far outweigh a Dove Bar without adding to my waistline. My favorites originate from the Almond Joy and Very Berry smoothies. Another favorite is chocolate-dipped bananas rolled in granola, chopped almonds, and coconut. Yuummers!

Recipe Notes: Each recipe yields approximately 16 oz, which fills 4-4 oz popsicle molds. 

What you will need: Popsicle molds, wooden sticks, a tall glass container for dipping, a saucepan for the hot water bath, and a blender.

Ingredients:

• 5oz bittersweet dark chocolate for eah recipe 
• ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds
• 1/4 cup granola
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened coconut (optional)

Preparation:

1. For the Almond Joy pops. prepare according to the smoothie recipe and pour into popsicle molds, and freeze.
2. To release molds, run them under hot water. Arrange the popsicles on a wax paper-lined plate and store them in the freezer while you melt the chocolate.
3. Bring a 2-quart saucepan of water to a boil and set aside.
4. Melt the chocolate in the microwave.
5. For dipping, pour the melted chocolate into a tall glass wide enough to accommodate the popsicle and place the glass in the warm water bath to maintain the chocolate’s consistency.
6. Prepare almond/granola topping and place the mixture on a plate next to the work station.
7. After dipping the popsicle, immediately press in the granola-nut mixture, and set it on the wax paper. If the dipping chocolate becomes too thick, remove the container from the water bath and bring the water back to a boil. Transfer the glass back to the water bath and stir the chocolate to thin it out.
8. Repeat the process with the other popsicles and place them in the freezer. Note: After the popsicles have been fully set, wrap them in plastic wrap and store them in the freezer.

For Bananas, cut 4 bananas in half horizontally and insert popsicle sticks. Freeze overnight. For dipping, follow the above instructions. Yields 8 servings.