Imagine silky Banana-Oatmeal Ice Cream... lurking underneath a decadent, crackling shell of rich dark chocolate and sliced almonds.

Sound complicated and expensive? Fear not! These luscious Creamsicles are inexpensive and super EASY to make. No ice cream machine is needed.

lol... feel free to "love/thank" me later... ;-D In the meantime, let's get started.

Step 1: Tools and Ingredients:

Tools:

Popsicle Molds
Craft Sticks
Blender
Double-Boiler (optional)

Ingredients:

1 packet Instant Oatmeal- any flavor
1 ripe Banana
1/4 cup Milk
1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
Mini Chocolate Chips
Chocolate for melting
Coconut Oil
Sliced Almonds

This recipe makes 2-3 Jumbo (1/2 cup) creamsicles.

Feel free to use your favorite homemade Oatmeal, but it will require sweetening. With different add-ins (like chopped raisins), you could easily convert this creamsicle (sans chocolate coating) into a healthy breakfast. Your kids will love you for it... but they might think you've gone a little cRaZy. ;-D

Step 2: Easy Preparation:

Cook the oatmeal as directed on the package. Cool to room temperature.

Put the oatmeal in a blender. Add 1/4 cup milk, blend until smooth. Add 1 Tablespoon brown sugar and the banana. Blend until smooth.

Taste the mixture. Add more brown sugar if needed.

Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl. Fold in 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips. Pour/spoon the mixture into the popsicle molds, leaving 1/2" at the top for expansion.

The banana-oatmeal filling will be thick enough to hold the craft sticks upright. Insert them about 2/3 of the way down into the popsicle and freeze for at least 6 hours.

Step 3: Dipping Time!

Un-mold:

To remove the creamsicles from the molds, don't waste time or natural resources by using hot running water. Just fill a glass with water and microwave it until it's very hot. Submerge the mold inside the glass of hot water for 10 seconds (or so). Give a tiny twist on the craft stick, pull the popsicle out and return it to the freezer until you're ready to dip.

Chocolate Dipping "Magic Shell":

I love Scoochmaroo's recipe for Homemade Magic Shell, but I wasn't using quality chocolate. I needed to adjust the quantity of coconut oil accordingly. This chocolate dipping sauce needs to be on the thin side, so remember that above all else.

Here are the measurements that worked for me:

Just under 6 ounces (165 grams) Wiltons Dark Chocolate melting chips (approx 1/2 bag)
2 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (30 grams) Coconut Oil
1 pinch Sea Salt

I decided to use a makeshift bain marie as I don't have a double-boiler. If you don't have a double-boiler or don't want to mess with a bain marie, just use a small saucepan. Put the chocolate, coconut oil and salt inside the pan over very low heat, stirring constantly until melted.

Dip the creamsicles into the melted chocolate and immediately garnish with a sprinkle of almonds. As soon as the chocolate sets, put the dipped creamsicle back into the freezer until serving time.

To store and serve upright as pictured: Squeeze an ample circle of Chocolate Sauce onto a frozen plate and immediately place the popsicle upside down on top of it. Hold the popsicle in place for about 10-15 seconds until the sauce hardens. Move the plate carefully back into the freezer.

Remove the creamsicles from the freezer about 3-4 minutes minutes before serving.

If you're making these a day or more in advance, gently wrap each popsicle in plastic wrap and keep frozen. They'll keep well 2-3 weeks and possibly longer. I don't think they'll last that long. ;-) Store any leftover "Magic shell" in a glass jar for future use.

P.S. If you love this recipe, be sure to check out my recipe for Caramel Apple Popsicles. I'll be publishing more new and yummy popsicle recipes in the near future, so please check back with me. Thanks for stopping by!