Frozen dairy-free grasshopper bars are a minty chocolatey delight. This healthy treat has a chocolate almond flour crust and peppermint ice cream layer made from frozen bananas, dark chocolate chips, non-dairy milk and a certain green veggie for natural color!
While I often think of chocolate and peppermint being Christmas flavors, they feel fitting for springtime too. In the case of these bars, maybe it’s because of the fresh green color. And, fresh it is because that hue comes from spinach! Can’t beat natural dye and a sneaky dose of nutrients too.
The crust for these bars is both grain and gluten-free, and made from a simple mix of almond flour, coconut flour, cocoa powder, sea salt, coconut oil and maple syrup. As for the ice cream layer (actually, nice cream in this case), it’s a blend of frozen bananas, frozen spinach, coconut or almond milk, peppermint extract, vanilla extract, sea salt and dark chocolate chips.
The final touch on these bars is the dark chocolate drizzle. Not only does it add that extra bit of rich chocolate flavor, but creates an artistic design too. I think it makes them that much more appealing!
Meanwhile, these bars are best eaten the day they’re made, but will hold up in the freezer for longer, of course. I recommend eating them within 2-3 days though. The mint ice cream layer gets a little icy the longer these sit in the freezer, but the flavor is still good.
Ingredients in Frozen Dairy-Free Grasshopper Bars
- almond flour
- coconut flour
- cocoa powder
- sea salt
- coconut oil
- maple syrup
- frozen bananas
- frozen spinach
- coconut or almond milk
- vanilla extract
- peppermint extract
- dark chocolate chips
Interested in other healthy fruit-based desserts? Check out my 5-minute peach ice cream and grain-free chocolate chip banana bread.
Cheers and enjoy!
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Frozen Dairy-Free Grasshopper Bars
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 cup blanched almond flour
- 2 Tbsp coconut flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa or cacao powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, ghee or butter, melted
- 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
For the ice cream layer:
- 4 medium frozen bananas (I freeze mine in chunks when they are just ripe, but freeze at your desired ripeness)
- 1 cup frozen spinach
- 1/2 - 1 cup full-fat coconut milk or good-quality unsweetened almond milk (go with almond milk if you don't care for coconut flavor)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4-1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
For topping:
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Prepare the crust. In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients for the crust. Then, add the melted coconut oil, ghee or butter and the maple syrup. Stir to combine.
- Pat mixture down in an even layer with your hands in the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven 10-12 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
- While crust is cooling, make the filling. Add the frozen bananas and 1/2 cup of the coconut or almond milk to a high speed blender. Blend the banana mixture by gradually increasing the grade. Use the tamper to push the fruit down toward the blades. Adjust the grade down and up, as needed. If mixture is not blending well and needs more liquid, add a little more milk (add in 2-3 Tbsp increments -- up to 1/2 cup more).
- Once mixture is smooth or nearly smooth, add the vanilla extract, peppermint extract, sea salt and frozen spinach. Gradually blend again until smooth, using the tamper, as needed. Lastly, add the 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips and blend until chocolate is distributed throughout the mixture. Taste and adjust flavor, as desired (i.e. more peppermint, vanilla or dark chocolate chips -- keep in mind there is a chocolate crust and chocolate drizzle though).
- Pour mixture over cooled crust in an even layer. Place in freezer to set for 3 hours or until completely frozen.
- Remove from freezer and let sit out for 10-15 minutes or so to soften slightly. Meanwhile, melt the dark chocolate chips in a double boiler and drizzle over the bars. Then, slice with a sharp knife into 16 pieces and serve. Store any leftovers in a covered container in the freezer. Eat within 2-3 days.
