Some of my family’s favorite lower-guilt summer-time indulgences are chocolate-covered frozen bananas. They’re a little healthier because they have a fruit base, and you can often get them in dark chocolate varieties that have some health benefits.
Aldi often sells name-brand Diana’s chocolate-covered frozen bananas, and we’ve written about them before. I buy a box or two almost every time I see them at Aldi, although the Chicago-based Diana’s brand is not exclusive to Aldi and can be found in some other regular grocery stores. Also this spring, Aldi sold some chocolate-covered frozen bananas under its own Sundae Shoppe private label, which encompasses frozen confections at the discount grocery store.
Most recently, Aldi sold some Diana’s double-dipped chocolate-coated bananas in new flavors. Being such fans of frozen bananas, I had to pick up a box of each to try.
Diana’s Peanut Butter Cup Banana Babies and Salted Caramel Banana Babies cost $4.49 at the time of publication for a box with five servings. That comes out to about 90 cents per serving. Diana’s produces some other double-dipped flavors, including Chocolate Mint and White Raspberry, but Aldi is not currently selling those flavors.
These bananas are an Aldi find, so they’re only in stores for a short time. Aldi does not offer online ordering for products that aren’t in stock at your local store. If you’re lucky enough to have a regular grocery store that carries them, you might be able to find them elsewhere after Aldi sells out. I also sometimes find certain Diana’s varieties at Target.
Salted Caramel Banana Baby on the left, Peanut Butter Cup Banana Baby on the right.
Diana’s gets its bananas from Ecuador, and they are fresh frozen for best flavor and texture. Diana’s also uses a special premium chocolate that doesn’t crack like other frozen chocolate coatings. It has a soft texture that doesn’t crumble into pieces when you bite into it, which makes for a tidier eating experience. Diana’s website also states that they “work closely with small banana farmers and a Chicago-based chocolate company that advances sustainable cocoa farming and improves the lives of their farmers.” Diana’s also says they aim to produce their products in an environmentally responsible way, “using the full fruit and giving the peels back to the earth when possible to enrich the soil and feed animals.”
These frozen bananas truly are double dipped, with a banana at the center, followed by a layer of either peanut butter or caramel, and topped with a thick coating of milk chocolate. Both flavors are excellent, although I’m partial to the peanut butter bananas myself. What goes better with chocolate bananas than peanut butter? Which flavor you like best ultimately depends on your own preferences and whether you’re more of a peanut butter or caramel person. (Another factor to be aware of is that the banana flavor has significantly more calories, fat, and sodium than the caramel flavor.)
Nutrition information and ingredients for Salted Caramel Banana Babies (top) and Peanut Butter Cup Banana Babies (bottom). (Click to enlarge.)
These treats are kosher and gluten free. Read on for more information about each flavor at Aldi.
Diana’s Peanut Butter Cup Banana Babies
One serving has 300 calories, 21 grams of total fat (27% DV), 7 grams of saturated fat (35% DV), 300 mg of sodium (13% DV), 22 grams of total carbohydrates (8% DV), 17 grams of total sugars, and 8 grams of added sugars (16% DV).
If you’re looking out for allergens, these contain milk, peanuts, and soy.
Diana’s Salted Caramel Banana Babies
One serving has 180 calories, 7 grams of total fat (9% DV), 3 grams of saturated fat (15% DV), 45 mg of sodium (2% DV), 28 grams of total carbohydrates (10% DV), 17 grams of total sugars, and 8 grams of added sugars (16% DV).
If you’re watching out for allergens, these contain milk and soy. They are made on shared equipment that also processes peanuts.
The Verdict:
Diana’s Peanut Butter Cup Banana Babies and Salted Caramel Banana Babies are not to be missed while they happen to be in the freezer aisle at Aldi. If you like frozen bananas, these kick it up a notch with not only a chocolate coating but also a layer of either peanut butter or salted caramel. They’re both good, but we especially like the peanut butter variety. Hurry and get some of these while they last.
