These adorable banana pops, dipped in white chocolate and coconut are a lesser evil on Halloween than the standard gummy worms, taffy brains, and candy corn! Baby bananas are a great choice here, because of their size, but regular bananas are fine too. You’ll need only four and to cut each in half.

Preparation

Peel bananas and cut off the bottom ½-inch. Insert popsicle sticks up through the bottom, about halfway. Set bananas on a parchment- or nonstick mat-lined baking sheet.

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Set the candy melts and 1 tablespoon shortening into a medium, heatproof bowl. Fill a small saucepan with 1-inch of water and bring to a boil. Off the heat, set the bowl into the saucepan and stir until candy melts are melted. (Don’t let any water touch the candy.) If the mixture isn’t pourable, add the remaining shortening. Transfer mixture to a small, narrow drinking glass to make dipping easier.

Spread coconut out on a plate. Dip a banana into the chocolate coating, allowing excess to drip back into the cup. Transfer to coconut and roll until coated. Place on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining bananas.

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To make eyes and mouths, dip the back-sides of mini chocolate candies into the coating and place onto ghost pops. (Alternatively, pipe eyes and mouths with melted chocolate using a pastry bag or plastic bag with a tiny corner snipped off.)

Let sit until firm, then transfer to a platter and serve or refrigerate until ready to serve.

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