Banana Split Skewers

Photo by Katie Kay

These Banana Split Skewers are a perfect low-guilt blend of chocolate and healthy fruit on a stick.  Anything on a stick gets 2 thumbs up in my book--part of the reason I love the Texas Renaissance Festival and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo so much!  Where else can you get steak, cheesecake, chocolate-covered bacon, frozen bananas, fried cookie dough, those swirly potato fry things, and MORE...all on a stick?!?  Heaven.

Fried cookie dough on a stick at the Rodeo!

Sister and me eating a turkey leg at Renfest.  Okay, not a stick.

Mom with Cheesecake-on-a-stick at Renfest!

My daughter and niece with chocolate covered fruit-on-a-stick at Renfest!

You can see the theme here.  So when I was brainstorming healthy snacks for Kaylen's 8th birthday party last month, my friend Janet helped me discover these skewers on Pinterest.  They aren't a good make-ahead snack because the fruit is better cold, but if you refrigerate it after it's dipped, the chocolate will sweat and discolor.  And if you let it sit out, the bananas will brown.
The good news is that you can cut your pineapple in advance and refrigerate it, wash and hull your strawberries in advance, and have everything else sitting out ready to go.  20 minutes before Kaylen's party I skewered the fruit and dipped it all in chocolate.  These disappeared much faster than I expected, and I think it was the only healthy thing I served.
Plus, it matched our pink and chocolate theme--kind of.
Banana Split Skewers
1 carton strawberries, washed, hulled and chilled 1 bunch bananas 1 ripe pineapple, cut and chilled Long toothpick skewers Chocolate candy melts
No more than an hour before serving, slice bananas and skewer fruit.  The bananas slid off easier, so I put them in the middle of the skewer.  In a shallow, small bowl, melt chocolate candy melts in microwave 20 seconds at a time, stirring between.  Dip skewers the long way into bowl, coating half.  Lay skewers on wax paper until chocolate hardens, about 5 minutes.  Serve!
Source:  Somewhere on Pinterest