International Chocolate Day 2016: Summer fruity lollys for kids and adults from nutella pops to banana daiquiri

Bland home-made ice lollies are definitely a thing of the past thanks to Karis and Dominic Gesua's dedicated book to the ultimate summer cool down

Chocolate Banana Daiquiri lollies make children's treats fun for adults too (recipe below)

There's no better way to cool off in the summer sun than with a frozen ice lolly. To celebrate International Chocolate Day on 7 July, we're combining chocoholic's favourite day with fun recipes to liven up your freezer drawers, with creative ideas for children and boozy adult-only recipes too.

Banana Split

Serves 4 | Prep 10 Mins | Freezing 6 Hours or Overnight

170g banana, peeled and chopped
130ml whole milk
4 teaspoons natural unrefined sugar
A small handful of milk chocolate chips
A small bowl of chopped mixed nuts
50g milk chocolate, broken into pieces
1 teaspoon coconut oil

Whizz together the banana, milk and sugar in a blender. Divide the mixture between the moulds, leaving a 2cm gap at the top. Sprinkle in the chocolate chips and half the chopped nuts. Using a spare lolly stick, arrange the nuts and chocolate chips evenly. Top up each mould with the banana mixture, leaving a 1cm gap at the top. Insert the sticks with the stick-holders and place in the freezer.

When the lollies are fully frozen, put the chocolate pieces into a microwavable container with the coconut oil. Microwave for 20 seconds and stir, then microwave again for 10 seconds and stir. Continue until completely melted, but keep your eye on the chocolate as it can easily burn. De-mould one lolly at a time and dip into the melted chocolate; allow the excess chocolate to drip off, then dip the lolly into the bowl of chopped nuts. Wait until the chocolate has set then serve, or return to the freezer until ready. Repeat with the other lollies.

TIP: Lactose intolerant or vegan? Try swapping the whole milk with almond or coconut milk.

Nutella Pops

Serves 4 | Prep 5 Mins | Freezing 6 Hours of Overnight

100g Nutella®
200ml whole milk
4 teaspoons natural unrefined sugar

Put all the ingredients in a blender and whizz together. Spatula any remaining Nutella that has got stuck to the sides, then divide the mixture between the moulds, leaving a 1cm gap at the top. Insert the sticks with the stick-holders and place in the freezer.

Strawberry, white chocolate and pistachio

Serves 4 | Prep 15 Mins | Freezing 6 Hours or Overnight

200g strawberries, hulled and chopped
4 teaspoons natural unrefined can sugar
50g white chocolate, broken into pieces 
A small bowl of finely chopped pistachios (either blend or use the good old-fashioned trick of placing them between two clean tea towels and use a rolling pin or mallet to crush them)

Put the strawberries and sugar with 100ml of water in a blender and whizz together. Divide the mixture between the moulds, leaving a 1cm gap at the top. Insert the sticks with the stick-holders and place in the freezer. When the lollies are fully frozen, put the chocolate into a microwavable container and microwave for 20 seconds and stir; microwave again for 10 seconds and stir.

Continue until the chocolate is completely melted, but keep your eye on it as the chocolate can easily burn. De-mould one lolly at a time and dip it into the melted chocolate at an angle. Allow the excess chocolate to drip off, then dip the lolly into the bowl of chopped pistachios. Wait until the chocolate has set and serve immediately, or return to the freezer until ready to serve. Repeat with the other lollies.

TIP: Choose a container to melt the chocolate in that is tall enough to fit the length of the lolly and just wide enough for the width of the lolly so you use the chocolate most effectively.

Chocoalte Banana DaiquiriI

Serves 4 | Prep 10 Mins | Freezing 6 Hours or Overnight

180g banana, peeled
4 teaspoons white rum
4 teaspoons natural unrefined sugar
50g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
½ teaspoon coconut oil

Put the banana, rum, sugar and 100ml of water in a blender and whizz together. Divide the mixture between the moulds, leaving a 1cm gap at the top. Insert the sticks with the stick-holders and place in the freezer.

When frozen, de-mould the lollies and store until ready to use. When you want to serve the lollies, put the chocolate into a microwavable bowl, add the coconut oil and microwave for 20 seconds, then stir. Microwave again for 10 seconds and stir. Continue until completely melted, but keep your eye on the chocolate as it can easily burn. Either dip each lolly into the bowl or drizzle the chocolate over each lolly. Hold the lolly while the chocolate sets, and either serve straight away or store in the freezer.

The Lolly Book by Karis and Dominic Gesua. Published by Kyle Books. Priced £9.99. Photography by Rita Platts.

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