Date:  July 1, 2026  |   Story: Tiffany Adams  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |   Styling: Tiffany Adams & Julia Glover  |  

Little Rock’s Hannah’s Bananas serves up sweet summer treats

As a child, the sing-song nickname “Hannah Banana” was one Hannah Thomas endured. However, as she grew older, the moniker began to take on a new meaning that she has grown to love. “I started making frozen bananas with chocolate and peanut butter in college as a healthier snack,” Hannah says. Years later, a celiac disease diagnosis prompted her to go gluten- and dairy-free and, once again, her beloved chocolate-dipped bananas seemed to fill a void for desserts and treats.

When she realized she was falling out of love with her corporate job, a thought that had long been in the back of her mind started to take shape. “I serve breakfast at the Salvation Army on Fridays, and I began to realize that was the thing I looked forward to most—giving people a tray and having interaction with them,” she explains. Drawing on these experiences and her long-held love of chocolate-dipped bananas, she decided to pursue a full-time venture that melded the two. Hannah’s Bananas, a full-service cart serving chocolate-dipped bananas, officially launched in October 2025, and hasn’t slowed down since.

After a trial run in her neighborhood park, she was booked for a Halloween party, and then went on to holiday markets, corporate events, and now farmers and vintage markets, as well as private events and weekly drop-off catering orders. “You wouldn’t believe how many people who are gluten- or dairy-free tell me they’ve been searching for my cart and are so glad to have tracked me down to have something they can enjoy,” Hannah says. “It gives me motivation to know other people look forward to the bananas the same way I do,” she adds. “The short conversations with customers are what fills my cup; it just makes me happy.”

The recipe remains simple: frozen bananas, dipped in chocolate, and served on a stick. Yet, the ways to personalize them have become seemingly endless. Topping options include coconut, Oreos, freeze-dried raspberries, mini M&Ms, sprinkles, and salted pretzels, all of which can be further accented with peanut butter, caramel, or pistachio sauce. While bananas are how she got her start—and are still the main attraction—she now sells fresh cups of strawberries with a scoop of chocolate on top for berry lovers.

The cart has also allowed her to give back to the community through fundraisers, such as the Ronald McDonald House Chocolate Fantasy Ball, events with the local Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and Wild Wines at the Little Rock Zoo to name a few. “I love the community, and it’s been very cool to be able to give back through my time and resources,” she adds.

Follow Hannah’s adventures, place catering orders, and find her next pop-up event on Instagram (@hannahsbananasar).

Taste the (Banana) Rainbow

All of Hannah’s Bananas start with either a full- or half-size frozen banana on a stick that is then dipped in chocolate. From there, she offers a wide variety of toppings for every taste, all of which are added as the chocolate begins to harden. A few of the most-popular flavor combinations include: rainbow sprinkles, pretzels and caramel sauce, Oreo-cookie crumbs and peanut butter, and coconut with pistachio sauce.  All shown below.

Want another way to get your banana fix? Visit the At Home in Arkansas blog (athomearkansas.com/blog) in July for Hannah’s banana bread recipe, which she enjoys making at home for guests.