Healthy Chocolate Smoothie (Creamy, Vegan, 5 Ingredients)

This wholesome Chocolate Smoothie tastes like a traditional milkshake, however it’s anti-inflammatory wealthy in antioxidants, potassium, and 13 grams of protein, and it’s refined sugar-free. Simply 5 substances, 5 minutes, and cleanup is a breeze!

For extra cacao powder recipes, take a look at my Banana Mocha Smoothie, Coco Date Balls, and Mocha Vegan Milkshake.

Fast Look: Wholesome Chocolate Smoothie

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Prepare dinner Time: 0 minutes
Whole Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1 smoothie
Energy: 361
Protein: 13g
Dietary breakdown: Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, soy-free, and simply made nut-free.
Taste Profile: Chocolatey, creamy, candy, and easy. Like a chocolate shake, however secretly plant-based and healthful!
Issue: Extremely simple. Simply measure, mix, and luxuriate in.

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Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Banana Smoothie Recipe

Tastes like dessert. Creamy frozen bananas, wealthy cacao powder, and caramelly-sweet dates mix into one thing that tastes extra like a milkshake than a well being meals.
Simply 5 healthful substances, blended in about 5 minutes with simple cleanup. Triple win!
Superfood advantages. Loaded with antioxidants from the cacao (and omega-3s from the walnuts, in the event you use them), every sip works for you whereas tasting like a deal with.
Wealthy in plant protein and potassium. With 13g of protein and over 1,000mg of potassium, this smoothie is one in every of my favourite post-workout snacks.
Endlessly adaptable. Whether or not you add protein, mix in a couple of pictures of espresso, flip it right into a smoothie bowl, or make it nut-free, this recipe can do all of it.

Creamy chocolate smoothie in a glass with cacao nibs.

A refuel after taking part in tennis or doing yoga is a should, and this wholesome cocoa smoothie is my go-to! Simply as usually, I add a couple of pictures of espresso and name it my on-the-go espresso and breakfast in a single on busy mornings.

It’s so versatile as a result of it tastes like a deal with whereas being a secret diet superhero. Frozen banana makes it thick and frosty, uncooked cacao powder brings deep chocolate taste, almond butter makes it wealthy and nutty, and dates present caramelly sweetness. Nevertheless it’s doing actual work: 13 grams of plant-based protein, over 1,000 milligrams of potassium, and an enormous dose of antioxidants and anti inflammatory compounds from the cacao.

Should you’re in search of a smoothie that doesn’t style like compromise, that is the one.

For extra like this cacao powder smoothie, attempt my Vegan Hot Chocolate, Oat Milk Shaken Espresso, and Sweet Potato Latte.

What’s Cacao Powder?

Cacao powder comes from the beans of the Theobroma cacao tree — the identical tree and bean that provides us cocoa powder — however it’s processed otherwise. The beans are fermented, dried, and cold-pressed to take away the cocoa butter, then milled right into a tremendous, darkish powder.

Skipping the roasting and alkali remedy that standard cocoa goes via means cacao holds onto extra of its pure flavanols (plant compounds with antioxidant and anti inflammatory results that help wholesome blood movement) together with minerals like magnesium, iron, and zinc (source). Due to cacao, this smoothie tastes like a chocolate milkshake however works like a well being meals.

Key Components

Cacao smoothie ingredients on a counter.

Frozen Banana: An overripe frozen banana provides potassium and fiber, plus sweetness and an extremely creamy, frosty consistency. Peel, chop, and freeze your bananas after they’re spotty for the very best taste.

Cacao Powder: Provides this chocolate smoothie recipe a deep taste that tastes like dessert whereas delivering antioxidants (extra on that above). Discover uncooked cacao powder at Dealer Joe’s, on-line, or at Entire Meals or Sprouts.

Medjool Date: Provides further sweetness and a caramel notice that performs off the wealthy chocolate. Pit it earlier than mixing. In case your date is dried out or stiff, soak it in scorching water for as much as half-hour first.

Soy Milk: Delivers protein and makes the smoothie full-bodied and creamy. Almond, oat, cashew, or your favourite non-dairy milk will work too.

Almond Butter: For a light-weight nuttiness and dessert-like indulgence. Use peanut butter for a chocolate peanut butter smoothie, or sunflower seed butter or tahini to maintain it nut-free. Or use 1/4 cup of uncooked walnuts for anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids.

See the recipe card for full info on substances and portions.

Recipe Variations

Seeking to make this cacao smoothie recipe your individual? Strive any of those twists:

High with Nibs. Cacao nibs are chopped items of the cacao bean. Sprinkle some on prime of the smoothie for added crunch and antioxidants.
Add Seeds: A tablespoon of hemp hearts or chia seeds provides plant-based protein and wholesome fat.
Swap In Frozen Fruit: Change as much as ½ cup of the banana with frozen raspberries or strawberries for a chocolate-berry vibe.
Mocha-Licious: Mix in 2 pictures of freshly pulled espresso to deepen the flavour and make a wholesome mocha smoothie.
Walnuts for Omega-3s: Use walnuts as a substitute of nut butter for an anti-inflammatory tremendous increase (be sure you use a high-speed blender so it isn’t gritty).
Smoothie Bowl: Cut back the milk to ½ cup and enhance the frozen banana to 1½ cups. Mix till easy and thick, including extra banana to thicken or a couple of tablespoons of milk to skinny, if wanted.
Make It Nut-Free: Use sunflower seed butter and even tahini rather than the nut butter for an allergen-friendly sipper.
Pump Up the Protein: Mix based on the instructions, then blitz in a scoop of plant-based vanilla or chocolate protein powder simply till mixed.
Superb Greens: A handful of child spinach or kale provides further diet with out overpowering the chocolate. Promise, you gained’t even style it!

Jenné’s Recipe Suggestions

Add the milk first. Pouring the liquid in earlier than the frozen banana provides the blades one thing to catch, so all the pieces pulls down into the blender as a substitute of spinning above it and/or burning out the motor.
Select soy milk for a creamy, high-protein smoothie. Almond and oat milk additionally work nicely; the smoothie will simply be thinner and decrease in protein.
Maintain a stash of frozen bananas. Lower ripe bananas into cubes and unfold them on a parchment-lined tray to freeze — the quickest methodology, and the cubes gained’t clump collectively. As soon as they’re strong, switch them to a freezer bag. Do that not less than 2 hours forward, or prime up your stash each time a bunch begins to go spotty.
Alter the sweetness to style. Overripe frozen bananas convey loads of sweetness on their very own, however mix in an additional date if you need extra.
Begin small with the cacao powder and nut butter. Mix in a single tablespoon every, then style. You possibly can at all times add extra, however you possibly can’t take away it as soon as it’s blended in.
Additional thick. For a thicker consistency, use as little as 1/2 cup of vegan milk or add extra frozen banana.

Make Forward Instructions

Meal prep smoothie packs at the start of the month to make mornings even simpler. Portion the frozen banana, date, and cacao powder into freezer-safe baggage or containers and retailer them within the freezer. While you’re prepared, add the milk and almond butter to the blender, dump in a pack, and mix.

Serving Solutions

Mix one up any day of the week—this smoothie with cacao powder makes a incredible liquid breakfast, post-workout shake, or anytime snack. Or pair it with one in every of these hand-held sides once you desire a heartier meal.

And in the event you’re in search of much more, take a look at my roundup of the best vegan breakfast recipes!

Storage Instructions

Take pleasure in this smoothie contemporary, when it’s at its thickest and creamiest. However you probably have leftovers, don’t pour them down the drain.

Pour the additional right into a popsicle mildew for handheld snacking, or into an ice dice tray. Freeze for 3–4 hours, or till strong, then switch to a freezer-safe bag or container.

While you’re prepared for a second spherical, mix the cubes with a splash of milk till easy.

Chocolate Smoothie Recipe FAQs

Can I exploit a contemporary banana as a substitute of frozen?

You possibly can, however the smoothie gained’t be almost as thick or frosty. Frozen banana is what provides it its milkshake texture. Should you don’t have frozen banana, scale back the milk to 1/2 cup and add 1 cup of ice.

Is that this smoothie kid-friendly?

Very. The truth is, my daughter requests it by title! It’s successful for each of us as a result of it tastes like a chocolate milkshake, and it’s sweetened completely with fruit — no refined sugar anyplace.

Does this smoothie have caffeine?

A bit of. Cacao naturally comprises a small quantity — roughly a tenth of what’s in a cup of espresso — together with theobromine, a gentler stimulant. It’s not sufficient to maintain most individuals up, however price understanding in the event you’re delicate or making it for teenagers later within the day.

Can I make it with out a high-speed blender?

Sure, so long as you’re utilizing nut butter somewhat than entire walnuts. Walnuts want a high-speed blender to interrupt down absolutely, or the smoothie can find yourself gritty.

Can I make it forward?

Sure, in two methods. Portion the frozen banana, date, and cacao powder into freezer-safe smoothie packs, then add the milk and nut butter once you mix (see the meal prep part above). Or you probably have leftover smoothie, freeze it in popsicle molds or ice dice trays for later.

Extra Wholesome Smoothie Recipes

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Prepare dinner ModeStop your display from going darkish

Add the substances to the blender within the order listed, beginning with 1 tablespoon every of cacao powder and nut butter.
Mix till easy and creamy.
Style and mix in additional cacao powder or nut butter as wanted. Take pleasure in!

Milk issues. Soy milk provides the creamiest end result and probably the most protein. Almond or oat milk works too — the smoothie will simply have much less protein and be just a little thinner.
Maintain frozen bananas available. Lower ripe bananas into cubes and unfold them on a parchment-lined tray to freeze — it’s the quickest methodology, and the cubes gained’t clump. Switch to a freezer bag as soon as strong so this smoothie is at all times 5 minutes away.
Cacao or cocoa powder? Both works, however uncooked cacao is extra bitter and fruity and supplies extra pure antioxidants (flavanols). Dutch-process cocoa is mellower and darker, however loses a few of its flavanols through the alkali remedy.
Make it a smoothie bowl. Cut back the milk to ½ cup and enhance the banana to 1½ cups for a thick, spoonable base.
Including protein powder? Mix the smoothie as directed, then blitz within the powder proper earlier than serving. A fast pulse on the finish retains the feel easy and thick.
Greatest loved contemporary, however leftovers don’t need to go to waste. Pour them into popsicle molds for hand-held snacks, or freeze in ice dice trays and mix the cubes with a splash of milk.
Adjusting the sweetness. Mix in an additional date together with the cacao powder and nut butter. Ripe, freckled bananas make the smoothie sweeter on their very own, so it’s possible you’ll not want it.