Our Favorite Healthy Chocolate Smoothie – This chocolate banana smoothie is one of our go-to’s for breakfast or healthy after school snacks. (Gluten free + vegan or paleo)

I cannot believe that this recipe hasn’t been shared on my blog yet.

I’ve been making this healthy chocolate smoothie for YEARS and years and years. It’s the base recipe I used to create my healthy fudgesicles and it’s the smoothie recipe we make probably more than any other.

It’s the smoothie that always feels like a treat. My kids have eaten this “chocolate ice cream” for after school snack more days than I can count and happily sipped it for breakfast not realizing I’d tucked some greens inside.

It’s got all those chocolate frosty vibes I love and crave, made from good-for-you ingredients and with no added sugar.

WHAT’S IN OUR FAVORITE CHOCOLATE SMOOTHIE:

FROZEN BANANAS. Our chocolate smoothie is banana-based. I know that’s not everyone’s jam, and if you hate bananas, this one’s probably not for you. But we find that frozen bananas blended with these other yummy ingredients take on a chocolate frosty flavor we can’t get enough of!

UNSWEETENED COCOA POWDER (OR CACAO POWDER). You can use either unsweetened cocoa powder or raw cacao powder for this recipe. (They taste nearly identical) It’s amazing how much chocolate flavor they add!

NUT BUTTER OR PEANUT BUTTER POWDER (OPTIONAL). I love adding a tablespoon of either nut butter (peanut, almond, or cashew) or powdered peanut butter to this smoothie for an extra flavor boost and a more velvety texture. You can totally skip it or sub in sunflower seed butter, if you prefer.

A SMOOTHIE BOOST. Then, I kick things up again by adding a smoothie boost. Collagen (unflavored, dairy-free, paleo-approved protein), chia seeds (vegan + paleo), and flax (vegan + paleo) are my favorites. I usually pick one, but you can totally mix and match to your heart’s content.

DAIRY FREE MILK. You can use whatever milk you drink. We’ve made this with almond milk, oat milk, and cashew milk, but soy, dairy, rice, or coconut also work.

CHANGE IT UP! HERE ARE A FEW FLAVOR COMBOS TO TRY:

This chocolate banana smoothie is the perfect base for playing around with the flavor. Here are a few yummy variations to try.

CHOCOLATE FROSTY. Skip the nut butter + add a few drops of vanilla extract.
ALMOND JOY. Use almond or coconut milk + almond butter + a few drops of almond extract.
CHOCOLATE COCONUT. Use coconut milk (I like the carton refrigerated coconut milk beverage for this) + almond butter + 1-3 drops of coconut extract.
REESES. Use 2 Tbsp peanut butter or powdered peanut butter instead of 1.
COCOA CRUNCH. Add a few drops of vanilla + garnish with 1-2 Tbsp. cacao nibs at the end.

FAQ + TIPS ON THIS CHOCOLATE SMOOTHIE

MAKE IT THICKER. The less milk you add to this chocolate smoothie the thicker it will be. I always start small, and add a bit at a time. Sometimes, it means more blending, but it makes it almost like soft-serve ice cream!

TRY ADDING GREENS! Our chocolate smoothie hides greens like a charm. I often throw in a few handfuls of spinach because it blends the smoothest for my kids, but you can also use kale, chard, etc.

A TIP FOR FREEZING BANANAS. Bananas will blend easiest when they’ve been frozen sliced instead of whole. I cut all my bananas into 8 slices and freeze them in a single layer. They won’t freeze in a giant clump and the’ll blend more smoothly. (Plus, that way, I can just count out 8 slices per banana and know I’ve got the right amount.)

OUR FAVORITE BLENDER. We’ve been using this one for the last 6 years and it’s still going strong! I’ve been really happy with it, and it does a great job blending frozen bananas for recipes like this chocolate banana smoothie.

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