Chocolate Smoothie Recipe

This chocolate smoothie recipe quickly became one of my favorites. It’s sweet enough to satisfy my chocolate cravings, but is also loaded with super foods and protein so it keeps me full until my next meal. I had this smoothie for breakfast every week day for two months and got never tired of it. Maybe I’m one of those weird people who can eat the same thing every day or maybe it’s just that good. You can decide after you make it! The ingredients are easily kept on hand for a quick meal or you can divide the recipe in half to enjoy as a snack or dessert. This recipe is my solution to kinda wanting a Wendy’s Frosty, but also wanting to look like a VS model.

You will need: almond milk, ice cubes, pure vanilla extract, banana, strawberries, avocado, pitted dates, cacao powder, and almond butter.

When looking for almond milk, I always read my labels to ensure that carrageenan is not a listed ingredient. Carrageenan is extracted from red seaweed and is added to foods for it’s thickening properties. Although there is some debate, carrageenan is suspected to cause digestive issues including inflammation. It’s relatively easy to look for on labels and once you know which brands don’t contain it, you can just stick with that brand. Whether this food additive really causes inflammation or not, I don’t know, but I figure ‘better safe than sorry’ and choose to buy foods without carrageenan.

My preferred brands for the ingredients in this smoothie are above. Justin’s is my favorite almond butter, especially because they make them in single serve pouches I keep in car or at work. I also bring them with me when I travel. I use Madecasse’s pure vanilla extract because it is organic and there is no high fructose corn syrup or added sugar. For Cacao Powder, I love Navitas Naturals. You can find it at Whole foods or online here. It’s a little pricey, but it lasts for months and months. Navitas Naturals also has a lot of other great superfood products and snacks. When buying dates, I prefer to get already pitted ones because it is easier to toss them into my blender when I’m still half asleep in the morning. I usually buy this Sunsweet brand, because there is no added sugar and dates are the only ingredient.

Add all the above ingredients into a blender, blend until smooth, and enjoy!

CHOCOLATE SMOOTHIE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 ounces of almond milk
• 6-8 ice cubes*
• 1 Tablespoon of pure vanilla extract
• 1 banana
• 4-5 medium strawberries, greens removed
• 1/2 of a medium avocado
• 2-3 pitted dates
• 2 teaspoons of Cacao Powder
• 2 Tablespoons of almond butter

*The number of ice cubes you use should vary depending upon how thick you prefer your smoothies. I like mine on the thick side, so I sometimes even use more than 8. If you’re making this as a dessert, you can add more to make it the consistency of a frozen yogurt. If you don’t like ice in your smoothies because of the taste, then slice your banana and freeze it.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add all ingredients into blender
2. Blend until smooth and enjoy!