This Chocolate Banana Smoothie is creamy, chocolatey, and decadent. Serve it as a snack or light breakfast. It tastes like a dessert and has a texture similar to soft-serve ice cream. It's vegan, really delicious, and so easy to make!
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Why This Recipe Works
Dessert for breakfast - This smoothie tastes like dessert but it's actually really nutritious and can be served as breakfast. Add protein powder to make the smoothie more filling if you're serving it as a meal!
Healthy vegan milkshake - Frozen bananas give this smoothie texture of a classic milkshake with ice cream. It's perfect for a hot summer day or served as a dessert.
Easy and simple - The smoothie doesn't require much prep. All you have to do is freeze some bananas and then add everything into a high-speed blender and until smooth. The easiest snack!
Ingredient Notes
- Bananas - Frozen bananas are the hero of this recipe. They give this smoothie a soft-serve texture
- Cacao powder - I use raw cacao powder most often but cocoa powder can also be used if that's what you prefer. Cacao is m
- ade with unroasted cacao beans and has a stronger, slightly sweeter flavor than cocoa. It also has more nutrients because it hasn't been treated with heat.
- Almond milk - Any milk works here! I choose almond milk most often but you can use whatever you prefer. I recommend milk over water because it will make the smoothie much creamier.
- Almond butter - This one's optional and you can use any nut butter you like (peanut butter is a classic). It adds healthy fats, creaminess, flavor, and protein to the smoothie.
- Protein powder - I like using chocolate or vanilla-flavored protein. My all-time favorite is Sprout Living protein.
- Vanilla extract - Vanilla extract, paste, or powder can all be used. If using vanilla powder or fresh vanilla bean, make sure to add less because the flavor is much more concentrated.
- Cinnamon - Chocolate, bananas, and cinnamon all pair really well so I highly recommend adding a pinch. Cinnamon also balances blood sugar so I often add it to anything sweet.
- Sea salt - A small pinch of sea salt balances out the sweetness of the bananas and maple syrup and it rounds out all the flavors.
Variations and Substitutions
- Make it into ice cream - Skip the almond milk and use a food processor instead of a blender. It will have the texture of soft-serve ice cream and it's absolutely delicious!
- Change up the flavor - Add some raspberries for a chocolate-berry flavor, or this Homemade Healthy Nutella for a chocolate-hazelnut flavor (so good!!).
Step-by-Step Instructions
Besides peeling, chopping, and freezing bananas, this smoothie requires no prep!
All you have to do is throw all the ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend on high until smooth. You might have to use a tamper to get rid of air bubbles and help everything to blend evenly.
I recommend adding the liquid first and then the rest of the ingredients This will help everything blend more easily.
Serving and Storing
- This smoothie, just like most other smoothies, is best served and consumed right away. The longer it sits, the runnier it will be, and it will lose its soft serve-like creaminess.
- Serve it as is or garnish with grated chocolate to make it extra special! You can use a box grater or a microplane to grate your chocolate.
FAQs
I recommend using frozen bananas because they give the smoothie a beautiful creamy texture and cool it down without any ice.
Yes! Skip the nut butter or add seed butter instead and use regular milk or milk that's not made from nuts.
Compared to processed foods - yes, it's made with simple whole foods so it's definitely healthy! A green smoothie with lots of vegetables will always be healthier but this banana smoothie makes a delicious sweet breakfast or dessert.
More Smoothies
Below are four of my favorite smoothies. They're all great for breakfast, as a snack, or for dessert. Especially in the summer! There's nothing better than a refreshing cold smoothie on a hot day. Head over to the Smoothies and Juices category to see all the latest ones!
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Banana Smoothie
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1-2 1x
- Category: Smoothie
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Chocolate Banana Smoothie is super creamy, sweet, and chocolatey, and it tastes like having dessert for breakfast!
Ingredients
- 1-2 cups almond milk (start with 1 cup and add more if needed)
- 2-3 frozen bananas
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- 1-2 scoops protein powder
- 1-2 tablespoon almond butter
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp maple syrup (optional)
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp sea salt (optional)
- Dark chocolate (optional, for garnish)
- Smoothie bowl toppings: berries, nut butter, granola, nuts, seeds, yogurt, or jam
Instructions
- Add all your ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. If you want to make it more into a banana ice cream than a smoothie, use a food processor and add less milk.
- Serve in a glass and garnish with grated chocolate using a Microplane grater if desired or serve in a bowl with toppings of your choice.
Notes
Storing: Store any leftovers in an airtight jar in the fridge. Best consumed within 12-24 hours. When storing, choose a container that’s as small as possible. The less air there is, the longer the smoothie stays fresh.
Protein: The nutritional info for this recipe is only an estimate. The protein amount will depend on your protein powder. I use Sprout Living protein which has 13g of protein per scoop.
Marta says
I'm not a breakfast eater so smoothies are my go-tos. This chocolate banana smoothie was so indulgent, I forgot it was a meal replacement. I'll definitely be making this more often.
Amanda says
I made this for breakfast this morning, and it was the perfect way to start the day! It basically tasted like dessert, but it kept me satisfied all morning. Wonderfully creamy texture too.
Sean says
I just made this smoothie right after my workout and it was perfect. The chocolate and almond butter were a perfect combo.
Jessica says
I have to say the almond butter and salt surprised me, but this was the BEST banana shake I've ever made!! Great use of those bananas about to be over-ripe. Pop them in the freezer!!!!
Tammy says
Oh gosh this is sooo creamy. It's like a thick shake...an absolute treat but healthy for you! This is going to be on repeat for a while. Thank you!
Jamie says
This looks like an awesome smoothie recipe! I love how you pair chocolate with banana, it looks absolutely delicious! Loved it!
Amy Liu Dong says
I preferred having a smoothie in the morning instead of eating a heavy meal for breakfast.
This one is perfect for me!
Elaine says
Well... let me just say that I could start any day every day with this smoothie. It is absolutely phenomenal!
Loreto and Nicoletta says
I love smoothies ,say chocolate and bananas.and I am totally in. This is definately a dessert for breakfast in a heathy way. I am all in! It looks so rich and frothy. Yum!
Hayley Dhanecha says
This is simply amazing recipe! I used to have my protein powder just in milk. With banana and chocolate this is sooooo good.
Noah Hartke says
This recipe is absolutely bussing I can’t lie. So good it’s mega mega bussing so good I’m sad that it runs out