Chocolate Banana Smoothie

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Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe· 5 from 11 reviews

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!

Chocolate smoothie in a tall glass with a shiny gold thick stem garnished with a slice of banana and shaved chocolate.

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Why This Recipe Works
Ingredient Notes
Variations and Substitutions
Step-by-Step Instructions
Serving and Storing
FAQs
More Smoothies
📖 Recipe

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!

Chocolate smoothie in a tall glass garnished with a slice of banana and shaved chocolate.

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.

Ingredients like frozen bananas, maple syrup, almond butter, and cacao laid out on a grey background with text overlay.

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.

Frozen bananas with cacao, protein powder, and other ingredients in a blender before and after blending.

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.

Chocolate smoothie being poured into a tall glass with a thick gold stem.

FAQs

Can I use fresh bananas?

I recommend using frozen bananas because they give the smoothie a beautiful creamy texture and cool it down without any ice.

Can I make the smoothie nut-free?

Yes! Skip the nut butter or add seed butter instead and use regular milk or milk that's not made from nuts.

Is this smoothie healthy?

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!

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