The Healthful Ideas

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • Breakfast
  • Appetizers
  • Dinner
  • Drinks
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • Breakfast
    • Appetizers
    • Dinner
    • Drinks
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home > Recipes > Drinks > Smoothies & Juices

    Strawberry Banana Chocolate Smoothie

    Published: Jul 14, 2023 · by Veronika Sykorova · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

    28 shares
    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·5 from 1 review
    Strawberry smoothie in a short glass garnished with a strawberry, a banana slice, and a square of chocolate.

    This Strawberry Banana Chocolate Smoothie is naturally sweetened with just fruit but it tastes like a dessert! It makes a great snack or breakfast with added protein. It comes together in just a few minutes and calls for just 6 simple ingredients.

    Strawberry smoothie in a short glass garnished with a strawberry, a banana slice, and a square of chocolate.
    Jump to:
    • Why This Recipe Works
    • Ingredients
    • Variations and Substitutions
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • Serving and Storing
    • FAQs
    • More Smoothies
    • 📖 Recipe

    Why This Recipe Works

    Naturally sweetened - There are no added sweeteners in this smoothie. It's sweetened with just bananas and strawberries. If you'd like, you can add Medjool dates or a little bit of maple syrup to sweeten the smoothie.

    Simple and quick - The recipe calls for just 6 simple ingredients and it comes together in minutes! Leave out the protein powder to make it into a light snack or dessert or keep it in for a delicious light breakfast!

    Packed with nutrients - Raw cacao powder is packed with antioxidants, iron, magnesium, and calcium, and it's said to be a natural mood elevator which explains why we all feel better after eating some chocolate! If you want to add even more superfoods, maca or lucuma powder are great options!

    Strawberry smoothie in a short glass garnished with a strawberry, a banana slice, and a square of chocolate.

    Ingredients

    • Strawberries - You want to use frozen strawberries here or a mix of frozen and fresh berries. Frozen strawberries will thicken the drink up and make it creamier.
    • Banana - Frozen banana makes this smoothie extra creamy and thick. You can leave it out but it won't be as smooth and thick.
    • Milk - Any milk you prefer works here. I usually add almond milk or light coconut milk.
    • Cacao powder - You can use either cacao powder or cocoa powder. Cacao is the raw unroasted version of cocoa and generally has more nutrients and a stronger chocolatey flavor so it's always my go-to.
    • Protein powder - This is optional but if you're making this smoothie for breakfast, I highly recommend adding protein powder to make it more filling. Plain, vanilla, or chocolate protein all work great.
    • Vanilla extract - You can use vanilla extract, paste, powder, or the seeds from a vanilla bean. Vanilla goes really well with chocolate and it rounds out all the flavors really well.
    Strawberries, bananas, milk, cacao, and protein powder laid out on a grey stone background.

    Would you like to save this recipe?

    We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

    Variations and Substitutions

    • Other berries - Frozen raspberries would be delicious in this smoothie if you don't have strawberries on hand.
    • Make it thicker - Add less milk and more bananas to make it into more of a soft-serve banana ice cream rather than a smoothie. You can use a food processor to make blending it easier without much liquid.
    • Spices - Add some ground cinnamon or ginger to the smoothie for added flavor and health benefits. I love adding cinnamon to my smoothies with fruit or any other sugar because it helps to balance blood sugar.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    Simply add all your ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend on high until smooth.

    I highly recommend you add the milk first. It helps everything blend easier and prevents the powders from sticking to the bottom of the blender. If the smoothie is too thick, add more milk or water. Sometimes air bubbles might form. Just stir the smoothie to get rid of them and help everything blend properly.

    A high-speed blender with strawberries, cacao, and other ingredients before and after blending.

    Serving and Storing

    Just like any other smoothie, this one is best made right to serving when it's extra cold from the frozen fruit. If you need to store it, keep it in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Choose the best-fitting jar because the less air there is in the jar, the longer the smoothie will stay fresh.

    Serve the smoothie in a glass garnished with a strawberry or in a bowl with your favorite toppings like fresh berries, nuts, seeds, granola, or yogurt.

    Strawberry smoothie being poured into a short glass on a white background.

    FAQs

    What's the difference between cacao and cocoa?

    Cacao is the unroasted raw version of cocoa powder. It has a more chocolatey flavor (in my opinion) and you can use less of it to achieve the same amount of flavor in a dish. It's also said to have more antioxidants because it hasn't been heated.

    What can I use instead of a banana?

    Frozen banana is what makes the smoothie creamy. Coconut meat from a young Thai coconut can also be used, fresh or frozen. Frozen cauliflower or avocado might also be good options but avocado might change the flavor.

    Strawberry smoothie in a short glass garnished with a strawberry, a banana slice, and a square of chocolate.

    More Smoothies

    If you're looking for even more smoothie recipes to try, check out the four below! To see all the latest ones, head over to the Smoothies category.

    • Strawberry Peach Smoothie
    • Dragon Fruit Smoothie
    • Passion Fruit Smoothie
    • Mango Spinach Smoothie
    • Pink Pomegranate Smoothie
    Print

    📖 Recipe

    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
    Strawberry smoothie in a short glass garnished with a strawberry, a banana slice, and a square of chocolate.

    Strawberry Banana Chocolate Smoothie

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
    • Author: Veronika Sykorova
    • Prep Time: 10 mins
    • Total Time: 10 minutes
    • Yield: 1-2 1x
    • Category: Smoothie
    • Method: No Cook
    • Cuisine: American
    • Diet: Vegan
    Print Recipe
    Save Recipe Recipe Saved

    Description

    This Strawberry Banana Chocolate Smoothie is creamy, naturally sweetened, and so easy to make! It makes a great snack or breakfast.


    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 1 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)
    • 1 frozen banana
    • 1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)
    • 1 serving of protein powder (vanilla or unflavored)
    • 2 tbsp cacao powder (or cocoa)
    • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
    • Fresh strawberries and chocolate shavings (for garnish, optional)

    Instructions

    1. Add everything into a high-speed blender and blend on high until smooth. Add more milk or water as needed to achieve desired consistency.
    2. Pour into a tall glass, garnish with a strawberry slice and chocolate shavings if desired and enjoy!

    Notes

    Adding liquids first into your blender will help everything blend more smoothly.

    Would you like to save this recipe?

    We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

    Did you make this recipe?

    Comment and rate the recipe below and tag @thehealthfulideas on Instagram with the hashtag #thehealthfulideas, I'd love to see what you made!

    More Smoothies & Juices

    • Bright green smoothie in a short glass garnished with a slice of kiwi.
      Kiwi Smoothie
    • Bright purple smoothie in a short glass garnished with a slice of lemon and fresh lemon zest.
      Blueberry Lemon Smoothie
    • Creamy dark brown gingerbread smoothie topped with whipped cream and cinnamon in a tall glass with a short thick gold stem with a glass straw.
      Gingerbread Smoothie
    • Creamy beige smoothie in a short glass with a gold rim topped with whipped cream and sugar and spice topping.
      Chai Smoothie
    28 shares

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    A photo of a young woman in a white and red striped shirt with a white backround.

    Welcome!

    I'm Veronika and The Healthful Ideas where I share original plant-based recipes for every day cooking and popular classics with a healthy twist.

    More about me

    Latest Recipes

    • Cucumber and couscous salad in a large white bowl with gold utensils on a marble background.
      Cucumber Couscous Salad
    • Bright green smoothie in a short glass garnished with a slice of kiwi.
      Kiwi Smoothie
    • A tall glass with blueberry mojito with an ombre effect with the purple settling on the bottom.
      Blueberry Mojito
    • Crispy potato salad with yogurt mayo dressing garnished with bit of more crispy potatoes and fresh dill in a white bowl.
      Crispy Smashed Potato Salad

    Footer

    • Latest recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Free Appetizers E-book
    • About
    • Contact
    • Portfolio
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Disclaimer

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Foodie Pro on the Foodie Pro Theme

    28 shares
    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Flipboard
    • Email
    • SMS
    • Bluesky