I love starting my morning with a smoothie. If you’re like me and have a sweet tooth, smoothies are a great way to satisfy it with something a little healthier. Smoothies are also a great option for a snack or a late-night treat that, at least, I don’t feel as bad about eating - because let’s be honest a lot of times I’m eating cookies or chips instead. I may have found a new favorite smoothie and I couldn’t wait to share it with you! This creamy chocolate peanut butter banana smoothie is so delicious! It’s one of my favorite smoothies to drink, and it would also be delicious as a smoothie bowl! This smoothie is a good healthier option for breakfast or a snack. It tastes like dessert.
Why This Smoothie is a Great Choice
When your morning is a whirlwind of school drop-offs, backpacks, and maybe even a lost shoe or two, this Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie is a fast, filling, and kid-approved option you can feel good about. It tastes like a milkshake, but it’s secretly packed with protein, fiber, and natural sweetness - perfect for my sweet tooth. Whether you’re whipping this up as a quick breakfast or an afternoon snack to hold everyone over until dinner, it’s a guaranteed hit. This smoothie is loaded with fiber, potassium, protein, and other vitamins that are good for our bodies. This is a great healthy smoothie and is a great way to start the new year off right, especially if you’re like me and pretty much addicted to candy and cookies after all the Christmas goodies.
Key Ingredients and Their Benefits
This healthy vegan smoothie only requires 5 ingredients and is perfect for breakfast, a mid-day snack, or even as a healthy dessert.
- Bananas: The more ripe your banana is, the sweeter your smoothie will be. Frozen bananas help to add thickness to your smoothie, without losing the flavor. I suggest using a frozen banana if you have them. I like to take any of my bananas that are starting to get too ripe to just eat, this means they’re a little spotty and overripe, but not soft yet. Peel the bananas and cut them in half and toss them into the freezer. Now they’re ready to use whenever you need frozen bananas for smoothies.
- Peanut Butter: A couple of tablespoons of natural, creamy peanut butter make the chocolate banana smoothie so delicious. Not into peanut butter for personal or allergenic reasons? Cashew and sunflower seed butter both work wonderfully too!
- Cocoa Powder: I used Dutch-processed and unsweetened cocoa powder, which has a smoother chocolate taste. Out of cacao powder? This easy chocolate peanut butter smoothie is great for adding your go-to nutritional boosters.
- Milk: Feel free to use any milk you’d like. Choose your milk. Feel free to use any milk you’d like in this recipe. I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk but any plant-based milk will do. Try this vegan smoothie recipe with cashew milk, oat milk, or your favorite dairy substitute. Instead of almond milk, try using another dairy-free plant-based milk like coconut, rice, cashew, soy, or hemp milk. You can even substitute almond milk for cold brew coffee! Non-Dairy Milk Options - Almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, or coconut milk all work great.
- Yogurt: I like using vanilla Greek yogurt because it’s usually lower in added sugar than other yogurts, but has a lot of protein. You can use any plain yogurt or vanilla yogurt (dairy or non-dairy), or substitute with a splash of extra milk and more frozen banana slices for creaminess. Plain yogurt will not have any sugar so you may want to add some sugar, or some honey, or maple syrup, to your smoothie if it’s not sweet enough for you this way. Add yogurt for a protein boost (you can use vegan yogurt to keep this recipe 100% plant-based).
- Ice: For a thicker smoothie, add ice and blend once more.
Optional Boosters
This easy chocolate peanut butter smoothie is great for adding your go-to nutritional boosters.
- Protein: Easily add more protein to a smoothie by adding some greek yogurt or 1 scoop of your favorite protein powder. If desired, you can add protein powder or chocolate collagen peptides to add extra protein, or honey or maple syrup to sweeten the smoothie. I also include my favorite collagen powder for the added benefits for my skin and the extra protein. If you would like, you can substitute the raw cocoa powder with chocolate protein powder.
- Flaxseed meal: This is one of my favorite ingredients to add to smoothies for a little boost of fiber and minerals, and is especially great for nursing mamas as flaxseed can help increase milk supply.
- More veggies: You could also try adding some frozen cauliflower for an extra boost, or adding a handful of spinach or kale.
- Add chia seeds, flax seeds, or hemp seeds for a protein healthy booster: Grind the seeds before blending for a smooth texture.
- Add maple syrup, agave, or honey for a healthy sweetener.
How to Make a Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
To make this smoothie you’ll need a blender, I have a Blendtec, but any blender should work! I would dearly love to have a Vitamix or Blentec blender (those are affiliate links, read my full disclosure policy), but at the moment I only have an Oster from Walmart. My Oster blender is fine for this smoothie! It has no trouble with the frozen bananas. But if you like smoothies that have greens or use fruits and veggies that have thicker skins, this Oster blender will not work, unfortunately. One day, I’ll have a Vitamix or Blentec. Then I’ll really be able to make ya’ll some super awesome smoothies!
Read also: Guilt-Free Chocolate Treat
Ingredients:
- ½-¾ cup milk
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 banana, fresh or frozen
- 2-3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1-2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 scoop chocolate collagen peptides
Instructions:
- Blend: In a high speed blender, add all of the ingredients, except for the ice. In a large high-powered blender, add in all ingredients and blend on high for 1-2 minutes or until all ingredients are well combined. Start with 1 tablespoon of cacao powder, but feel free to add another if you like it extra chocolatey. If necessary, add in more almond milk to thin the smoothie. Add everything to the blender, starting with the milk and yogurt. I find that it blends better with the liquids on the bottom. Begin with ½ cup of milk.
- Blend until smooth and creamy. If it's too thick, add a splash more milk.
- For a thicker smoothie, add ice and blend once more.
- Taste and adjust. Add a bit more honey for sweetness or a splash more milk for a thinner consistency.
- Serve: Transfer the smoothie into two glasses and serve immediately. Serve immediately and enjoy! I like to drizzle some melted peanut butter and sprinkle chopped chocolate or mini-chocolate chips on top like a smoothie bowl.
Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Smoothie
- Use frozen fruit: This helps keeps the smoothie cold and thick.
- Add more liquid as needed: Don’t be afraid to add more liquid if your smoothie is too thick or won’t fully blend.
- Start at low speed: You’ll want to start blending low and then gradually increase to high to help blend all ingredients.
- Sweeten to taste: If your chocolate banana smoothie doesn’t taste sweet enough for your liking, you can add a 1/2 tablespoon of honey, pure maple syrup or 1 pitted Medjool date.
- Want a smoothie bowl instead? You’ll need less milk and more frozen bananas to make it thicker! This smoothie is thickkkk but you can use less milk than the recipe calls for and make it into a smoothie bowl. Top your chocolate peanut butter and banana smoothie bowl with fresh banana slices, chocolate chips, peanut butter, and homemade granola. Yum!
Make it Your Own
I’m a huge advocate for making a smoothie recipe into your own.
- Want a creamy vegan smoothie with no banana? Substitute the banana with 1/2 an avocado for a smoothie recipe without banana.
- Instead of using cocoa powder, use your favorite chocolate vegan protein powder. I’m a fan of Vega protein and the chocolate flavor is out of this world.
- Substitute peanut butter with your favorite alternative nut butter. Almond or cashew butter are both delicious!
Preparation and Storage
- Can I make this smoothie ahead of time? Yes! You can blend the smoothie and store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Just give it a quick shake or stir before serving.
- To store: Smoothies can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3 days.
- To freeze: Place the smoothie in ice cube trays or a shallow container and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. For longer storage, pour it into popsicle molds or ice cube trays to freeze and blend later.
Nutritional Information (Approximate)
Nutritional facts on this recipe are calculated with 2% cow’s milk. Since different foods are different sizes, nutritional facts are approximate and may not be exact but they are as close to accurate as I can calculate.
- Calories: 1117kcal
- Fat: 71.5g
- Saturated Fat: 17.6g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
- Sodium: 937mg
- Potassium: 1400mg
- Carbohydrates: 73.4g
- Fiber: 16.2g
- Sugar: 37.5g
- Protein: 62.1g
- Iron: 12mg
- Calcium: 300mg
Read also: Low-Carb Chocolate Pie Guide
Read also: Weight Loss Dessert Recipe
tags: #chocolate #peanut #butter #banana #smoothie #benefits