Cocoa Dream Smoothie
This heavenly chocolate smoothie, or as I like to call it cocoa dream, is the perfect morning treat when you’re craving something sweet and nourishing.
I have been obsessed with making smoothies this summer, and I could blame it on the pregnancy sweet tooth or just the fact that I know how good they make me feel, but I can’t get off of this kick! I’m averaging at 5 smoothies a week and constantly looking for different flavors and combinations that I can put together.
My all-time favorite smoothie usually has some combination of chocolate and/or peanut butter because the fruit ones tend to be a little bit *too* sweet for me in the mornings, but I wanted to lean heavily on the chocolate flavor for this one, hence the decent amount of cocoa powder and non-competing flavors from the other ingredients.
The key ingredients in this one are the dates for sweetness and nutrition and the almond butter for the nutty addition of flavor plus a bit of protein that it offers. A bonus but an awesome addition is the chocolate protein powder because it makes the smoothie silkier and also gives an extra protein boost which is awesome for a plant-based diet.
Cocoa Dream Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 large frozen banana
- 1 cup unsweetened plant milk
- handful of ice
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp almond butter
- 3 dates
- optional: 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
Instructions
- Add frozen banana, plant milk, ice, cocoa powder, almond butter, and dates to a high-speed blender. Blend until thick and creamy. Add cacao nibs and blend for an additional 30 seconds. Pour into a smoothie glass and enjoy!
Notes:
Dates should be completely blended into the smoothie (no date pieces). If you're finding that your dates don't completely blend in smoothies, soak them in hot water for a few minutes or until they're soft before adding to the blender.