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    Home » Recipes » Smoothies

    Published: Mar 22, 2021 · Modified: Apr 4, 2022 by Melanie McDonald · This post contains affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 8 Comments

    Healthy Chocolate Smoothie

    JUMP TO RECIPE PIN
    4.91 from 21 votes
    healthy chocolate smoothie

    Get your chocolate fix in smoothie form! This healthy chocolate smoothie is smooth, rich & chocolatey, yet full of good-for-you ingredients and super-satisfying too. It's the best way to start the day!

    2 chocolate smoothies

    Is there a better way to start the day than with chocolate? I don't think so! And this healthy chocolate smoothie is incredible. It truly tastes like dessert and is really kid-friendly.

    The taste and the texture is just the best. It's velvety smooth, thick, creamy and so satisfying and like my other vegan smoothie recipes, you can feel good about it because it's packed with healthy ingredients.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • How to make a healthy chocolate smoothie
    • Freezing bananas
    • Cooking sweet potato
    • Variations
    • Hungry for more?
    • Recipe
    • Comments & Reviews

    Ingredients

    (For detailed measurements and instructions, see the printable recipe card).

    This healthy chocolate smoothie is super simple to make. Here's what you'll be needing and why:

    • Banana - Preferably frozen but if you only have fresh just add a big handful of ice cubes along with it. Adds sweetness, thickness and creaminess to the smoothie.
    • Cooked sweet potato - The flavour works so well with chocolate (did you try my sweet potato chocolate pudding?), and it makes the smoothie extra velvety and creamy. It also adds lots of extra nutrition and sweetness. Yam is fine to use instead, as is pumpkin. Details about how to cook sweet potatoes are included a bit further down.
    • Cocoa powder - Or cacao powder. To make it chocolatey.
    • Flax seeds or ground flaxseed - Flax is such a good source of healthy fat and fibre. You could use chia seeds instead or you can omit if you don't have either of them.
    • Non-dairy milk - Any variety will do. My cashew milk or oat milk work well, as does any store-bought milk.
    • Maple syrup or a date - Totally optional, for extra sweetness if you want it. The banana and sweet potato are already pretty sweet though so blend everything else up first then taste and add only if necessary.

    You will also need a blender. A high-speed blender is such a good investment if you make a lot of smoothies. They come out so deliciously smooth!

    How to make a healthy chocolate smoothie

    Making this vegan chocolate smoothie is as simple as adding everything except the date/maple syrup to a blender and blending it up until smooth. Then taste and add the optional date/maple syrup if you need a little extra sweetness. Then serve!

    a healthy chocoalte smoothie topped with cacao nibs

    Freezing bananas

    Want some frozen bananas on hand for making this vegan chocolate smoothie? Be sure to let your bananas get super ripe and spotty, then peel them and break each one into 3 or 4 pieces and lay them out on a lined baking tray. Pop them in the freezer and when hard transfer them to a container or freezer bag.

    They will last for months in the freezer and you can reach in and pull out as many as you need exactly when you need them for making smoothies, ice-cream bars or nice-cream.

    Cooking sweet potato

    I always have some cooked sweet potato on hand. It's so handy for throwing in smoothies, making vegan sweet potato pancakes, falafel, hummus or gluten-free sweet potato bread.

    • To cook in an oven - If the oven is on for something else, I cut my sweet potatoes in half and lay them cut-side down on a lined baking tray and cook until very soft. They take about 40 minutes depending on the size. Then they will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a week.
    • To cook in a microwave - If you want a quicker option you can pierce the sweet potato a few times with a sharp knife and microwave on full power until cooked through. Depending on the size they can take anything from 5 to 10 minutes.
    • To cook in an Instant Pot - They also cook really well in an Instant Pot. I follow this method.

    Variations

    This healthy chocolate smoothie is great as it is but you can switch it up by reducing the milk to make it extra, extra-thick, then serve it as a smoothie bowl or soft-serve with all the toppings you fancy!

    Try using pumpkin instead of the sweet potato, or adding some extras like vegan yogurt, some greens, coconut, cinnamon, a shot of espresso, nut or seed butter or a handful of oats, cacao nibs, nuts or seeds for extra staying power. A spoonful of extra cocoa or some chocolate chips to make it even chocolatier would be awesome too!

    Hungry for more?

    If you love smoothies that taste like dessert you might also enjoy my:

    • Lemon Cheesecake Smoothie
    • Banana Smoothie
    • Strawberry Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie

    Recipe

    2 chocolate smoothies

    Healthy Chocolate Smoothie

    Author: Melanie McDonald
    4.91 from 21 votes
    Get your chocolate fix in smoothie form! This healthy chocolate smoothie is smooth, rich & chocolatey, yet full of good-for-you ingredients and super-satisfying too. It's the best way to start the day!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe SaveSaved!
    PREP TIME: 5 minutes
    TOTAL TIME: 5 minutes
    Servings: 1 smoothie

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup / 240 mls non-dairy milk
    • 1 frozen banana , or a fresh one and a handful of ice
    • ½ cup / 100 grams cooked sweet potato or yam , or pumpkin
    • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
    • 1 tiny pinch fine salt
    • 1 tablespoon flaxseed or chia seed (OPTIONAL ) , or use both
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup or 1 date (OPTIONAL)

    RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT

    • Blendtec Blender
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. If you don't have a sweet tooth omit the maple syrup/date.
    • Taste and add a drop more maple syrup or a date if more sweetness is needed. Blend again to incorporate.
    • Serve immediately.

    NOTES

    For a thicker smoothie reduce the amount of milk added.

    For my tips about how to freeze bananas and how to cook sweet potato, see the post above. 

    NUTRITION

    Serving: 1smoothieCalories: 181kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 10gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 513mgPotassium: 843mgFiber: 6gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 19715IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 342mgIron: 2mg

    Nutritional information is provided for convenience. The data is a computer generated estimate and should be used as a guide only.

    Tried this recipe?Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @avirtualvegan on Instagram and hashtag it #avirtualvegan

    This recipe was originally published on March 29th, 2016. I've updated the post with new photographs and information and now I am republishing it for you. The recipe itself remains the same. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for following A Virtual Vegan!



    Hungry For More?

    • Vegan Smoothie Recipes
    • Vegan Pumpkin Smoothie
    • Vegan Green Smoothie
    • Strawberry Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie
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      Recipe Rating




    1. Corinne says

      February 03, 2021 at 6:24 am

      5 stars
      This is my new favorite smoothie recipe! I have been obsessed with chocolate smoothies since going plant based, but I love the health benefits of adding sweet potato and it makes it super creamy and sweet and delicious! I didn’t even need to add any extra sweetener, it was perfect as it.

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        February 03, 2021 at 10:28 am

        Glad you enjoyed it Corinne! I can highly recommend this sweet potato one too. It's a favourite of mine! https://avirtualvegan.com/sweet-potato-smoothie/

        Reply
    2. Sania says

      November 11, 2020 at 6:07 am

      What method do you recommend to cook the sweet potato though? Would boiling it be fine?

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        November 11, 2020 at 9:41 am

        You could boil it if you wanted to but it does dilute the flavour. I tend to poke them all over with a fork and microwave on full power until soft. They vary in size so much so obviously the time it takes varies a lot. I also roast them. If you have time it's the most flavourful way. I just cut them in half lengthways, rub a tiny bit of oil on them and roast them at 400° F face down on a lined baking tray until tender. Usually 30 to 40 minutes. You can coordinate that with a meal for dinner when you'll be eating them anyway, or just do it when the oven is on for something else. They keep in the fridge for a week easily once cooked. If you have an Instant Pot that cooks them brilliantly too. Here's a great guide for that https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/instant-pot-sweet-potatoes-for-meal-prep/
        Hope that helps!

        Reply
    3. calgal says

      September 15, 2019 at 12:41 am

      5 stars
      I added a Medjool date, and this was so delicious!

      Reply
    4. Doug says

      March 25, 2017 at 2:49 pm

      5 stars
      Easy and delicious healthy chocolate treat. Not overly sweet even with the date included. Will try it with the chia seeds next time. I appreciate that your recipes don't use added oil or fat. Looking forward to trying more!

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        March 26, 2017 at 3:14 pm

        Thanks Doug. Chia seeds are great in smoothies and keep you feeling full that little bit longer. Glad you are enjoying my recipes!

        Reply
    5. A Virtual Vegan says

      March 31, 2016 at 7:34 pm

      Who could say no to dessert for breakfast? Thanks Linda :O)

      Reply

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