Chocolate Banana Smoothie
Begin the day with a Chocolate Banana Smoothie. It's a sweet treat in disguise: It may taste like dessert, but it's packed with just five whole ingredients to get your day off to a good start. It's kid-friendly and makes a great snack, too.
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Chocolate Banana Smoothie Recipe
It's no secret that I love a smoothie in the morning. Sometimes I even love a smoothie for a snack. And other times I will share with my husband and kids. (If I have to!) From tropical green smoothies to strawberry kiwi smoothies, there's not much I don't like when it comes to smoothies.
Except complicated ones. For me, smoothies need to be easy and made with ingredients I usually have on hand. But most importantly, they need to be delicious while also filling and wholesome.
This Chocolate Banana Smoothie checks all of those boxes and more. With just five healthful ingredients, it's super easy to pull together in the morning and tastes amazing. Win-win.
Why You'll Love this Recipe
My family loves this banana chocolate smoothie, and you will too. Here's why we love it:
- Easy as 1-2-3! You can throw all the ingredients together in a blender, give it a whirl and go about your morning with a quick breakfast.
- It's super versatile. You can customize it to your liking by making it low- or no-sugar, vegan or dairy-free. There are tons of substitutions and variations you can make!
- It tastes like a milkshake! This smoothie is nutritious and delicious - kids and adults alike will love it.
Ingredients
You only need five simple ingredients to make these chocolate banana smoothies: frozen bananas, Greek yogurt, almond milk (or your milk of choice), cocoa powder and maple syrup or honey.
Frozen bananas are available at the grocery store in the freezer section, but I prefer to freeze bananas myself with organic bananas. You can also use unfrozen bananas, but you will probably want to add 1 cup of ice to the blender to make it cold.
How to freeze bananas: You can freeze bananas in slices, halves or even whole depending on what you typically use them for. Place banana pieces on a baking sheet in a single row and then freeze for about 10 minutes. Then take them off the sheet and place them in a reusable bag or storage freezer-safe container.
For the yogurt and almond milk, substitute your favorite yogurt and milk. Non-dairy milk and yogurt will work just fine. If you use flavored milk, such as vanilla-flavored almond milk, you may wish to skip adding a sweetener.
For the cocoa, you can use Dutch-process cocoa powder or regular cocoa powder. Stay away from super-sweet chocolate syrup. For the sweetener, I like maple syrup, but you can also use honey or agave nectar if you prefer. A no-sugar sweetener like Stevia would also be fine. Or you can skip the sweetener altogether for a lighter option.
How to Make a Chocolate Banana Smoothie
Making chocolate banana smoothies is easy! They are a simple breakfast or snack you can whip up in minutes.
- Place all ingredients into the blender. Start with the bananas, then add the yogurt and top with almond milk. Blend until smooth.
- If too thick, add extra almond milk. If too thin, add in ¼ cup more yogurt or another half of a frozen banana. You can also check out these tips for making smoothies thicker and thinner for some more ideas.
Madison's Pro Smoothie Tip:
To make sure you are maxing out your blender's capabilities to yield a smoothie with a great and delicious consistency, always load up your blender pitcher in the following order:
- liquids first
- then soft fruits or vegetables
- then greens
- then frozen fruits and ice
- any powders on top
Variations and substitutions
For breakfast smoothies, I am all about making them my own! Here are some ways you can tweak this Chocolate Banana Smoothie recipe:
- Add protein powder: Add a scoop of your favorite protein powder to the blender to give this recipe more protein.
- Add peanut butter: For a tasty treat, add a ¼ cup creamy peanut butter (or any nut butter) to make a chocolate peanut butter banana smoothie.
- Make smoothie bowls: Pour it into a bowl and add banana slices, granola, unsweetened shredded coconut and/or mini chocolate chips. Eat with a spoon!
FAQ
If you just need to store your smoothie for a few hours or the very next day, you can pop it in the fridge! When you're ready to drink your smoothie, just give a good stir. or shake first, or pop it back in the blender for a few minutes. You can also add some extra fruit or a few ice cubes to get it back to the desired texture.
You can also freeze it in an ice cube tray, but keep in mind that since this recipe contains dairy, freezing it can change the texture. (If you use a non-dairy yogurt or milk, it will probably be fine.)
For a sugar-free smoothie, skip the maple syrup and use a no-sugar sweetener like Stevia. You can also skip adding a sweetener altogether. You may also try vegan, non-dairy, unsweetened yogurt and a plant-based milk, like oat milk, soy milk or almond milk. (Make sure to use maple syrup, not honey, as the sweetener if you need the smoothie to be vegan.)
Did you make this recipe?
If you make and love this recipe, please leave a ★★★★★ review below! It means so much to me when you try my recipes, and I'd love to know how it goes. Please leave a comment below if you have any questions.
Chocolate Banana Smoothie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 whole frozen banana peeled
- 1 cup unsweetened Greek yogurt
- ⅔ cup almond milk plus more to thin smoothie if necessary
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- To a blender, add 1 whole frozen banana, 1 cup unsweetened Greek yogurt ⅔ cup almond milk, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons maple syrup. Blend until smooth.
- If too thick, add extra almond milk. If too thin, add in ¼ cup more yogurt or another half of a frozen banana.
- Pour into 2 glasses and sip with a straw.
Notes
Substitutions & Mix-ins:
Sweetener swaps: Honey, agave nectar and sugar all work in lieu of maple syrup. Skip the maple syrup and use a no-sugar sweetener like Stevia for a sugar-free smoothie. You can also skip adding a sweetener altogether. Vegan/dairy-free options: Use vegan, non-dairy yogurt and non-dairy milk, like oat milk, soy milk or almond milk. Use maple syrup, not honey, as the sweetener if you need the smoothie to be vegan. Protein powder: Add a scoop of your favorite protein powder or collagen peptides to the blender. Nut butter: For a tasty treat, add ¼ cup creamy peanut butter (or any nut butter) to make a chocolate peanut butter banana smoothie.Nutrition
More smoothie recipes
If you love smoothies, you should check out these easy recipes:
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