This chocolate banana smoothie tastes like a healthy chocolate milkshake! Get your fix with these good-for-you ingredients.
Here’s a way to get your chocolate fix while eating something healthy: try a chocolate banana smoothie! This smoothie is full of good-for-you ingredients, but tastes like a healthy chocolate milkshake. It’s sweet enough to feel like a treat, but not so intense that it feels like dessert.
Bananas, cocoa powder, and Greek yogurt make magic in the blender with just a little maple syrup for sweetener. This recipe is perfect for when you’re craving a treat (and my kid thinks it’s actual ice cream!).
Ingredients for This Chocolate Banana Smoothie
There’s not a lot to this chocolate banana smoothie. In fact, I developed it around ingredients I always have in my pantry and fridge. Here’s what you’ll need to have on hand:
- Bananas: Here’s the best part: no freezing necessary! Use room-temperature bananas and lots of ice to get that perfect creamy texture.
- Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt is ideal for adding to smoothies because it’s packed with protein and has probiotics for a healthy gut. Skip this to make it a vegan smoothie.
- Milk: Use any type of milk here, dairy or non-dairy. Add more non-dairy milk for vegan.
- Cocoa powder: Cocoa powder gives that signature chocolate flavor when combined with the sweetener.
- Maple syrup: Maple syrup is my sweetener of choice; you can also use honey or agave syrup.
- Ice: Add quite a bit of ice, and it all comes together into a smooth, chocolaty puree.
Protein Add-Ins
Want to add a little more protein to your chocolate banana smoothie? Here are my best recommendations, both plant-based and dairy protein:
- Peanut butter: What could be a better pairing? Peanut butter goes hand in hand with chocolate and banana (it also adds a hint of plant-based protein). Start with 1 to 2 tablespoons. Adding peanut butter increases the calories, but also makes this smoothie more filling.
- More Greek yogurt: Double the amount in this recipe for an even more filling smoothie. This is great for breakfasts or post-workout snacks.
- Protein powder: You can always hide protein powder in smoothies! Typically, I prefer to avoid it because it can leave an odd aftertaste. But this smoothie would be a good one since the chocolate flavor is strong enough to mask it.
Vegan Variation
Prefer to have a vegan smoothie? You can easily make this chocolate banana smoothie plant-based by doing the following:
- Cut the Greek yogurt.
- Use oat milk or almond milk, adding a little more as needed until it blends.
- Consider adding peanut butter for added plant-based protein.
Dark Chocolate Version
Are you a dark chocolate lover like me? Here’s what you can do to turn this into a dark chocolate banana smoothie.
- Use Dutch process cocoa powder (sometimes labeled dark cocoa powder or Dutched cocoa).
- Start with 3 tablespoons of Dutch process cocoa powder and add more to taste.
- You may also need to add a bit more sweetener to counter the cocoa’s darkness.
Dutch process cocoa powder is essentially a dark chocolate version of cocoa powder. It’s been treated with an alkali to neutralize its pH, which gives it a darker color and milder flavor. I use it in lots of my recipes to get a rich chocolaty flavor, like Flourless Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Banana Muffins.
Smoothie Storage
This smoothie is best served immediately. For leftovers, store in a covered jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Dietary Notes
This recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, use the variation in the recipe.
Chocolate Banana Smoothie
This chocolate banana smoothie tastes like a healthy chocolate milkshake! Get your chocolate fix with these good for you ingredients.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 small smoothies or 1 large 1x
- Category: Smoothie
- Method: Drink
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup milk of choice (dairy or non dairy)
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt (for vegan, omit and add more milk until it blends)
- 2 medium ripe bananas (room temperature)
- 1 ½ cups ice
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup (to taste, depending on the ripeness of the bananas)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional mix in: 1 tablespoon peanut butter
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender in the order listed, breaking the banana into pieces. Blend until creamy and frothy, stopping and scraping down the sides as necessary, and adding a bit more liquid if necessary. Serve immediately or store in a covered jar in the refrigerator for 2 days.
Let us know if you have any questions!
Really good