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Banana bread with chocolate chips, chocolate banana cake with peanut butter frosting, banana chocolate ice cream… we all know that bananas and chocolate make for a delicious duo in any sweet recipe.
We all know how to make a classic chocolate smoothie, so why not upgrade it a notch? Add a banana to it, it's easy! Bananas create a creamy texture and add plenty of good nutrients such as potassium, vitamin C and vitamin B6 to your ordinary smoothie.
With just five ingredients, banana chocolate smoothie is super easy to make. It’s nutritious enough to have for breakfast and feels decadent enough as an afternoon snack. Add a scoop of your go-to protein powder and you also have an excellent post-workout meal.
What Bananas to Use?
Bananas get sweeter as they ripen. Darkened or spotty, overripe bananas may not be your best friend to keep in your bag for the afternoon munchies. But they do make the perfect bananas for baking, and, like in this case, for banana shakes or smoothies.
Store some overripe bananas ahead of time in the freezer, especially if you like to use them for cooking. Frozen bananas are great to have on hand for smoothies, shakes and bakes such as banana bread. To freeze bananas, peel the bananas first, slice into smaller pieces and place in a freezer-proof bag.
Smaller chunks are easier to blend into a smoothie, and can be used straight from frozen. It also means you can also avoid ice cubes altogether making your chocolate banana smoothie extra-rich and creamy.
Chocolate Banana Smoothie Ingredients
There are essentially five ingredients to make a good chocolate banana smoothie. They are:
- banana, preferably frozen
- ice cubes
- milk, dairy or non-dairy
- unsweetened cocoa powder
Optional ingredients:
- peanut butter or almond butter
- chocolate chips
- chocolate milk
Notes on milk:
Traditional dairy milk can be used, but feel free to choose almond milk, coconut milk, or even oat milk, depending on your dietary preferences. They all work well with the flavours of the banana shake.
Notes on chocolate:
If you wish to keep things light use just 1 Tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder for each serving. Throw in 1 Tbsp of dark chocolate chips to this to add some extra bite, your choice.
Power-boost your banana smoothie:
For an all-round nutrition boost, think of other additions as toppings such as nuts, seeds (pumpkin, chia, hemp, sunflower), coconut flakes, and maybe even fresh-cut fruit. Make sure to serve in your favourite smoothie bowl instead of a glass!
Chocolate Banana Smoothie Ingredients for Two Servings
- 2 medium bananas, sliced
- 1 cup of milk of choice
- 3/4 cup of ice
- 2-3 Tbsp of peanut butter
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Method:
Add all ingredients to a blender and process until well pureed. Serve immediately.
Other Recipes to Inspire You
Chocolate and Banana Smoothie with Melted Chocolate
Prefer more banana and less chocolate? Try this recipe to melt 25 g of dark chocolate and use it as a smear on the glass rather than blending it into the smoothie. Needless to say, milk can be substituted with any other alternative milk of your choice.
Fruit Smoothie Bowl with Berries
For a lighter, fruitier smoothie, try our easy recipe for a smoothie bowl with acai and mixed berries, topped with chia seeds, hemp seeds, kiwi fruit slices, macadamia nuts, and cacao nibs.
Love bananas and just can't get enough of them? Try also:
Go Bananas: 10 Easy Recipes to Make the Most of the Tropical Fruit
