Creamy Chocolate Breakfast Shake

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Two glasses of our Creamy Vegan Chocolate Breakfast Shake

Late one night last week, while John was getting ready for bed, I was scouring Pinterest on my iPhone. Some days, I barely pin anything at all on Pinterest, and others, I’m an absolute maniac, re-pinning everything I see. Cute puppies, strange tattoos, 18-layer cakes – you name it. This particular night, I found something that really caught my eye, so much so that I was determined to make it the very next morning.

The recipe I’m sharing is inspired by the one I found, which was featured on Babble. Kathy’s version was raw and mine’s not, so if you’re on a raw diet, by all means, stick with her version. But for those of you not on a raw diet, this is probably about the creamiest, dreamiest chocolate shake you’ll have that just happens to be vegan and totally healthy enough to call breakfast.

Frozen banana, frozen strawberries, flaxseed meal, spinach, agave, cocoa powder, almond butter, and dairy-free milk

Since making this for the first time a week or so back, it’s been my go-to breakfast nearly every morning – so freaking delicious. You can taste the bananas only slightly, so if they’re not your thing, try it anyway.

Blender with frozen strawberries, frozen banana, cacao powder, nut butter, spinach, and ice

You can easily add more cocoa powder to make the chocolate flavor even more prominent. Also, if you can’t have or absolutely despise bananas, you could probably just sub all frozen strawberries or blueberries for a similar result. I also highly recommend sneaking in some flaxseed and spinach for added nutrition without any affect on the flavor. Bottoms up!

Pouring a creamy vegan chocolate smoothie into a glass

Creamy Chocolate Breakfast Shake

A creamy vegan chocolate shake with tons of fruit, protein, and rich chocolate flavor. Makes the perfect breakfast, snack, or late-night dessert.
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Two glasses of our vegan chocolate breakfast smoothie
4.88 from 50 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 2 (shakes)
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Vegan

Ingredients

  • 2 frozen ripe bananas (chopped prior to freezing)
  • 1/3 cup frozen strawberries (or blueberries)
  • 2-3 heaping Tbsp cocoa powder
  • 2 Tbsp salted almond butter*
  • 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal (optional)
  • 1.5-2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk (sub soy or coconut)
  • 1 dash stevia or agave nectar (depending on sweetness of bananas)
  • 1/3 cup ice
  • 1 big handful big handful of spinach (optional // not pictured here)

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
  • If you prefer a more chocolatey shake, add more cocoa powder. If you prefer it sweeter, add more stevia or agave. If you prefer it thinner, add less ice OR more almond milk.

Notes

* Salted Almond Butter recipe
* Nutrition information is a rough estimate.

Nutrition (1 of 2 servings)

Serving: 1 shake Calories: 312 Carbohydrates: 48 g Protein: 6.2 g Fat: 14 g Saturated Fat: 1 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Fiber: 7.5 g Sugar: 27 g

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  1. C Perry says

    I made some substitutions based on what I had available, but overall this turned out creamy and delicious! For me, it passes to satisfy for craving a chocolate milkshake. I only made 1 serving. I didn’t have almond butter (peanut butter), flaxseed meal (omitted), almond milk (coconut milk), stevia/agave (Maple Syrup), and spinach (omitted). Opted not to add any ice. Definitely plan to make again.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo

  2. Richard says

    Use this recipe if you hate flavor – 4 of 4 family members agree. Cacao powder is really just a tease. If you limit yourself to the real thing once in a while you can actually enjoy it, instead of this comprise on a regular basis.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Richard, sorry to hear you and your family members didn’t enjoy it. We’re not sure what you mean by “the real thing”? Are you saying you used cacao powder vs. cocoa powder?

  3. Med says

    Awesome. Thanks a bunch for this! I find I don’t really need to add any sweetener but if I do I use raw honey or date sugar as it’s full of fibre.

  4. Katie says

    Super delicious and creamy. My new go-to breakfast! I don’t add ice or sweetener but still find the consistency and taste amazing.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi James! This particular recipe doesn’t call for any rice. Let us know how you like it if you give it a try! xo

  5. Lexie says

    Wow I cannot wait to make this again! I only had frozen mango instead of strawberries/blueberries, but otherwise followed the recipe as written. So tasty, almost feels like it’s bad for you 😂!

  6. Dhruvi Ashar says

    I loved this recipe so much, tried it for breakfast today.It was delicious and filling and tasted like dessert for breakfast(let’s be honest there is nothing better than that).I used blueberries instead of strawberries, peanut butter instead of almond butter and soy milk instead of almond milk because it’s what I had available and it turned out great.😍🔥

  7. Isabel Ramirez says

    This smoothie is so delicious and rich! I added cacao nibs and dates instead of stevia/agave.

  8. Elizabeth says

    This is delicious!! Didn’t add the flax seed this time, but will next time. Did add the spinach. It tastes like a chocolate milkshake. So delicious. This totally made my day! Thanks so much :)

  9. Colleen-Skye says

    FANTASTIC!!! I made this with 1% milk, it was what we had in the house at the time, and I felt like licking the blender after I poured it into two glasses. I also added the handful of spinach as suggested and made sure it was real good handful as well as the flaxseed. It was soooooo good. This was my first recipe from your site and I CANNOT wait to try more 😊. Thank you!

  10. dawn says

    I have been drinking a morning smoothie almost exactly like this for a few years, ha ha , I thought I made it up! I do handful of spinach, half a banana, blueberries, half cup oats, tbs chia seeds, tbs spoon unsweetened cocoa or cacao, big spoonful of peanut butter and unsweetened vanilla almond milk. I’m addicted to it!

  11. Bethy says

    Very good! Tasty and healthyish!
    I hate being the person who comments on a recipe after not having followed it but…I really dont think it needed the ice or the sweetener. It was still pretty thick even with the full 2 cups of liquid (I used water)
    Will make again!

  12. Lauren says

    This is really good! Used a touch of maple syrup for the sweetener and Califia’s unsweetened almond milk. Can’t wait to make it more and experiment.

  13. Erica says

    So creamy and chocolatey! I used zucchini instead of spinach, which made it even creamier I think. Will definitely be making this again.

  14. Mimi Snow says

    I made this without the almond butter or the spinach and used cacao powder instead of cocoa. It’s awesome! However, I’ve started a new job and get up earlier, so for when I’m in a hurry I now buy frozen fruit blends and simply use those with almond milk, flaxseed, and cacao powder. Both are very easy!

  15. Brenna says

    Delicious! Used dutch cocoa, which made it even more chocolatey. And bananas weren’t frozen yet, so added a bit more ice. So good, thanks!

  16. Debbie Ott says

    I have found that you can use pear in place of banana for a base. It’s very creamy and usually sweet (unless you have green pears). I cut up pears and put them in the freezer much like bananas and it works very well. Just a suggestion for those avoiding bananas.

  17. Jessica says

    I have been trying to find a smoothie recipe I actually like with my pickyness in texture, and taste that was vegan and healthy for a long time, so glad I found this recipe. I really enjoyed this smoothie!

  18. Mimi says

    This is one of my fave smoothies ever! My kids love it too! My son is allergic to nuts so we use sunflower seed butter and normal milk. Also I like to use honey for the sweetener. Sooooooo good!

  19. Honey says

    Omg i made this 3 days in a row now lol! Soooo good! I added dates as a sweetener. Is the 312 calories for 2 servings which make it 156 calorie for each?

  20. Joy says

    Will it still taste good if I don’t add:
    1/3 cup frozen strawberries (or blueberries)
    2-3 heaping Tbsp cocoa powder
    2 Tbsp salted almond butter*
    1.5-2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk (sub soy or coconut)
    dash of stevia or agave nectar (depending on sweetness of bananas)

  21. Michelle says

    Very good. I only make one serving (mostly, see below) at a time myself.

    Changes:
    – I still use a handful of greens (spinach works of course, but today I used radish leaves)
    – Sometimes I still use a 1/3 cup berries. Other times I use less.
    – No ice (that’s just a personal preference of mine)
    – I use skim milk (not vegan) or 1/2 milk and 1/2 tea.
    – I use peanut butter instead of almond butter. (Real peanut butter, of course. :-D)
    – Sometimes I add half a carrot or half a zucchini. This is when I use less berries. It’s just too much food otherwise.
    – Another optional ingredient is some vanilla extract.

  22. Anni says

    Hi Dana, I saw that this recipe has a Salted Almond Butter recipe linked in the notes. When I clicked on that, it brought me to a different recipe and I couldn’t find the almond butter recipe. Let me know if you have a Almond butter recipe! Thanks!

  23. Reanna says

    This is definitely a favorite! And kids love it too. I prefer using frozen blueberries over strawberries. And I don’t need to add any sweetener. Thank you for this and your other yummy recipes!

  24. Nova Kelly says

    So I made a spin off of this recipe and it worked great this sort of a last resort when you dont have a lot of ingredients. So frozen strawberry, cocoa powder, oats, chia seeds , almond milk and mac ca powder . Its sort of a creamy ice cream and is delicious.

  25. mary spidle says

    I use pure coconut water instead of milk and throw in walnuts or almonds……sometimes add MACA….no sweetner..to me already sweet…..

  26. Shayna says

    Delicious and you’re right that the bananas is no overpowering at all. I hadn’t had any smoothies with banana and chocolate in it that I liked before this one. I think the almond butter rounds out the flavors so it’s not a bananarama. Thanks for another great recipe!

  27. Amber DeGrace says

    Delicious! I subbed some stuff due to what I had in the pantry and added a teaspoon of diatomaceous earth (a trick my friend suggested, to hide the chalky texture). I could drink these every morning – maybe I will!

  28. Lisa says

    This smoothie is amazing and has been in our smoothie rotation for a few months. My husband and three year old both love it, too. Still tastes good with fresh bananas but the texture will not be the same.

  29. Susan says

    I made this smoothie for an after dinner treat, and it was delicious! I followed the recipe pretty much, except I used 1 cup 2% milk and 1/2 cup fat-free Greek yogurt. I did not add extra sweetener or spinach. My husband even loved it!

  30. dawn says

    I make this every morning. Mine is 1 banana (trying to lose weight so feel like 2 bananas are too much), spinach, mixed berries, Chia seeds, 1 heaping tbsp cocoa, almond butter, 1/2 cup uncooked oats, unsweetened almond milk. The best!

  31. Laura says

    Hi Dana! I love your blog. It gave me the courage to go vegan!!

    I had a question about this recipe. It says that it serves two, and then the serving size is two shakes. Does that mean it makes four shakes or two?

  32. Jill Evans says

    I like fruity flavored chocolate and have made this recipe many times. YUM! Thank you!
    However, sometimes I just want my chocolate smoothie to just taste like chocolate (or chocolate and PB) without the fruity flavors of banana or mango and without sacrificing the satisfying creamy texture they add. I discovered that adding a few chunks of steamed and cooled sweet potato to a chocolate or mocha flavored smoothie is quite successful at adding sweetness, as well as the desired creamy smoothie texture without sacrificing flavor. It’s truly delicious. Try making this recipe with steamed sweet potato (no butter or salt ;p) in place of the banana and blueberries and let me know what you think. I’m on the lookout for more healthy and tasty smoothie ideas, so keep’m comin’!

  33. Debbie says

    Made it this morning! Delicious!! Would never think of using cocoa powder. Easy and quick to make too.

  34. Allison says

    I love you guys! Totally addicted to the “3 ingredient cheesecakes”. I look here first for new stuff to yum. I wish you were all vegan-but I’ll take what I can get- you rock.
    A Huge Thank you Sooooo much from my husband 3kids and me
    Allison

  35. Shenita says

    This smoothie is delicious! I added a few dates for a bit more sweetness and since I didn’t have almond butter I used peanut butter. Nonetheless, this is now one of my top 5 favorite smoothies. Thank you for the recipe.

  36. Doreen says

    Wow! This is really good! I don’t care for bananas in smoothies so I doubled the fruit and only put in one frozen banana. I used natural peanut butter (all that I had on hand) and skipped the ice (blender is too small to fit all the deliciousness!) and it turned out FANTASTIC. Will definitely save for the future!

  37. Ella Arnold says

    I love this shake! I have it an awful lot. I hope you don’t mind that I have used this recipe in one of my blog posts. I have referenced you and left your website address, but do say if you want me to remove the post.

  38. DeLM says

    I cannot tell you how much I love this recipe. You reignited my undying love for smoothies by giving me what is essentially a chocolate milkshake for breakfast. Every day. Thank goodness I didn’t know about this when I was pregnant, goodness knows how many bananas would have been consumed per day! I have been playing with this recipe – different nut butters, different berries, a spoonful of no sugar jam, a bit of toasted coconut. Amazing. A gorgeous blog – I’m not vegan, but your recipes have definitely inspired to try it out! Thank you and cheers from Australia :)

  39. Suz says

    I just made this smoothie and I have to say it turned out amazing! I subbed in regular milk (since I am not vegan and don’t have any other milk on hand haha) and cookie butter for almond butter. It was amazing! Definitely adding to my favorite smoothies :)

  40. Jane H. says

    I was desperate to try this but knew I only had 3/4 of one banana.I used everything else except the other banana and loved it!I also used a mix of spinach and kale.Can’t wait to try it with two bananas!

  41. Sarah says

    I found this recipe on Pinterest and it is SO amazing!! Tastes like an actual chocolate milkshake -I’m hooked. Thank you so much for posting this! Your whole website is so lovely :)

  42. BexkyL says

    I made this as close to your version as I possibly could. I’m kind of new to shakes so I’m about OD’d on the ‘heaping’ tbsp’s of cocoa. Lol! Which by the way seem to bring out the 2 tbsp’s of PB2 that I used instead of almond butter. I managed to get it down but I most definitely will have to play with it to make it (for lack of a better word) more customized. I’m not a huge chocolate fan but your pics looked awesome & mine came out real grainy. I’m also working with an individual serving smoothie blender & not a traditional sized one. My oh my! Wish me luck!

  43. Alexis says

    I just made this using your DIY chocolate almond milk recipe (which I made with cocoa powder only) and omitting the berries and additional cocoa powder – it was delicious! Just the right amount of chocolatey for me. :)

  44. Kristen says

    This is a super fancy version of my milk shake. Just frozen bananas, cocoa powder and milk, usually coconut.

  45. Rebecca says

    I just made this for a post-workout snack, and it is so tasty!! Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes :)

  46. Lauren says

    I make this almost every morning! Sometimes i also add in greek yogurt (vanilla or with fruit) instead of the chocolate. Also, instead of the sweeteners above i use a bit of local wildflower honey :)

  47. Allie says

    My husband and I are a little bit obsessed with these breakfast shakes. Thanks so much for the recipe! It’s been a great pregnancy staple for me.

  48. Barbara says

    Made it, loved it! I have crohn’s disease and always on the lookout for ‘healthy’ yummy bowel friendly recipes:)

  49. Talli says

    Try adding in some cooked, pureed (in blender), and cooled oatmeal. After pureeing and cooling, oatmeal takes on a consistency that’s a bit like flax/water, and a bit like heavy cream. Ie it binds well and thickens well. It makes for a very creamy consistency to any smoothie.

  50. Sunshine says

    Try substituting chocolate protien powder for the cocoa and sunflower sead butter for the almond butter plus a little bit of vanilla protien powder w no banana … Tastes similar to pea it butter mood at Jamba Juice and makes a great high protien shake . I have learned this from a class call BEST classes in AZ . It’s a series of free seminars to help change the face of America . Anyway the guy who started them is named Richard and you c. Get on his email , each ofhia recipes I have tryed are killer good ! Your smoothly sounded very tummy and similar ! His makes.a Good workout shake ! Thanks for sharring ! He introduces me to sunflower seed butter … It’s amazing !

  51. Lillie says

    Woke up 5 minutes early this morning to blend up this deliciousness and I’m not regretting it!! Such a good idea. I think next time I’ll use more berries and less banana per my taste bud’s liking. This will go in my breakfast (or snack) arsenal. Thank you Friend!

      • Alice Walton says

        I noticed in the recipe for the CREAMY CHOCOLATE BREAKFAST SHAKE that the recipe for the salty almond butter was not in that recipe, or was I missing something?
        I would greatly appreciate it if you would post it or send it to me? Thank you.
        Sincerely,
        Alice Walton

  52. Jennifer M says

    I have been making these for some time now! LOVE them! Mine are very green as I use quite a bit of spinach!!! I love subbing in different frozen fruits, whatever I might have on hand. I also like to put in a dash of cinnamon!!!

  53. admattai says

    This shake is so good! I’ve had it three times in the past week, and will probably make it again soon :) It was nice to discover another use for flaxseed meal (I usually use chia seeds in smoothies and flaxseed meal just for my ‘flax eggs’

  54. Christine Somers says

    This looks really yummy. My granddaughter is coming to visit for Thanksgiving weekend and is a smoothie fan. I would love to make this for her but she has a nut allergy. Any suggestions on a substitute for the almond butter?

  55. Megan | EatsDaily says

    These look good! You must have finished it pretty quickly considering how big those straws are ;)
    I already have most of the ingredients on hand, so I see myself making it in the very near future !