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.
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.
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!
Creamy Chocolate Breakfast Shake
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
* Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Dianna says
I can only have 35 carbs. If I omit the bananas will that lower the carb count ?
Hi Dianna, we wouldn’t recommend leaving out the banana. It would not be very flavorful and the texture would be runny.
Sophie says
Do the bananas have to be frozen? Thanks in advance, definitely trying this out tomorrow morning!
Hi Sophie, frozen bananas are best, but you could add more ice instead. It will just dilute the flavor a bit. Hope that helps!
Rodavi says
I was craving a chocolate smoothie and just made this: it hit the spot! It took no time, so easy. So creamy and delicious! Used peanut butter and plain unsweetened almond milk. Will definitely make this again! Thank you!
We’re so glad it hit the spot, Rodavi. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
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.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
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.
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?
Steph says
This so delicious 🤤
I made it with my kids today and they loved it. ❤️❤️❤️
Yay! Thanks for the great review, Steph!
Rosemarie L Kimelman says
Can I add additional protein to achieve 30 g? using whey isolate, pea or beef protein?
Yes!
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.
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Med! Thank you for sharing! xo
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.
Wonderful! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Katie! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
James says
Just getting started with smoothies, is the rice cooked soaked or dry?
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
Michael says
Delicious!!
Thank you for the lovely review, Michael!
Brittany says
One of the best smoothies ever. Simple and delicious!
Thanks for the lovely review, Brittany! xo
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 😂!
Thanks for sharing, Lexie!
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.😍🔥
So great! Thanks for sharing, Dhruvi!
Lindsay says
I’ve been making this smoothie for years but I’ve never commented. It’s so amazingly delicious!!!
Aw, yay! Thanks for the lovely review, Lindsay!
Isabel Ramirez says
This smoothie is so delicious and rich! I added cacao nibs and dates instead of stevia/agave.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Isabel! Thanks so much for sharing!
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 :)
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Elizabeth! Thanks so much for sharing!
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!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing!
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!
Great minds think alike =)
Kareena says
So delicious!! My go-to smoothie from now on!! Love the cocoa powder
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Kareena! Thanks for sharing!
Kate says
This a perfect late night snack!!!
Jay says
Really enjoyed, healthy and enough like chocolate milk to make it feel like a treat x
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Jay!
Juliana says
That was great! I didn’t have spinach this time, so substituted with avocado :)
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!
Thanks for sharing! Helpful.
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.
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.
Great idea, Erica! So glad you enjoyed it! xo
Chelsea says
Did you shred the zucchini and how much did you put in???
Erica says
I chopped it into a few pieces and threw it in the blender. I usually do one half a zucchini. It doesn’t have any flavor really–it just adds nutrients and creaminess.
Sarah Cook says
?♀️
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!
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!
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.
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!
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!
Ashley says
This was awesome! Your recipes never fail. So easy and tasty ❤️
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?
We’re glad you enjoyed it, Honey! 312 calories is for 1 serving of 2.
Shari King says
This was so good! I made it for my daughter and she was all smiles!
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)
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.
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!
Louise says
I couldn’t find the Salted Almond Butter recipe either, the link took me to other recipes as well.
Kay says
Same here, it takes me to the spirulina smoothie recipe.
Anne-Marie says
This was delicious!
Thank you so much for sharing (:
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!
M.N. Hess says
I use kale in my smoothies. Easy to keep a bag of chopped kale handy to add in your smothie.
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.
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…..
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!
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!
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.
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!
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!
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?
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’!
Debbie says
Made it this morning! Delicious!! Would never think of using cocoa powder. Easy and quick to make too.
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
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.
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!
Michelle says
We love this recipe, it’s perfect and the spinach is hidden without tasting it, thanks so much!!!
Terri Raymond says
Has anyone tried cacao powder for the cocoa?
I think that would work well!
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.
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 :)
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 :)
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!
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 :)
Joel says
Hi,
Is it essential to have vanilla almond milk or can regular almond milk be used?
Thanks!
use regular! that’s fine!
Joel says
Excellent! Thank you! Very excited to try it! :)
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!
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. :)
Lovely! Glad you liked it, Alexis!
Kristen says
This is a super fancy version of my milk shake. Just frozen bananas, cocoa powder and milk, usually coconut.
Rebecca says
I just made this for a post-workout snack, and it is so tasty!! Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes :)
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 :)
Alex Caspero says
Yum! I make a similar kind with tofu but I think I will try your version without, looks delicious!
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.
Barbara says
Made it, loved it! I have crohn’s disease and always on the lookout for ‘healthy’ yummy bowel friendly recipes:)
Kim says
I would like to try this but can’t eat almonds. Is there any alternative to use that is tree-nut free?
If you can have peanuts, I’d highly recommend peanut butter :D
Erica says
Sun butter works well
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.
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 !
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!
Lovely! Yeah, it’s one of my favorite smoothies. seriously tastes like a shake!
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
Sorry about that Alice! Here it is!
Eliza Fry says
Hi Alice do you work at Madeline cort school in extra kinder care nursery sorry if I sond rood but I no that name and I fink I have seen you at my school before I left I am having fun at college I do art and cooking and I make smoothie dis will be a good recipe I fink gis thank you Eliza
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!!!
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’
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?
if she can have peanut butter, I’d suggest that. Otherwise, you can just leave it out : )
Christine Somers says
Peanut butter it is! Thanks.
E says
If she has a nut allergy peanut butter is not a wise choice. Just saying
Kelli Owens says
The reason people have allergies to “peanuts” because they are a legume. They are not a nut. 9 times out of ten that is the only “nut” they are allergic to. Peanuts turn rancid 2 hours after you pick them. They also have a very high mold count. ?
Ibu Kole says
Rice milk or coconut milk are great alternatives!☕️
Erica says
Sun butter works well too!
Marie says
You could do Tahini!
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 !