Cashew butter makes this chocolate banana smoothie extra thick and delicious. Add some protein powder for a more filling snack or breakfast option.
I’m just not someone who can drink a smoothie for breakfast and call it a meal.
Nope, not gonna happen. Unless chewing is involved, it’s not a meal.
For this reason, I resisted the whole smoothie for breakfast thing for years. People would be all “oh but they’re great for a quick on-the-go option” and I’d be all, “wake up 10 minutes earlier and cook yourself some eggs, dude”.
I caved a few times and tried it, not gonna lie. I tried bulking them up with oats, protein powders and every other imaginable ingredient out there and it just never worked.
The longest a drink would keep me full was 2 hours and that’s being generous.
So instead of trying to make it work as a stand alone breakfast option, I decided to tone it down and embrace the smoothie as part of my breakfast.
The best part about this approach is how simple the smoothies become. No need to add everything from the pantry any more to try and bulk it up, just 3-5 ingredients and you’re done.
My latest addition to breakfast has been this chocolate cashew butter banana smoothie.
Chocolate and banana smoothies are a staple but cashew butter has become an obsession as of late.
Trader Joe’s makes the best one out there, it’s creamy, slightly salty and melt in your mouth delicious in a way that almond butter can never be and it’s worth the extra $1 per jar.
I’ve currently got a stockpile of 5 in my pantry in case the apocalypse comes, I’m prepared.
Instead of using unsweetened cocoa powder like I normally would, I added a CocoaVia® unsweetened dark chocolate stick pack to this smoothie for some additional health benefits.
Each serving of CocoaVia® has 375mg of cocoa flavanols which have been scientifically proven to promote a healthy heart by supporting healthy blood flow.
CocoaVia® has the highest concentration of cocoa flavanols available in the market.
Studies have shown that the cocoa flavanols enter the body to start helping with good blood flow within just a couple of hours of consumption so this smoothie is a great way to start your day or even sip on before your workout.
The combination of chocolate and banana is always a winner and with the added benefits from the cocoa flavanols, it can be a healthy addition too. This banana nice cream is a great way to enjoy it in dessert form.
Looking for more delicious chocolate drinks like this? Try our chocolate espresso smoothie or this protein mud drink. With adaptogenic mushroom powder, it’s a great alternative to caffeine. Swap out the frozen banana and milk in this recipe with banana milk for a similar flavor.
Chocolate Cashew Butter Banana Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 frozen banana
- 1 cup unsweetened almond or coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon creamy cashew butter
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened dark cocoa powder, or, CocoaVia® unsweetened dark chocolate packet
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Notes
-optional handful of ice
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
*This post is sponsored by CocoaVia®. All content and opinions are my own.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
The recipe is great, but IDK how you calculate calories. I put each ingredient into My Fitness Pal with the brands I use and it calculated as less than 300 calories, which is doable, unlike your 1520!
Hey Lauri – glad you liked the smoothie! Sometimes the nutrition info tech glitches out, especially with older recipes that have switched from one platform to another and I don’t catch it. This is definitely one of those examples! I just re-ran it and it’s much more accurate now. I got 265 cals for what it’s worth. Thanks for pointing that out!
The calorie count doesn’t seem right. I tallied up myself and looks like it’s over by about 1,000 calories. Did I miss something?
I replaced with the unsweatened dark chocolate but did not put quite as much (3 tablespoon for the double recipe) and it was more then enough. Also added some frozen raspberries and strawberries (instead of the ice) to add a fruity taste and it was great
This combination sounds like heaven! I love the addition of the creamy cashew too!