Enjoy a chocolate covered strawberry in smoothie form for breakfast when you make this delicious chocolate strawberry banana smoothie recipe. Cocoa powder adds tons of rich chocolate-y flavor to this simple but healthy smoothie recipe.
If you are a chocolate lover like me, any excuse to have chocolate for breakfast is a good one! This chocolate strawberry banana smoothie is a healthy and delicious option for breakfast anytime of the year. Cocoa powder adds rich chocolate flavor and tons of antioxidants to this delicious vegan smoothie recipe.
Want more chocolate for breakfast? Check out these recipes: chocolate chia seed pudding, chocolate walnut banana bread, healthy chocolate oatmeal, double chocolate banana muffins.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- A healthy smoothie recipe with simple ingredients like frozen strawberries, bananas, and cocoa powder that will get your day started off right.
- Easily adapt this recipe to add more nutrients by mixing in fresh greens, protein powder, chia seeds, and more. Strawberries are rich in vitamin C which is great for healthy skin.
- This chocolate strawberry smoothie recipe is vegan, egg free, and dairy free. You can easily make it nut free as well by using both soy milk and soy yogurt.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Frozen Strawberries: since I like thick and frosty smoothies, I usually use frozen strawberries. (Plus strawberry season is so short!) However, you can use fresh strawberries for this smoothie if you’d like.
- Banana: banana adds some sweetness as well as creaminess to this smoothie. Also, banana and strawberry are a great flavor combo! Use frozen banana for a thick smoothie and fresh banana for a thinner one.
- Cocoa Powder: to add chocolate flavor to this smoothie, I like to use unsweetened cocoa powder. I almost always have some in the pantry. You can also use chocolate protein powder instead of cocoa powder for that chocolate flavor.
- Soy Milk: My favorite plant milk to use unsweetened, plain soy milk in my smoothies since it has more protein than other plant-based milks. However, you can use any non-dairy milk that you like such as almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk, hemp milk, or cashew milk.
- Yogurt: add extra creaminess as well as gut healthy probiotics with some plant-based yogurt. I like to use a plain, unsweetened cashew yogurt in my smoothies.
- Ground Flaxseeds: add an extra 4 grams of fiber and some heart healthy omega 3 fat to your smoothie with a couple tablespoons of flaxseeds. You can’t taste them but they offer so many benefits.
Optional Smoothie Add-Ins
- Spinach: sneak in a serving of vegetables with your smoothie by adding a handful of fresh spinach or other greens to your smoothie before pureeing. It won’t be a pretty color – but it will be good for you!
- Add Protein: instead of cocoa powder, use your favorite chocolate protein powder to add both flavor and extra protein to your banana strawberry chocolate smoothie. Use 2 tablespoons chia seeds instead of ground flax in your smoothie for an extra 6 grams of protein.
- Healthy Fats: instead of ground flaxseeds, add some extra fiber and healthy fats to your smoothie with a couple tablespoons of chia seeds or hemp hearts. Almond butter or peanut butter would also be delicious.
- Add sweetness: if you want a sweeter smoothie, add up to 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup or agave nectar or 1-2 pitted dates to your smoothie before blending.
How to Make a Chocolate Strawberry Smoothie
Step One: Add all of your ingredients to a high-speed blender and puree until smooth. You can also make this in a single serving blender too.
Step Two: Divide into two glasses to serve. I like to garnish mine with some hemp hearts and a few cacao nibs.
Expert Tips
- Start slow: for best results, start your blender on a low speed and gradually increase the blending speed as the ingredients start to break down. (This is especially helpful if using frozen fruit.)
- Adjust the texture: Use frozen strawberries and frozen bananas for a thick, frosty smoothie. If you use fresh fruit, you’ll have a thinner smoothie so adjust the liquid if needed.
- What to serve with your smoothie: I love to pair this creamy strawberry chocolate smoothie with some toast, a granola bar, a slice of chocolate walnut banana bread, or a handful of this grain free granola.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Just leave out the banana and add an extra 1/4 cup of yogurt OR 1/2 cup of frozen cauliflower rice OR 4 oz silken tofu. You may also want to add a date or some maple syrup for sweetness when leaving out the banana.
There are so many delicious fruits that you could add. I really like strawberries as you’ll see in this recipe. Other options include: cherries, raspberries, banana, and blueberries.
You can store leftover smoothie for 1-2 days in the refrigerator. To store for longer, pour leftover chocolate strawberry smoothie into an ice cube tray and freeze. Once frozen, transfer smoothie cubes to a bag. To make your smoothie, just blend with a splash of milk.
Looking for more vegan smoothie recipes created by a plant-based dietitian? Check out my roundup of 15+ delicious vegan smoothies!
Did you love this recipe? Make sure to leave a ⭐️ rating and tag #dietitiandebbie on instagram!
Chocolate Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Equipment
- 1 blender
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries
- 1 banana, fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup plain, unsweetened vegan yogurt
- 1/2 cup plain, unsweetened soy milk
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Add all of your ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth. Divide between 2 glasses to serve.
Notes
- Add Protein: add your favorite chocolate protein powder instead of cocoa powder for extra protein.
- Adjust Sweetness: If you like a sweeter smoothie, add up to 2-3 tablespoons of maple syrup or agave nectar. You could also sweeten this smoothie with 1-2 pitted dates.
- Thick Smoothie: Use both frozen strawberries and frozen banana for an extra thick and creamy smoothie.
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Kim says
Debbie;
Hi,your layered chocolate strawberry chia seed looks so good and tasty and i am going to make it at my house after i buy the ingredients.I am a type 2 diabetic so i can’t have maple syrup or honey in your recipe.Can i use liquid stevia or agave in your recipe?i love chocolate and strawberries together in puddings.How long will this pudding last in the frigerator?I am going to make some of your delicious recipes at home over several weeks because there are a lot of recipes on your website that i want to make starting with your pudding.
Kim
Dietitian Debbie says
Hi Kim,
Yes! You can definitely use stevia or agave in place of the maple syrup, you just want to adjust how much you add since you’ll likely need less of those than maple syrup. Usually the pudding lasts 2-3 days in the refrigerator after making. Hope that helps! 🙂
Jeanne says
In the instructions, you say to combine the coconut cream, milk etc. Where do we get the coconut cream?
Dietitian Debbie says
Sorry! That was a typo. The directions should say coconut milk, milk, etc. I’ve updated them. Thanks for pointing it out!
Jeanne says
In the ingredient list you have “1 – 13.5 ounce can coconut milk”. Did you mean coconut cream?
Dietitian Debbie says
No, I used canned coconut milk for the recipe. You want it to be a liquid so that the chia seeds can absorb it to make the pudding. The canned coconut cream is usually a solid so it wouldn’t work very well in this recipe.
Andrea says
The coconut cream is different from canned coconut milk, right? I have trouble finding the cream, where do you get it?! This looks great.
DietitianDebbie says
Great question, Andrea! There is actually a slight difference between coconut cream and coconut milk. The milk has a bit less fat – but could work equally well in this recipe. I usually buy coconut cream from either Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s, but I am sure other stores carry it as well. For a more detailed description of the difference between coconut milk and cream, check out this helpful post from The Kitchn. 🙂 http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-coconut-m-75446
Emma says
This looks so wonderful! I adore coconut cream. Way to kick up a chia pudding 😀
Hannah says
Looks delicious! At what point do I add the chia seeds? Before or after blending? Thanks:)
DietitianDebbie says
Before. 🙂 Thanks so much for catching that Hannah!
Jessica's Dinner Party says
Chocolate, strawberries, coconut, and chia seeds! My favorite ingredients all wrapped up in one. Yum!!