Blend up this black forest inspired Chocolate Cherry Smoothie for breakfast this week! Made with a blend of nutrient dense fruit and veggies with a touch of chocolatey flavour – this smoothie provides a healthy balance of decadence and nutrition. Boost this smoothie with additional fibre and protein by adding in a sprinkling of chia seeds or protein powder and enjoy! | Gluten Free + Vegan

Chocolate Cherry Smoothie Ingredients

• Frozen sweet cherries:
  • Frozen is a great option here because it means that you can enjoy this smoothie all year long – no matter the season! Cold fruit is also great for smoothies because it means you don’t need to add any ice to make this thick and cold. That being said, feel free to use fresh cherries if you prefer!

• Banana:
  • In this recipe, banana is simply a way to add another type of sweetener to the smoothie to balance out the sweet & tart cherries. Without another sweetener I felt like this chocolate cherry smoothie was a bit too one note.

• Cocoa Powder:
  • What’s a chocolate cherry smoothie without the chocolate-flavour? Make sure to use unsweetened cocoa powder so that you’re not adding any sneaky sugar to this recipe.
• Spinach:
  • Hidden well thanks to the cocoa powder and the cherries – throw in a handful of spinach for some hidden goodness and you won’t be able to tell once it’s all blended up!
• Almond Milk:
  • This recipe calls for almond milk, but feel free to use any type of milk here – dairy or non dairy. If you really want to go all out with the chocolate flavour you can even use something like a chocolate almond milk here.
• Salt:
  • All you need is a little pinch. Salt is a flavour amplifier and helps boost the natural sweetness of the fruit while toning down the bitter flavour that mighty come from the spinach and cocoa powder.

Optional Additions

Chia Seeds & Flax Seeds:

• I like adding a teaspoon to smoothies for added nutrition as they area great source of fibre, protein and healthy fats making for a more filling and satisfying smoothie. Even in small doses they pack in a might punch. Both chia and flax seeds are great for boosting nutrition without altering flavour.

Protein Powder:

• You can swap out 1-2 tablespoons of cocoa powder for chocolate protein powder or simply add a scoop to the smoothie as is.

Vanilla extract:

• Add a splash of vanilla to bring out more of the chocolate-cherry flavour.

Yoghurt:

• For even more protein, replace half of the almond milk with greek yoghurt. This will also make for an even creamier smoothie. If you need to keep this smoothie vegan friendly then make sure to use a dairy free yoghurt.

Avocado:

• Add half of an avocado to your smoothie jar before mixing. This is another good way to incorporate more healthy fat into your diet. Avocados are great for adding thickness and fullness to smoothie. Only add up to a half though so that you don’t taste it through other flavours.

Nut Butter:

• Almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter – all of these will make for a more creamy texture while also adding fat and protein.

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Recipe

Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

Yield: 1 serving Prep Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 5 minutes

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Blend up this black forest inspired Chocolate Cherry Smoothie for breakfast this week! Made with a blend of nutrient dense fruit and veggies with a touch of chocolatey flavour - this smoothie provides a healthy balance of decadence and nutrition.

Ingredients

• 1 cup | 150 g frozen, pitted cherries
• 1/2 banana
• 1 cup | 240 ml almond milk (or milk of your choice)
• 2 tablespoons | 14 g unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 packed cup | 30 g fresh spinach
• pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds or ground flax (optional)

Need help converting to weights? Check out my cups to grams Conversion Guide.

Instructions

1. Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until thick and smooth. If you prefer and thinner consistency add a little more milk.
2. Pour into serving glass and enjoy.

Notes

Optional Additions & Substitutions

• Replace half of the almond milk with yoghurt for extra protein.
• Any type of milk will work - dairy or non dairy. Use chocolate almond milk for an even more decadent smoothie.
• Add a scoop of protein powder if desired. If using chocolate protein powder you can replace 1 tablespoon of the cocoa powder with the chocolate protein powder.
• Add a tablespoon of nut butter for extra protein and healthy fat.

Nutrition Information

Yield: 1

Serving Size:

1 smoothie Calories: 200Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 10gSugar: 10gProtein: 6g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© A Saucy Kitchen, Sarah Nevins

Course: Smoothies & Shakes Cuisine: American

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