My sweet tooth is something I am not going to be shaking anytime soon and instead of fighting it, I might as well find healthy ways of embracing it. Enter the Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie!
Break out the cacao!
Chocolate is one of the great loves of my life that I can’t seem to shake….and I’m kind of okay with that. This healthy sweet treat came to be when, one fateful day, my spirited little girl decided that smoothies were suddenly her mortal enemy. For real people!
This little girl has been drinking and loving smoothies since before she sprouted her very first tooth, but she suddenly hated every beautiful blend of fruits and veggies I put in front of her.
Since I am as stubborn and as strong willed as she is (the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree), I was not going to let her love of smoothies die without a serious fight. Break out the cacao!
What is cacao?
If you are sitting there with question marks in your eyes, wondering what the hell “cacao” is (and how to say it), allow me to introduce you to this amazing antioxidant rich superfood.
Cacao (pronounced “ka-cow”) is the raw, most unprocessed version of chocolate. It doesn’t have a natural sugars in it, so it needs to be combined with some naturally sweet goodness, like strawberries and dates!
It is not as sweet as the cocoa powder you may be used to working with, so until your taste buds adjust to this new superfood (that should absolutely be part of your life and diet), you may have to play with the sweetness level of this smoothie by how many dates you add or don’t add.
After I had blended. Tasted. Adjusted and blended again, it was time to test out my weapon in the “Anti Smoothie Battle of 2016.”
“Alice, do you want to chocolate smoothie?” I ask, showing off the little jelly jar I had brimming with chocolate cover strawberry smoothie and a bright straw.
“Oh yes, Mommy! Thank you! Thank you!” Alice squealed. Within 5 minutes, that lovely slurping sound, indicating the last of the smoothie was being sucked up rang through the kitchen.
I did my best to keep the maniacal laughter just in my head. My mommy super power had won yet again.
Want to make sure you always have spinach on hand for this Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie? Check out my tips & tricks for keeping spinach fresh all week!
More smoothies to try
- Chocolate Banana Smoothie (with veggies)
- Cherry Smoothie (with spinach)
- Chocolate Avocado Mousse (vegan)
- Quick Sweet Potato Smoothie
- Apple Carrot Smoothie
Enjoying this strawberry smoothie?
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Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie
Ingredients
- 2 very ripe bananas
- 1 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
- 2 cups greens (I like spinach or kale)
- 2 cups non-dairy milk
- 2 tablespoons cacao powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 2-4 pitted Medjool dates or to taste
- 1 tablespoon cacao chips for garnish (optional)
- Fresh strawberries for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Blend greens, milk, and dates until smooth.
- Add bananas, strawberries, cacao powder,and chia seeds to the blender. Blend until smoothie.
- Portion out into 3 glasses, garnish with cacao nibs and fresh strawberries (if using), and enjoy immediately.
Notes
The nutritional information is provided as an estimate only and may vary based on the product type, servings and other factors. If you are following a diet, please consult with a professional nutritionist or your doctor. Stay healthy!
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Comments
I made this after dinner to have ready for breakfast tomorrow. My 6 year old daughter helped me. She was excited to taste it, she isn’t one to get excited over smoothies, she really liked it. She even asked if she could drink it out of a glass cup with a straw. Thank you for an easy and delicious recipe I will definitely be making this again.
P.S. do you strain your smoothie?
I am so glad your daughter loved it! I always love hearing that my recipes help little ones love their veggies!
And no I do not strain my smoothies…but I do let them blend for a long time so they are nice and smooth!
I could start every day with a smoothie like this – yum!