Creamy Cacao Smoothie (No Banana)

This sweet and creamy cacao smoothie is easy to make with almond butter, cacao, spinach, and milk for a creamy, chocolatey to start the day. Ready in just five minutes, it’s creamy without banana using a “secret” veggie ingredient!

A Creamy, Dreamy Cacao Smoothie

I’m a big fan of anything-chocolate, especially if I can sneak it into an easy smoothie recipe! This cacao powder smoothie is the perfect way to do chocolate, because it’s so rich, creamy, and well… chocolatey! The “secret” to this feel-good smoothie is that it’s also packed with hidden veggies in the form of cauliflower, spinach, chia seeds, and almond butter; with added protein from protein powder. Don’t worry, though, you won’t be able to taste the spinach or the cauliflower rice, but you will be able to taste the delicious chocolate flavor coming through from the cacao powder.

Tip: Because this smoothie is made without bananas it’s naturally very low in sugar and gets its sweetness from your protein powder of choice. So make sure you choose one you like the taste of!

The Secret to Thickening Smoothies without Banana is Frozen Cauliflower!

Don’t be afraid of the frozen cauliflower rice! If you’ve never used it before it might sound like a strange ingredient. But it adds a nice creaminess without adding banana and is a great low-sugar substitute, and it will not make your smoothie taste like cauliflower. It also adds some plant-power (without adding any cauliflower flavor) to the final smoothie!

Make a Berry Cacao Smoothie

It’s super simple to take this recipe and turn it into a berry cacao smoothie! Simply add 1 cup of frozen mixed berries in place of the frozen cauliflower. Then blend and you’ll have a delicious berry twist on this chocolatey smoothie.

Make a Smoothie Bowl with Cacao

To make a cacao smoothie bowl, make the smoothie thicker by using only ¾ cup milk. Be sure to use frozen riced cauliflower to help you get that thick consistency. Once blended, pour into a bowl and add your choice of smoothie bowl toppings. Some fun ideas would be nuts, seeds, fresh berries, granola, honey, cacao nibs and an extra drizzle of almond butter.

Ingredients & Modifications

Protein powder: You can use any chocolate protein powder you like the taste of. To keep this recipe vegan friendly, be sure to use a plant-based. To keep this recipe paleo friendly, be sure to use a grain-free and dairy-free protein powder.

Spinach: The addition of spinach makes this a simple green chocolate smoothie and a great way to add greens to your day. Baby kale would also work beautifully.

Frozen riced cauliflower: Riced cauliflower is one of the most underrated & easy ways to add a boost of veggies to your smoothies. Also, the smaller riced size makes it easier to blend. Look for riced cauliflower in the fresh or frozen section of your store.

Almond butter: You can use any nut butter you prefer in place of the almond butter. You can also use seed butter for a nut-free version.

Chia seeds: The chia seeds really help to thicken up this smoothie and provide heartiness. If you don’t have them or don’t like them, you can skip them in this recipe.

Almond milk: Any non-dairy milk will work great in this recipe, so if you don’t prefer almond milk you can use cashew milk, hemp milk, or oat milk instead. If you like a thinner consistency in your smoothies, add more milk.

Unsweetened cacao powder: I like the taste and rich flavor of cacao powder, but you can also use cocoa powder in its place.

Tip: If using fresh riced cauliflower in place of frozen riced cauliflower, be sure to add extra ice to the blender for better texture.

This Recipe Is…

Dairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreePaleoVeganVegetarian

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