January 4, 2023

Chocolate & PB Beet Smoothie

Ultra chocolatey, creamy and smooth, this smoothie is the perfect way to start your morning! Not only is it delicious, but it’s also full of nutrients, protein and a boost of fiber to keep you energized throughout the day!

I love drinking a smoothie for breakfast. Especially a chocolate and peanut butter one. Because, if you don’t know me already, I have a serious addiction to those two lovely foods. I also happen to have an obsession with ice cream. Although a big scoop of chocolate peanut butter ice cream is okay once in awhile, I need that flavor to be in my life more often. Which is why I created this healthy “milkshake”.

This breakfast smoothie is made out of bananas instead of sugar and cream and, of course, a secret ingredient: beets! For simplicity, I always use canned, sliced or chopped beets. It sounds strange, but the earthy beet flavor isn’t even detectable. I served this smoothie to my two younger siblings without telling them about the beets and they quickly drank all of it and then asked for more! So, why not give it a try? This is definitely the better way to enjoy veggies!

Ingredients

The ingredients in this smoothie recipe are easy to find at your local grocery store any time of year, while also being inexpensive. And, the best part is that these ingredients have nutritional benefits too!

Overripe Banana~ You will need to freeze one large banana into chunks so that it is easy to blend. Spotted bananas are great for naturally sweetening smoothies and they add a good boost of potassium too. Keep in mind that the more spotted the banana is, the sweeter (and better!) your smoothie will be.

Canned Beets~ Sliced or chopped canned beets work here. You can use salted beets but do not use pickled! Even though there is only 1/4 cup of beets in this recipe, you still get the amazing nutritional benefits of folate and manganese that boost both heart health and metabolism.

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder and Instant Coffee Granules~ The instant coffee is optional, but I recommend using if you have it on hand because it greatly enhances the chocolate flavor.

Peanut Butter~ Use creamy peanut butter or even almond, cashew or sunflower seed butter. You could also use peanut butter powder if you wanted to reduce fat in the recipe. If absolutely necessary, you could omit the nut butter, but I found when I didn’t use it that the beet flavor was a bit more pronounced.

Milk~ I used fat-free dairy milk, but you can use almond, soy, oat, coconut or cashew milk instead. The kcalories on the recipe below are calculated with fat-free dairy milk, so if you use a different milk, the nutrition facts will be different.

Optional Chocolate Protein Powder~ For an extra boost of protein, you could also add a scoop of chocolate protein powder. This is a good idea for when you need a protein rich, post-workout snack.

The Dance

For this recipe, the only thing you need to do ahead of time is freeze your banana broken into chunks. Once the banana is frozen, add all the ingredients to your blender and blend until smooth. Pour the smoothie into a tall glass and sip with a colorful straw for the most fun experience! 😉

You may be wondering: does this smoothie taste like beets? Surprisingly, no! The chocolate and peanut butter work together to cover up the earthy flavor of the beets so that you can enjoy your smoothie, without an aftertaste of veggies. This smoothie is perfect for a healthy breakfast or snack, which is much needed after several weeks of holiday treats!

Need another healthy smoothie recipe? Check out this Pumpkin Pie Smoothie or Breakfast Ice Cream!