Chocolate Cherry Dessert Smoothie
Chocolate cherry dessert smoothie, made with dark cherries, cocoa powder, banana, hemp seeds, oatmeal, and dates, topped with vegan whipped cream…because life is short and we deserve dessert for breakfast!
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Ok. So who doesn’t absolutely love a good milkshake? Those creamy, dreamy babies are hard to resist. But we probably shouldn’t go around downing milkshakes on the reg. So I am a HUGE fan of this excellent swap out. It’s creamy, it’s delicious, and it is NOT loaded with empty calories and processed sugar. It’s the chocolate cherry dessert smoothie! Chocolate cherry is one of the all time best milkshake flavors, in my opinion…the combination of tart cherry with chocolate is drool-worthy. So creating a chocolate cherry dessert smoothie was a must. With a couple of simple additions you can transform your smoothie into an excellent milkshake substitute that is actually full of nutrients and will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth.
This recipe is incredibly simple to make and can be thrown together in less than 5 minutes, making you the hero of your kitchen during your crazy morning routine!
DESSERT SMOOTHIE
Yes, this smoothie is absolutely still incredibly healthy! Loaded with plenty of vitamins and nutrients, this smoothie is the perfect go to for a healthy, easy breakfast OR a healthy dessert!
I have dubbed this a dessert smoothie due to a couple of additions. First, I added vanilla extract. Vanilla extract, commonly used in baking, can really add that little extra magic to change the flavor of a smoothie to taste more like dessert!
Second, I added vegan whipped cream. If you want to go totally clean on this, just skip this step. But vegan whipped cream really can be a fantastic addition to any smoothie to make it feel more like a treat that you can replace your dessert with.
HOW TO MAKE SMOOTHIES HEALTHIER
When making a smoothie you often have your health in mind. Obviously your smoothie is usually loaded with fresh fruits, but why not add a bit more bang for your buck? My favorite trick to easily add an extra dose of nutrients to smoothies is the addition of hemp seed.
HEMP SEEDS
Hemp seeds are an amazing addition to any meal! They have a slight nutty flavor to them, but will not alter the flavor of your smoothie by much. Due to their nutrients, they are beneficial for brain and nerve health. They are high in healthy fats, especially omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for mental health and brain development. Next time you make a smoothie toss these babies in to make it even healthier.
HOW TO MAKE A SMOOTHIE MORE FILLING
Smoothies are an amazing option when looking for a light, nutritious meal or dessert. But you don’t want them to be so light they have you crawling back to the kitchen in an hour or two. Bulking up your smoothie to make it more filling can be easily done. Adding a healthy starch to your smoothie, such as a handful of cooked sweet potatoes, or in this recipe’s case, banana is a super simple way to make a smoothie more filling.
OATS
Another trick to make a smoothie more filling is tossing in oats! Like this recipe, toss in 1/4 cup of oats to your smoothie and blend until smooth. You can use any oatmeal, but I often reach for old fashioned oats.
HOW TO MAKE A SMOOTHIE SWEETER
For this recipe, a couple of ingredients helped to sweeten this smoothie. The cherries of course added a touch of sweetness, as will any fruit. But bananas and dates are the ones that are mostly responsible for sweetening the deal. That’s right, no added sugar for this dessert smoothie (except for the vegan whipped cream of course).
Want to make a smoothie even sweeter? Add an extra date or two!
HOW TO MAKE A SMOOTHIE CREAMY
There are two main tricks I use to make a smoothie creamy. First, make sure you add the right amount of liquid. I always go for 6oz of whatever liquid I am using for my smoothie recipe, in this case oat milk. It seems to make the perfect consistency for a smoothie.
FREEZE YOUR BANANAS
The other trick to help make a smoothie creamy is to freeze your bananas. Peel and freeze your bananas ahead of time. This will thicken your smoothie significantly, making your beverage super creamy and delicious.
BENEFITS OF COCOA FOR SKIN
In Latin, Theobroma (cocoa), translates to “food of the gods”. Cocoa was given this name for good reason! Cocoa powder contains many medicinal and healing properties for your inner and outer health.
Cocoa is very rich in antioxidants. Among many benefits, antioxidants can help reverse damage caused by environmental factors, such as UV rays. Thanks to the abundance of antioxidants in cocoa, your skin can gain a youthful glow.
Along with antioxidants, cocoa powder is rich in omega 6 fatty acids, vitamin C, and magnesium. All of which are beneficial for the health and brightness of your skin.
So next time you are craving chocolate, load up a healthy smoothie with a heaping scoop of cocoa!
BENEFITS OF CHERRIES FOR SKIN
Like cocoa, cherries are loaded with antioxidants and vitamin C, both of which are extremely beneficial for your skin health. Cherries are also a great source of vitamin A, B, and E, which all help to keep your skin healthy and radiant!
MORE BENEFITS OF CHERRIES
Along with skin health, cherries are also amazing for the hydration of your hair and scalp. The vitamin A regulated the production Retinoic acid, an essential acid that is important for the growth of hair follicles. Vitamin B, contained in cherries, is also beneficial for healthy hair growth.
Cherries also contain melatonin. This helps regulate sleeping patterns…and who wouldn’t appreciate more beauty rest?!
Chocolate Cherry Smoothie
Ingredients
- 6 oz oat milk I used Oat-ly Original
- 1 banana, frozen
- 2 dates, pitted
- 1/4 cup oats I used old fashioned oats
- 1 tbsp hemp seed
- 1/2 cup frozen cherries
- 1 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
- 6 ice cubes
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients in the blender
- Blend until smooth. Should take about 30 seconds, depending on strength of the blender
- Serve and enjoy!
