Black Licorice Dessert Smoothie

This black licorice dessert smoothie is the flavor combination you didn’t know you were missing!  Made with dark cherries, cocoa powder, and anise to recreate that black licorice flavor and blended with a base of frozen bananas, oats, dates, hemp hearts, and oat milk. Finished with a hint of vanilla and sea salt. 

This creamy smoothie is loaded with nutrients, will keep you fueled for hours, and, most importantly, will satisfy any sweet tooth!  This vegan smoothie recipe is an easy breakfast or snack that can be thrown together in less than 5 minutes.  And you can top this baby off with vegan whipped cream and serve it for dessert!

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Oh black licorice. I’ve never met a Candy that brings up more of a passionate opinion. You either absolutely hate it, with a scowl flashing across your face every time it’s even suggested. Or YOU LOVE IT! And, like my partner, can’t pass by a bag of black licorice without it ending up in her shopping cart…despite the other three bags we already have at home. 

The flavor of black licorice is super unique and actually pairs wonderfully with many things.  My favorite companions to the black licorice flavor is definitely chocolate, sea salt, and cherries. So naturally all of these things needed to make an appearance to form the perfect black licorice smoothie.

WHAT IS LICORICE?

So licorice is actually a root that comes from the bean or legume family. The candy, licorice, is often flavored by the extract that comes from the root. For this recipe, you will not use actual licorice or licorice extract, however. Instead you will be using anise extract!

Anise extract is much easier to find on store shelves, or may even already be in your cabinet. It has a very similar flavor as licorice, making it the perfect substitute for this smoothie recipe!

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DESSERT SMOOTHIE

As advertised, I consider this a dessert smoothie!

Why?

Like most smoothies, this black licorice smoothie is definitely on the the sweet side (from bananas, cherries and dates…not processed sugar). But a couple of simple additions make it taste more like a dessert.

The addition of vanilla extract is an easy way to give a smoothie more of that dessert flavor we are sometimes looking for. Vanilla extract is found in the majority of actual dessert recipes, so adding it to your smoothie can help enhance the flavor and gives your beverage more of that dessert flavor profile!

VEGAN WHIPPED CREAM

I also added vegan whipped cream to this black licorice dessert smoothie. This can be left off of course if you want to cut the sugar. But I personally think it’s a fantastic addition and love to jazz up my smoothies with some whip!

MAKE IT SWEETER

I kept this smoothie moderately sweet by using one frozen banana and two dates. However, if you would like to really commit to that dessert level of sweetness, you can just add an extra date or two to make it even sweeter.

HEALTHY VEGAN SMOOTHIE

Although I consider this a dessert smoothie, this black licorice smoothie is actually super healthy! It is packed with nutrients and health benefits and is a breakfast, snack, or dessert you can really feel good about!

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COCOA

Cocoa is what gives this smoothie a chocolate flavor. Cocoa, derived from cocoa beans, is the primary ingredient in chocolate. Although chocolate is typically loaded with sugar and fat leaving it to be considered a treat, the raw form of cocoa is actually amazing for you! Cocoa contains zinc, selenium, and iron. All of which are extremely beneficial for your body function and your immune system. Research has also shown that cocoa can improve you cognition and memory. It can also help you stay more focused.

CHERRIES

Cherries are aaaamazing! First of all, they are absolutely delicious. But they are also packed with nutrients and health benefits. They can help improve blood sugar levels, promote more restful sleep, and lower cancer risk…just to name a few benefits. Cherries are also great for soothing and recovering muscles after workouts!

For this recipe use frozen cherries. They are already pitted and using frozen fruit makes your smoothie colder and creamier.

FREEZE YOUR BANANAS

Make sure you freeze your bananas! I always buy a big bunch of bananas at the beginning of the week, peel them, and pop them in the freezer for easy use. Freezing your bananas makes the smoothie creamier and obviously colder. Plus it’s a great natural sweetener and helps keep you fuller for longer.

HEMP SEEDS

Hemp seeds are an amazing addition to any meal! 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. I personally toss them into all of my smoothies whenever I have them on hand.

OATS

I love to add a bit of instant oats to my smoothies. They add fiber, protein, and iron to the smoothie. But most importantly it keeps you fuller for longer. I feel like the addition of oats can be the difference between getting hungry at 10am or making it to lunch without my stomach growling.