I don’t usually eat a lot of chocolate or use cocoa or cacao in my smoothie recipes, but I’m sure some of you out there have cravings for a chocolate milk shake or smoothie once in a while and I thought I’d make a little treat for us!
There are few things more delicious than the combination of bananas with chocolate and even without the traditional ice-cream, this shake is still delicious. The key to making it creamy and naturally sweet is to use fully ripe (lots and lots of spots) bananas. To make this recipe truly fat free I just use a little water, but you can use some soy or almond milk if desired instead.
Although the bananas in my smoothie picture do have lots of spots on them, I still prefer mine slightly riper (by a day or two with even more spots) and no green at all on the stems of my bananas for the absolute best tasting smoothie recipes. The bananas are still firm (not mushy or over ripe) and are even sweeter this way and then you don’t need to add any additional sweetener. The best smoothies always start with quality fully ripe fruit, so it’s best to taste test things before tossing them in a smoothie if you are unsure if they are sweet or tart.
Fat Free Vegan Chocolate Banana Shake
Serves 1
Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas (see my post on ripe bananas)
1/4 cup water or as needed for your type/size of blender
1 tbsp cocoa powder
Handful of ice cubes (or sub 1 fresh banana for a frozen banana)
Directions:
Place ingredients into Vitamix or Blendtec or other blender in the order listed aboove and blend until smooth. If your bananas aren’t quite sweet enough add a teaspoon or two of liquid sweetener of choice and blend again.
Serve in your favourite smoothie cup or in a glass with a glass straw!
Variations:
If you’d prefer raw cacao powder you can use that instead. I find I don’t like it as much as cocoa personally and I find it less stimulating. You can also substitute carob powder if you’re looking for a caffeine/chocolate-free option.
To get some greens in this recipe you can throw in a handful or two of fresh spinach.
What’s your favourite chocolate smoothie or shake recipe?
how can this be called a fat free vegan chocolate shake when bananas are 90 calories for 1 small one?
Judy
I think you are confusing the term calories with fat. Just because a food (almost any food) will have calories in general (which are broken down into carbohydrates, protein, fat or alcohol, does not mean that containing calories means it has calories from fat.
Do you use the same amount – 1 Tablespoon no matter whether cocoa, cacao or carob? It does look good!!! Thanks for sharing…I appreciate “free” recipes!
For raw cacao and roasted carob 1 tbsp is a good amount to start with. For carob you may want more or less. Some people don’t mind raw carob, but others prefer roasted carob. Raw carob does not have the same flavour, just like raw cacao has a different flavour than traditional roasted cocoa.
If you’re unsure you can always put in 2 tsp taste and then add more if you like.
thanks, V.
looks delicious – taste is great; i used bulk cocoa powder from the bulk barn – best price.
bananas are high in sugar so perhaps i will mix with blueberries/strawberries or cranberries.
/kdb
Sorry, should have said ‘raw cacao’
Veronica, are you saying you find cocoa powder less stimulating than cacao – or is it the other way around? (I think you mean the first one)
In making this as a treat, I would definitely want the less stimulating option…
Thanks for the recipe!
Yes i find cocoa less stimulating than raw cacao. I think its better roasted and has less toxic compounds and personally i find it less addicting. I find people who use raw cacao get so addicted they cant live without it every day.
Wow! Ok, thanks – will try the cocoa option and totally avoid the raw! 🙂
Yum — can’t wait to try this!