Banana Chocolate Smoothie

This Banana Chocolate Smoothie is easy to make and packed with protein, healthy fats, antioxidants and a ton of flavour!

Originally published on August 4, 2020. Updated on August 7, 2024.

Why I love this Banana Chocolate Smoothie

There’s no better time than the hot days of summer for a refreshing smoothie. Smoothies are a great go-to meal or snack when I’m pressed for time and in need of some fuel. Not only can you pack in a ton of fruits and veggies, but you can also make room for an excellent source of protein to keep you feeling full and satisfied.

Enjoy this Banana Chocolate Smoothie between meetings, in the car, after a workout or when you’re chilling in the comfort of your own home cooling down from the outdoor heat.

 

Ingredients needed for this Banana Chocolate Smoothie recipe

For this recipe, you will need these simple ingredients:

• Frozen bananas
  • I recommend using frozen bananas because it makes the smoothie colder and a bit creamier!
• Greek yogurt
  • Feel free to use plain or vanilla Greek yogurt in this recipe, depending on how sweet you want the end product to be.
• Chocolate protein powder
  • This adds a boost of protein to keep you feeling fuller for longer.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder
  • The cocoa powder adds an extra rich chocolate flavour.
• Brazil nut
  • Brazil nuts provide a great source of antioxidants and healthy fats. You only need one to meet your daily selenium needs!
• Milk or your choice of plant-based beverage
  • I tend to use either dairy or soy milk in smoothies for extra protein.

Easy ingredient substitutions

• Frozen banana:
  • I recommend using frozen banana for the temperature and consistency of the smoothie. That being said, if you only have fresh bananas available, that will be just fine in this recipe.
• Greek yogurt:
  • If you’re lactose intolerant, opt for a lactose-free Greek yogurt.
• Protein powder: 
  • If you don’t have chocolate protein powder, you can use vanilla or unflavoured protein powder instead and let the cocoa powder provide the chocolate flavour.
  • If you need help finding the best protein powder for you, check out this post and this post.
  • If you want to avoid using protein powder altogether, you can add an extra 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt for protein and volume.
• Brazil nut:
  • If you are allergic or don’t have Brazil nuts on hand, you can skip this ingredient.
  • Alternatively, you could add 1-2 tsp of flax seeds for a boost in fibre and healthy fats.
• Milk:
  • You may choose to use almond milk, oat milk, or even water instead. It’s important to note that milk will make the smoothie much creamier than water.

 

Optional ingredient add-ins

While this Chocolate Banana Smoothie is delicious on its own, it’s fun to mix it up and add in some fun ingredients. Some of my favourites are:

• Peanut butter or almond butter for a creamy texture and rich flavour (the chocolate peanut butter banana combo is so good!). Plus, it adds some extra protein and fat to the smoothie.
• Blueberries and/or spinach for extra vitamins, minerals and fibre. Just be aware that adding either of these ingredients will change the colour of the smoothie.
• Maple syrup if you want the smoothie to be a bit sweeter.
• Hemp seeds for extra fibre, protein and omega 3 fatty acids.

How to make this Banana Chocolate Smoothie

It takes no time at all to make this smoothie. All you have to do is:

1. Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend on high until smooth.
2. Adjust the flavours and consistency as preferred. Enjoy!

 

Banana Chocolate Smoothie nutrition

This smoothie is packed with protein, healthy fats and fibre. It’s a healthy option for breakfast on-the-go or a convenient snack. Each smoothie provides: 

• over 30 grams of protein
• 7 grams of fibre
• 100% of your daily selenium requirements
• a significant source of a variety of B vitamins, vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, potassium and more!

 

This smoothie is vegetarian and gluten free (confirm the ingredients of your protein powder to make sure it’s certified gluten free).

• Make it lactose free: use lactose free yogurt and milk (or a plant-based beverage) and a plant-based protein powder.
• Make it vegan: use plant-based yogurt, plant-based beverage like soy, almond or oat milk and a plant-based protein powder. 

 

Meal prepping smoothies

Smoothies aren’t typically the first thing that people think of when they think about meal prepping. That’s because once they are blended up it’s best to consume them right away. This avoids separation of the liquids and solids and prevents any changes to texture.

The good news is that you can still meal prep them up until the point of blending the ingredients together!

One of my favourite hacks is to make what I call “smoothie starters”. Here’s how to do it:

1. Add your fresh or frozen banana to a ziploc bag, silicone freezer bag or even a small sealable container.
2. Next, add the protein powder, cocoa powder and Brazil nut. You can add the Greek yogurt to this container or wait until you’re ready to blend the ingredients together to add the yogurt. 
3. Place the bag or container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
4. When you’re ready to make your smoothie, take the bag or container out of the freezer and dump the ingredients into the blender. Add the milk (and yogurt, if it wasn’t already in the bag) and blend.

This method works really well when you’re making smoothies with a long ingredient list. It saves time and effort on those busy mornings!

More smoothie recipes

• Mint Chocolate Protein Smoothie
• Mango Kiwi Smoothie (no banana)
• Espresso Smoothie
• Green Funky Monkey Smoothie

 

I hope you love this Banana Chocolate Smoothie. If you make it, I would love to see your comment and rating below. It also makes my day seeing your creations of my recipes on Instagram- don’t forget to tag @allnutrition.rd!