I’m not quite sure how it happened. But somewhere along the lines of the last 2 years of self-employment, after years of a late-to-bed-late-to-rise musician schedule, I have now officially become a morning show person.
Still working on the morning person thing. My body seems bent on the whole nightowl thing. But the blogging world and Twittersphere are up early, so about a year ago I turned on a morning show for the first time in about a decade to help wake me up. And now I basically can’t go a morning without tuning in to at least say a quick hello to Josh, Lara, Robin, George and the gang.
Oh yeah, it’s GMA all the way at my place. Yes, yes, I know that 90% of it is fluff news. But apparently their advertising has worked because they are now totally a “part of my morning”. And I kind of wish Lara Spencer would be my best friend. :)
Anyway, the other main part of my morning nowadays is smoothie-making. I shared last week about how I’m back on the smoothie kick, so I have a backlog of recipes photographed that I need to share with you. And this chocolate chia smoothie is one of ’em. You could arguably call it a “shake”, since it tastes so darn decadent and delicious. But don’t let that chocolate fool you. This is basically a healthy green smoothie hiding behind a bit of naturally-sweetened cocoa.
And it’s super easy to make. Here’s the skinny…
Chocolate Chia Smoothie Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Basically, this is your classic chocolate green smoothie with a bunch of extra chia seeds added into the mix. I had some fresh spinach on hand, so added that in for my greens. Then I just added in a banana, some milk (I used almond milk), unsweetened cocoa powder, a hint of vanilla and lots of chia seeds.
Oh, and I forgot to add ice before I snapped this photo. Be sure to throw in about a cup full of cubes. (Or if you’re using a frozen banana, you may not need them.)
Then just pulse in a blender until it’s nice and smooth! If you feel like it needs a little sweetening, you can add in some honey or your choice of sweetener. But I loved it just as-is.
Such a rich and delicious treat, made all the more so knowing that it’s actually good for you. I’d call it a perfect way to start the day. (And I kind of think Lara would love it, don’t you??)
Chocolate Chia Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 banana, peeled
- 1 cup tightly-packed fresh spinach
- 1 cup ice
- 1 cup milk (I used almond milk)
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (I used dark cocoa powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, store-bought or homemade
- (optional: 1 tablespoon honey, if needed to sweeten)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender and pulse until smooth. Serve immediately, sprinkled with extra chia seeds if desired.
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!This post contains affiliate links.
I don’t particularly like smoothies but this one is really tasty and kept me full all morning.
This recipe makes an excellent smoothie. I added the optional tablespoon of honey. To boost the protein, I added a scoop of chocolate protein powder and an extra tablespoon of cocoa powder. My husband and I split it and it was rich enough to satisfy our dessert craving. I’m saving this recipe to make again really soon!
oh so good, hits the spot for that chocolate craving
Craving some chocolate smoothie and I just made this after kids went to bed. OMG DELICIOUS! Love that it has spinach and chia in it. Thank you!!
Quick and DELISH! So healthy, too!
This is lovely! I added a few Tbsp of oats, and a scoop of vanilla protein powder. No sweetener, although you could add agave syrup or a couple of dates to keep it vegan. This has set me up for the day – thank you so much for sharing!
Sounds delicious! :)
Drinking this AT THIS MINUTE and loving it. It’s like cold chocolate frosting. Made with my plain homemade almond milk, and used romaine as a sub for spinach. IMHO, the sweetener was not optional – bitterness from the cocoa was too pronounced without it.
Thank you for sharing, Ivy, we’re so glad you enjoyed this!
this is AWESOME!!! yummy. I can’t wait to try this! Pinned! so healthy!!
Thank you, we hope you enjoy it!
I’ve made this a lot! Except I add natural Peanut butter to it! Healthy breakfast alternative!
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Melissa!
nice change to my recipe box of smoothie recipes, great idea adding cocoa powder, a lot of new flavor, at least for me and also the chia seeds, not something I usually add, but why not? Also saw a recipe lately for adding tumeric for its anti- inflamatory properties, again, why not if it doesn’t really affect the taste? Thank you for this smoothie recipe!
We’re so happy you enjoyed the recipe, Sabrina! :)