
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
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Amazing smoothie, just made it and I’m in love!!
Thanks so much Emily!
try this with unsweetened coconut milk and a few almonds. its amazing! Also, in place of the Banana, for ones who don’t care for them, try a cup of plain Greek yogurt. It also ads a nice punch of protein!
OOoh, that sounds delicious, great idea with the Greek yogurt! : )
Really identify with the night owl what happened to the morning thing! It was nearly 4pm when I read this and I hadn’t had my morning smoothie!! Well it IS Sunday after all.
Went and made this straight away and still sipping on it. Thanks so much, absolutely YUMMO!
Cheers
So glad you enjoyed it! :)
This looks and sounds delicious! I can’t wait to try it.
YUM! I will be adding this to my green smoothie lineup!
Awesome recipe! Going to make this and post it on my blog: www.simplykateg.com (will give my readers a link to this original recipe as well)
I loved it but everyone else was freaked out by the dark green color and the sightly odd texture (from the Chia seeds). After they got past that they loved it as well. Excellent recipe!
I’m drinking this smoothie right now and it is soooo good! Definitely going into the regular rotation.
oh gosh this is just sooo good! I changed out 2 tblsp of ground flax meal for the chia seeds, omitted the vanilla and used unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Then doubled the whole recipe. My 16 and 9 year old are enjoying it with me.
I add almond butter and it is extra delicious!!