Healthy Vegan Dark Chocolate Cherry Smoothie Recipe

Healthy Vegan Dark Chocolate Cherry Smoothie Recipe

Today we are making a Healthy Vegan Dark Chocolate Cherry Smoothie Recipe! This recipe is inspired by the Black Forest Cake, which is a combination of cherries, chocolate and a whole lot of cream. Instead of making a cake, we take those flavors and turn them into a smoothie – using all natural and healthy ingredients!

Frozen Bananas

First up, the ripe frozen banana – have you ever had a bunch of fresh bananas just slowly rotting away on your counter top? I sure have. You know what I do with them? Throw them into the freezer and never take a second look … just kidding! I do freeze them, but then I use them in smoothies, like this one. They’re the perfect creamy base for smoothies and raw ice creams, versatile in so many recipes (and yes, in that loaf of banana bread you’re always meaning to make with your spotty bananas but haven’t gotten to yet). So yet again, this recipe also uses a frozen banana, peeled and chopped, to provide creaminess and natural sugar.

Cacao Powder

Now onto the chocolate magic! We use a few tablespoons of cacao powder – the secret behind this smoothie’s rich, chocolatey goodness (but without the bitter flavor of raw cacao, since the sweetness in this recipe balances it out). Beyond its heavenly taste, cacao is a nutritional powerhouse. Packed with antioxidants, it can help fight inflammation and boost brain function.

Cherries

We can’t forget about the cherries! One cup of frozen, pitted goodness. These vibrant red jewels not only add a burst of sweetness but are also rich in nutrients. For example, cherries are a natural source of melatonin, contributing to better sleep quality – a sweet bonus!

Dates, Milk & Vanilla

To add additional sweetener, fiber and thickness to this superfood smoothie, we use thick and chewy, caramel-like Medjool dates. This provides a lot more sugar than just the fruits, which eliminates the need for any other sweetener, like maple syrup. To help the drink mix all together (and to add a bit of flavor), a cup of oat milk and a few drops of vanilla wrap up the recipe list.

So there you have it! This is a simple recipe, made in one blender cup. You can top the final smoothie with vegan whipped cream, and even use a grater to shave a dark chocolate bar over top of the whip to add some extra flair. Let’s get onto it!

Why You’ll Love This Healthy Vegan Dark Chocolate Cherry Smoothie Recipe

Decadent Indulgence: This velvety and luscious cherry chocolate smoothie combines the richness of dark chocolate flavor with the natural sweetness of the raw ingredients. It’s a sugar-free indulgence that feels like it shouldn’t be good for you, but it is! This recipe already has so much natural sweetener that you don’t feel the need to add sugar into it, which is perfect for those with a sweet tooth (I’m looking at myself for this one). With the cherries, chocolate and whipped cream on top, it’s like drinking a black forest inspired smoothie (which is basically dessert in a cup)!

Energy Boost: Need a pick-me-up? Instead of reaching for a sugary snack, make this smoothie! The combination of natural sugars from dates, cherries and bananas, as well as the theobromine in cacao makes this smoothie a great option to kickstart your day or refuel after a workout. Plus, there’s a ton of fiber from the fruit and dates, which is great for digestion.

Substitutions: Dry Ingredients

Cacao Powder: I used raw cacao powder from Organic Traditions. Feel free to use cocoa powder as well. Cacao is a less-processed form of cacao and is healthier overall, but either works for flavour.

Dates: Medjool dates are the sweetener in this recipe. Refined sugar free and packed with nutrition, Medjool dates are specifically very soft and caramel-like. They can be found in Middle Eastern grocery stores, or in larger chain superstores as well.

If you can’t find these, try to substitute any liquid sweetener – about 2 tablespoons to start. For example, agave, coconut syrup, date syrup, brown rice syrup or another sweetener. There are not as many health benefits to this, and the consistency of the smoothie will be thinner as opposed to using a raw date.

Substitutions: Wet Ingredients

Oat Milk: I chose unsweetened oat milk here, but feel free to try another unsweetened non-dairy milk. I prefer oat milk due to its slightly nutty but sweet flavour. There are many different plant-based milks available at the grocery store now, from unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk, hemp milk, soy milk, cashew milk, rice milk and so on.

Choose your favorite milk for this – if it tastes good cold straight out of the refrigerator, it will taste good in this recipe! To keep this recipe sugar-free, opt for a milk without any added sugars.

Frozen Banana: Frozen banana makes this a super thick smoothie, almost like a milkshake versus using a room temperature banana. By adding your milk of choice, the extra liquid thins it out and makes it into a smoothie rather than straight up ice cream!

You may try using frozen cauliflower or frozen avocado as a base instead of banana, however they will make the smoothie taste different and it just won’t be the same.

Cherries: I use pitted, frozen dark sweet cherries. If you don’t have a bag of frozen cherries, pit fresh cherries and freeze them to use later. You can try to make this recipe with different types of frozen berries to change it up, or stick with just the chocolate cherry flavor.

Vanilla Extract: Choose a high-quality vanilla extract, without additional caramel color or dyes. You can also use pure vanilla flavor, which is non-alcoholic so can’t be labeled as extract.

Healthy Vegan Dark Chocolate Cherry Smoothie Recipe Notes

• For the whip, I use a vegan whipped cream that comes in an aerosol can from Gay Lea. This one is coconut-based, but you can find almond-based or soy-based vegan whipped creams in some stores as well!
• Prefer a smoothie bowl? Use a quarter of the amount of milk, keeping all other ingredients the same. Blend everything together. Slowly add more plant-based milk as needed, to reach the desired consistency in order to make it a thick smoothie bowl instead of a smoothie! Top your bowl with almond butter, peanut butter, hemp seeds, nuts or other healthy fats.
• To make this a high-protein smoothie, add in more milk and a scoop of your favorite plant-based protein powder. Adjust the ingredients according to the desired taste and consistency.

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If you make this Healthy Vegan Dark Chocolate Cherry Smoothie Recipe, then leave a comment and star rating! Don’t forget to tag your photos @peanut_palate on Instagram. Enjoy!