Learn how to make this luscious and decadent chocolate cherry smoothie for breakfast in a high-powered blender. Cacao powder and frozen cherries are a delicious and classic flavour combination that we boost with almond butter and vanilla extract. Fresh strawberries and raspberries plus a tiny squeeze of lemon juice add the perfect acidic pop of fruity flavour. To make this extra nourishing, I add vegan protein powder, vegan yogurt, flax seeds, and chia seeds. This healthy vegan smoothie is just the thing for folks that like a little sweet, cool, and creamy indulgence in the morning.
I love when a healthy smoothie has a rich, almost milkshake-like taste to it! I’ve been working on this one for the last couple of months, always tweaking just a little bit. I really look forward to blending it up in the morning! This vegan smoothie is loaded with fiber, plant-based protein and satiating healthy fats. It truly tastes like a dessert to me.
I get the big bag of frozen and pitted sweet cherries at my local Costco warehouse because it’s a great deal. I always mix fresh and frozen fruit in a smoothie to get the flavour balance right. In this one, we have a mix of fresh strawberries and raspberries to really “wake up” the frozen cherries’ flavour. The hefty amount of frozen cherries helps to thicken the smoothie as well, making this recipe totally banana-free. Fans of chocolate and banana-free smoothies might also like my chocolate sweet potato smoothie. I’ve noticed that folks respond really well to banana-free options, so I’m always happy to work on them.
Some tips for making this chocolate cherry smoothie:
- A tiny squeeze of lemon really makes the flavours pop here, but it’s not 100% necessary. I often have a lemon half hanging around in my fridge, so I typically opt to include it.
- My favourite non-dairy yogurt is by Yoggu! I used the vanilla here.
- To get the swirl effect on the glass, I just placed a dollop of the yogurt on the bottom of the glass and tapped it on the counter to distribute. Then I drizzled a bit of Cherry Lane’s tart cherry juice concentrate on the inside of the glass as well. This is obviously an extremely optional (mostly aesthetic) step!
- I like the balance of acidity with fresh strawberries and raspberries here. I know it seems fussy, but the freshness does really highlight the frozen cherry sweetness and overall flavour.
I hope that you get a chance to add this one into your rotation! I seriously jump out of bed every morning thinking about it haha.
The best vegan protein powder
Smooth, chocolaty, and not too sweet. Sprout Living’s Chocolate Maca protein powder is my go-to for this smoothie. You can get 20% off your entire Sprout Living order with my code: thefirstmess
Seriously Luscious Chocolate Cherry Smoothie
This perfectly sweet chocolate cherry smoothie is rich with dark red cherries, tangy from raspberries and strawberries, and made extra decadent with cacao powder and chocolate protein powder. Vanilla and almond butter round the flavour out perfectly. It’s also a banana-free smoothie!
Servings 1
Ingredients
- ¾ cup non-dairy milk
- ¼ cup non-dairy yogurt (plain or vanilla)
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons cacao powder
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon flax seeds
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup fresh raspberries
- 4-5 fresh strawberries
- ⅔ cup frozen sweet cherries
- squeeze fresh lemon juice, optional
Notes
- A tiny squeeze of lemon really makes the flavours pop here, but it’s not 100% necessary. I often have a lemon half hanging around in my fridge, so I typically opt to include it.
- My favourite non-dairy yogurt is by Yoggu! I used the vanilla here.
- To get the swirl effect on the glass, I just placed a dollop of the yogurt on the bottom of the glass and tapped it on the counter to distribute. Then I drizzled a bit of Cherry Lane’s tart cherry juice concentrate. This is obviously an extremely optional step!
- I like the balance of acidity with fresh strawberries and raspberries here. I know it seems fussy, but the freshness does really highlight the frozen cherry sweetness and overall flavour.
Instructions
-
In an upright blender, combine the non-dairy milk, non-dairy yogurt, almond butter, chocolate protein powder, cacao powder, chia seeds, flax seeds, salt, vanilla, raspberries, strawberries, frozen cherries, and lemon juice (if using). Blend on high until completely smooth. Enjoy right away!
