Plant-based Raw Cacao and Banana Protein Smoothie

This raw cacao banana protein smoothie is made with a handful of healthy ingredients and is packed with protein and healthy fats making it the perfect healthy breakfast, meal replacement, or post-workout protein snack. This cacao smoothie’s rich chocolate flavor and creamy texture will satisfy any chocolate addict while providing adequate nutrients and protein. 

This protein smoothie is a nice diversion from the fruit-based version. I like this delicious chocolate banana smoothie recipe, extra cold and icy on hot summer days. It has the right amount of natural sweetness to satisfy your sweet tooth without being too rich. 

Ingredients

• Almond milk or your favorite non-dairy milk
• Golden flax (Ground flax if using a standard powered blender) may substitute for chia seeds
• Hemp hearts (may substitute vanilla protein powder, or almond butter)
• raw cacao powder
• Maple syrup
• Vanilla extract
• Fresh or frozen banana 
• Regular ice cubes ( amount needed depends on how it blends and personal preference)

Equipment 

• High-speed blender
• cups to serve

Choosing plant-based milks

Look for plant-based milk that is made using simple ingredients and preferably without fillers. Some common fillers to look out for are oils such as corn, soybean, sunflower, and rapeseed, as these oils often contain genetically modified ingredients. Emulsifiers and gums are used as thickening agents and are highly processed these can cause digestive upset and weight gain.  Another ingredient to watch for is added sugar it is best to purchase unsweetened plant milk and sweeten it with your preferred low glycemic sweetener.

Another option is to make your plant-based milk using simple healthy ingredients. Check out my Creamy Almond Cashew Milk recipe for more information on making your own. 

Some plant-based milks that work well in this recipe:

• Almond milk
• Soy milk
• Oat milk
• Coconut milk

Choosing your Cacao Powder

For this recipe, I used organic raw cacao powder. I chose the raw powder as it is less processed than regular cacao powder and retains more nutrients as the heating process can remove nutrients. Cacao powder is made from ground cacao beans or cacao nibs. 

Cacao contains many health benefits as it is high in an antioxidant polyphenol which can help fight inflammation, support your heart and brain, and help maintain healthy blood sugar and weight. The health benefits alone are a great reason to add cocoa to your diet and indulge your chocolate craving. 

When purchasing cacao powder look for, organic raw cacao powder for the most health benefits and least processing.

Choosing your Plant-Based Protein

When looking for a plant-based protein powder it is important that you look at the labels carefully and choose a good quality protein powder. Protein powders can be high in heavy metals, and BPA as well as contain fillers and low-quality protein sources.  

I also look for unsweetened protein powder and make sure it is free of sugar substitutes such as stevia. I like to use my own sweetener and natural sugar substitutes that do not contain a bitter aftertaste. 

Also look at the protein content of the powder and what source it is from, most plant-based protein is made up of mostly pea protein but there are some protein powders that contain multiple sources of plant-based protein.

A good alternative to plant-based protein powders is hemp hearts just 3 tablespoons contain 10 grams of protein and also contains healthy omega 3 and omega 6 as well as other vitamins and minerals. I now use organic hemp hearts in my protein smoothies instead of protein powder due to the fact it is a simple clean source of protein and removes the need to study nutrition labels.

As an alternative to hemp hearts, I have used a handful of nuts or a few spoon fulls of peanut butter this works well and compliments the chocolate flavor of this cocoa smoothie.

Step-by-Step Instruction