This Cherry Chocolate Smoothie is creamy, smooth, and luxurious. Full of dark chocolate flavor, mildly sweet with a hint of fruity freshness. Just beautiful! It's also made with simple ingredients, without added sugars. Healthy and quite nutritious. Great breakfast option.
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Cherries are now in season. Plum, dark red, and juicy, super sweet with incredible flavor, they are quite delicious fruit. I grew up with cherry tree in my backyard, so naturally cherries are one of my favorite. A reminder of my childhood. And this smoothie I have in my recipe book for long time.
Why should you try it?
- It's extra delicious. Thick, creamy, chocolaty. Extra smooth with a luxurious taste. Deep dark and flavorful.
- Dark chocolate and cherries are mach made in heaven. Just imagine waking up and having this Cherry Chocolate Smoothie for breakfast.
- It's packed with essential nutrients, fibers and powerful antioxidants.
- It's quite filling and nutritious.
- It's made with wholesome ingredients, and without added sugars.
- Has just a 350 calories.
- Cherries and raw cacao help with full body relaxation, and muscle recovery so this smoothie is perfect for those who exercise.
- It's super easy to whip up plus kids just love it!
Ingredients used
For this beautiful cherry smoothie, you will need only a few simple pantry ingredients.
- Milk of choice. I used oat milk, but any non-dairy milk such as almond, cashew, or soy milk will work too. Cow's milk is ok too, while coconut milk won't work well here in terms of pairing with other flavors.
- Cherries. They are not only delicious but also packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and compounds with powerful health effects. Cherries are a great source of vitamin C and potassium as well as fiber essential for healthy digestion and strong healthy immunity. (1) Plus, they provide us with B vitamins, magnesium, and powerful antioxidants which reduce inflammation. (2) Cherries also keep our heart healthy. (3) I like to use frozen cherries to make this cherry smoothie simply because of the creamier texture and cooling effect. But both fresh or frozen will work fine here.
- Banana. The riper the better for natural sweetness. And for an extra creamy texture, you can use frozen banana. See "Recipe tips" for more info.
- Ground flax seeds. Flax seeds are packed with Omega-3s. Consuming these essential fatty acids improves mood, boosts immunity, and fights inflammation. Also, flax seeds are packed with fibers that made this smoothie more filling and balanced.
- Cacao powder. I always use unprocessed raw cacao powder that is bitter, deep-flavored, and so incredibly healthy. Cacao powder is packed with powerful antioxidants that have been linked to many health benefits. (4)
- Cinnamon. It's a highly delicious spice with many health benefits too. Cinnamon gave this smoothie an extra flavor.
- Sweetener (optional). See "Recipe tips" for recommendations.
How to make Cherry Chocolate Smoothie
Making this thick chocolate smoothie is quite easy. It will take you 5 minutes and all you need is a good blender.
- Start with preparing and measuring all the ingredients. I like to use measuring cups.
- Take the blender and add all ingredients. Note: add wet ingredients first for easier blending.
- Mix everything at high speed until you get a smooth silky texture.
- If the smoothie is too thick, add a little more liquid – milk or water. Blend again until everything is well combined.
- Taste the smoothie and add additional sweetener if the smoothie is not sweet enough to your taste. (See "Recipe tips" section for sweetener recommendation)
- Transfer the smoothie into a smoothie glass.
- ADD TOPPINGS: I used choped dark chocolate and ground flax seeds. You can add sliced almonds, ground walnuts, chia or hemp seeds. Be creative here and add toppings you like.
- Serve and enjoy!
- Makes 1 serving that serves 1 person as a full meal, or 2 servings as a snack.
Substitutions
- You can use any plant-based milk here except coconut milk. Coconut milk won't work well here. Cow's milk is fine.
- You can substitute ground flax seeds with hemp seeds or chia seeds.
Smoothie variations
- Make it without banana: Substitute banana with ½ avocado. It will make smoothie extra creamy. Note: in this case you will need to add extra sweetener. Banana is added for creamines but also for natural sweetness.
- Make it keto-friendly: Use ½ avocado instead of banana. Add in 1 teaspoon of MCD oil or coconut oil if desired.
- Make it weight loss friendly: Use only ½ banana to cut down calories.
- Make it protein-packed: Add a scoop of protein powder. This will transfer smoothie into a great protein-packed, post-workout shake. I reccomend unflavord protein powder or vanilla flavored.
- Give the smoothie a boost by blending in some kale or spinach.
Tips for storing
- Store in a glass jar with a lid or shaker and keep refrigerated for up to one day.
- Don't forget to shake it or stir it before enjoying it.
- Remember, all smoothies oxidate when left standing. That's not bad. But to reap all benefits from ingredients, it's best to have the smoothie freshly made.
Recipe tips
- Make sure you use ground flax seeds. Grinding flax seeds is the best way to make the most of their health benefits. Always keep ground flax seeds in the fridge.
- When adding ingredients to a blender, always add the liquids first. Doing this will help your blender run easily and this will prevent making lumps.
- Use a high-power blender to ensure everything blends well and the smoothie is silky smooth.
- Frozen cherries are the best for making this smoothie. They blend into a thick very refreshing drink that gives you a cold punch. It feels like having ice cream and sometimes it's so thick you can eat it with the spoon.
- If you don't have frozen cherries at hand, just pop the fresh ones in the freezer for at least 1 hour.
- If you are using frozen banana, this will make smoothie extra thick and even hard to mix. In that case, add a little more milk when blending and adjust thickness to your likings.
- Additional sweetener recommendation:
- I recommend using 1-2 dates, date syrup, raw honey or maple syrup, stevia, or any low-carb sweetener. This is totally based on your preference.
- If you are using dates, make sure you soak them in warm water for at least 10 minutes. Drain them before using them.
This creamy goodness could become your next favorite. Trust me, it's THAT good! Plus, it looks like some luxurious dessert rather than simple smoothie drink. Cherry Chocolate Smoothie is perfect wholesome breakfast that your whole family will like. Enjoy!
Recipe
Cherry Chocolate Smoothie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup cherries frozen
- 1 banana
- 2 tablespoons cacao powder
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
- 1 teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon
- 1 cup oat milk
- Topping: choped dark chocolate, ground flax seed
Instructions
- Add all ingredients in the blender. Note: add wet ingredients first for easier blending.
- Mix everything at high speed until you get a smooth silky texture.
- If the smoothie is too thick, add a little more liquid – milk or water. Blend again until everything is well combined.
- Taste the smoothie and add additional sweetener if the smoothie is not sweet enough to your taste.
- Transfer the smoothie into a smoothie glass.
- Add topping: I used choped dark chocolate and ground flax seeds. Be creative here and add toppings you like.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- You can use any plant-based milk here except coconut milk. Cow's milk is fine.
- Coconut milk won't work well here.
- You can substitute ground flax seeds with hemp seeds or chia seeds.
Nutrition
This post is originally published in June 2017. It's updated with new photos and information and republished in July 2021. The recipe stayed the same.
Macaela Harris says
Decadent smoothie! I’m not a fan of cinnamon but I think it’s the secret ingredient that kicks it up a notch in flavor. I also added a dash of almond extract.
megane says
Healthy drink but feels like I am oh, so naughty! Deliciously good!