Chocolate Covered Cherry Smoothie

This Chocolate Covered Cherry Smoothie has all the flavor of chocolate covered cherries without any added sugar. It combines a chocolate shell with sweet cherries and some added nutritious ingredients for a phenomenal anytime meal or treat. This smoothie is gluten-free, paleo and vegan.

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I was never a real smoothie person when the smoothie craze hit. When I realized you could eat them with a spoon, and that they are essentially an ice cream with nutritional benefits, things changed.

This chocolate covered cherry smoothie makes the perfect snack, dessert or small meal. It has healthy fats, protein, micronutrients and fiber making it satisfying and satiating.

How To Make A Chocolate Covered Cherry Smoothie

While all the ingredients are important in this recipe, the chocolate shell is the all-star. Without it this would just be a cherry smoothie. Still good, but not THAT good.

To make a chocolate covered cherry smoothie, prepare all the smoothie ingredients:

• 1 ripe frozen banana
• 3/4 cup frozen cherries
• 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
• 2 cup baby spinach
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (unflavored would work too!)
• 1 cup almond milk (or any milk or milk alternative)

Combine all these ingredients in a high-powered blender. I use my Ninja blender and love it, but any blender designed to make smoothies should work. Blend until smooth, scraping the sides with a spatula if needed.

To make the chocolate shell, simply heat the coconut oil in the microwave until melted. Mix in the cacao powder until smooth and chocolate-y. Pour the liquid chocolate directly on the smoothie to form a shell. Lightly break the shell, leaving some chunks.

If unsweetened chocolate is a no-go for you, you can mix in 1/2 tablespoon or honey or preferred sweetener to the chocolate shell.

Separate the smoothie in to two bowls or cups and enjoy with a spoon to get the full texture experience.

If you are set on slurping your smoothie through a straw, you can pulse the smoothie with the chocolate shell in the blender to break up the chunks. This way the chunks won't get stuck in your straw. The only downside is that the smoothie will taste more like a chocolate cherry, rather than the excellence that is a chocolate covered cherry smoothie.

What Protein Powder Should I Use?

The type of protein powder you use is entirely up to you based on what tastes good to you, what you have on hand and what type of diet (if any) you follow.

The protein powder won't really affect the flavor or texture in this recipe (as long as you are using vanilla or unflavored protein), it will only affect the nutritional profile.

I suggest picking a protein powder that is low in sugar, contains only a few ingredients and has about 20 grams of protein per serving.

Recipe Tips

Cacao Powder

Use a flavorful cacao powder in this recipe. I like Hershey's Special Dark 100% Cacao Powder because it is widely available and has a consistent and rich chocolate flavor. Some cacao powders are not very flavorful which will lead to a lack luster chocolate shell.

Team Thick Smoothie

If you are like me and don't mind eating your smoothie with a spoon, that is my recommendation. Eating the smoothie with a spoon will allow you to fully enjoy the phenomenal texture of the chocolate shell.

Insist on drinking the smoothie with a straw? I would recommend blending the shell in to the smoothie that way you can avoid large chunks of chocolate getting stuck in your straw.

Frozen Fruit

While I like to use some strawberries in this recipe because they are lower in sugar and contribute nicely to the color, you can use all cherries or a mix of berries if you prefer.

Don't skip the frozen banana because it adds a nice creaminess and makes it a little sweeter.

Chocolate Shell

When eaten with the smoothie the chocolate shell tastes great because of the natural sweetness in the fruit. Eaten alone it will taste a little bitter because it is unsweetened.

If you are not a dark chocolate person consider adding 1/2 tbsp. of honey (or preferred sweetener) to the coconut oil when making the shell.

Other Healthy Treats

• Maple Almond Butter Fudge
• Chai Spiced Protein Balls
• PB&J Protein Bites
• Chia and Peanut Butter Protein Balls

Did you try this Chocolate Covered Cherry Smoothie? I would love to see your creations! Take a photo and tag me on Instagram or leave a photo comment on Pinterest.

Feel free to leave a comment and a rating below. Feedback is always appreciated! 😊