Strawberry banana chocolate smoothie is so easy to make and is a simple, healthy, thick and creamy and the perfect for on the go breakfast, lunch or snacking! Ready in just 3 minutes, this banana strawberry chocolate smoothie is made without dairy or yogurt but is thick and satisfying thanks to just a handful of ingredients.
Why you will love this recipe
Simple ingredients you likely have on hand – you probably have all the ingredients you need to make this strawberry banana chocolate smoothie in your freezer/pantry right now! This recipe is naturally sweetened, gluten free, dairy free, paleo, Whole30 and vegan friendly
Quick and easy – this chocolate strawberry banana smoothie is ready in just 2 minutes and is the perfect breakfast or lunch on days when it’s just too hot to cook anything. Great for on the go mornings too as smoothies travel well.
Versatile – you can swap out certain ingredients (see all the options below) and you can even make this into a smoothie bowl instead. The options are endless!
Ingredients
- Fresh or frozen strawberries – typically I always have frozen strawberries in the freezer. They are not usually as sweet as fresh strawberries (when they are in season) but they do not go bad quickly and are easy to keep on hand. If you want to use fresh strawberries, be sure to wash them and remove the stem.
- Bananas (I like to freeze mine in advance) bananas help to really sweeten this smoothie. The riper the banana, the sweeter the smoothie will be. I like to freeze banana coins on a wax paper or parchment paper lined baking sheet for a few hours then pop them in a stasher bag for smoothies during the week. You can use room temperature bananas or frozen.
- Dairy free milk – use your favorite dairy free milk for this recipe. Almond milk, cashew milk, oat milk, coconut milk (in the carton or in the can), hemp milk, etc.
- Almond butter (or peanut butter or sunbutter) – almond butter helps to thicken the smoothie slightly and also helps to add healthy fats, protein and fiber. You can also use peanut butter, cashew butter, sunbutter or tahini. If you don’t have any nut butter you can add a handful of nuts.
- Cacao powder – cacao powder is not as bitter as cocoa powder so I like to use that when making smoothies. If you only have cocoa powder, you will likely want to add a tablespoon of maple syrup or 1-2 pitted dates to help offset the bitterness from the cocoa powder.
- Chia seeds (optional) – chia seeds help to thicken the smoothie and also help to make it more filling as they are full of fiber and healthy fats. Chia seeds can sometimes get stuck in peoples teeth, so you can grind them in the blender to break them down before using them in the recipe.
- Collagen peptides or your favorite protein powder (optional) – adding collagen peptides (which have no flavor) or your favorite protein powder helps to increase the protein in this recipe. Protein helps to balance your blood sugar and also helps to ensure you aren’t hungry an hour later. If you don’t have any protein powder, you can also check below for more ways to add protein.
How to make strawberry banana chocolate smoothie
Check out this story to get the steps on how to make a chocolate strawberry banana smoothie.
Add all the ingredients to a high speed blender.
Blend on high for 30 seconds – 1 minute (depending on your blender and how full the blender is).
Pour into a cup and enjoy or add your favorite toppings to make it a smoothie bowl.
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Top tips
- Freeze bananas in advance to help keep the smoothie cold! The riper the banana, the sweeter the smoothie!
- You can use fresh or frozen strawberries, but I typically use frozen because they are less expensive, don’t go bad overnight and help to make the smoothie ice cold when blending.
- If you don’t have frozen berries, you can add 1/2+ cup of ice to the blender to ensure it gets thick and cold.
- If chia seeds get stuck in your teeth you can blend them in a high speed blender to make ground chia seeds. You can store the ground chia seeds in the fridge for up to 3 months.
- If you are using a bullet style blender, be sure to use the largest blender cup. This will ensure that everything gets nice and smooth during that 1 minute of blending.
Other optional banana strawberry chocolate smoothie additions
- Avocado – you can add 1/2 of a ripe avocado to make the smoothie even creamier and add more healthy fats and fiber.
- Dates – you can add 1-2 pitted dates to naturally sweeten (if you prefer a really sweet smoothie or if your bananas are not very ripe).
- Frozen spinach/kale/cauliflower rice – add some veggies to make this smoothie even healthier and packed with more vitamins and minerals. If you add frozen veggies, add an equal amount of dairy free milk or water so that the end product will have the same consistency. If you want to make a thicker smoothie, don’t add any extra liquid.
- Nuts/seeds – add pecans, almonds, walnuts, hemp hearts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, ground flax, etc.
- Cacao nibs – add a bit of texture when blended
- Oats – adding oats makes the smoothie even thicker and gives it a chocolate strawberry ice cream sandwich vibe
What makes this healthy?
- Naturally sweetened – this smoothie is sweetened from the ripe bananas and the strawberries. The riper the banana, the sweeter the smoothie.
- Healthy fats – the almond butter and chia seeds add healthy fats that help to balance out the sugars from the fruit.
- Fiber – strawberries, chia seeds, almond butter and even bananas have fiber which is great for your digestion.
- Protein – almond butter has some protein but adding collagen peptides (not vegan) or your favorite protein powder (vegan friendly if needed) can really help to boost the protein and make this even more filling and blood sugar balancing.
Ways to add protein
Protein powder – you can add your favorite protein powder (I like this one (paleo) and this one (vegan))
Collagen peptides – collagen peptides are a great way to add protein, they are unflavored and dissolve right into the smoothie when blending. Collagen peptides are not vegan.
Hemp hearts – 3 tablespoons of hemp hearts have 10 grams of protein (these are also a great vegan option).
Peanut butter powder – 2 tablespoons of peanut butter powder has about 7 grams of protein. You can find this at most grocery stores now.
Greek style yogurt – dairy free or regular both add a significant amount of protein (12-25 grams) and will also help to make your smoothie even creamier. Yogurt can be a bit sour so you may need to add a natural sweetener like dates (pitted) or maple syrup.
Nuts – nuts and nut butters often have some protein (though they are mostly fat). The amount of protein will depend on how much you add.
Oats – oats have a surprising amount of protein. 1/2 cup of oats has 5 grams of protein.
Storing leftovers
Fridge: leftover or extra strawberry banana chocolate smoothie can be stored in a well-sealed glass or container for 24-48 hours. You may notice the smoothie starting to separate, just stir it with a spoon and it will blend right back together.
Freezer: you can pour leftover smoothie into ice cube molds to freeze them. Then you can use these frozen smoothie cubes to make a quick and easy smoothie when you don’t feel like measuring out ingredients, just add water or dairy free milk and blend up.
Freezer: you can also pour leftover chocolate strawberry banana smoothie into popsicle molds! These are even better if you add some avocado to the smoothie before freezing.
Substitutions
- Fresh or frozen strawberries – you can also use fresh or frozen raspberries, cherries, blackberries or blueberries in place of the strawberries.
- Banana – you can add ½ cup of cauliflower rice + 2-3 pitted dates or 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup to help ensure the smoothie is sweet enough. The cauliflower rice helps the smoothie get thick and creamy and has virtually no taste.
- Cacao powder – I prefer cacao powder because it’s less bitter than cocoa powder. If you only have cocoa powder, you may need to add 1-2 dates (pitted) or 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup. If you don’t have cacao or cocoa powder, you can add chocolate protein powder or simply omit it from the smoothie.
- Almond butter – you can use almond butter, cashew butter, sunbutter, tahini, peanut butter or a handful of your favorite nuts or seeds.
- Dairy free milk – use whatever your favorite dairy free milk is (almond, cashew, flax, oat, coconut, etc.) If you can tolerate regular milk, you can use that as well. If you do not have any dairy free milk on hand, use 1 cup of water and add an extra ½ tablespoon of almond butter (or whatever nut/seed butter you are using).
- Chia seeds – you can also use ground flax in place of the chia seeds or omit them. The smoothie will be slightly less thick without chia seeds, so you can reduce the milk to ¾ cup if you still want a thick smoothie.
- Collagen peptides or protein powder – use your favorite protein powder to add more protein to this smoothie. This is 100% optional. See above for more ways to add protein to the smoothie.
If you love this recipe, you should try
Coffee Banana Protein Smoothie
Spinach Banana Strawberry Smoothie
Low Carb Peanut Butter Smoothie
Strawberry Banana Chocolate Smoothie
$3.52 Recipe/$3.52 ServingIngredients
- 1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen) - $1.50
- 1 medium banana (can be frozen) - $0.33
- 1 cup dairy free milk - $0.57
- 3 tbsp cacao powder - $0.27
- 1 tbsp almond butter - $0.23
- 1 tbsp. chia seeds (optional) - $0.11
- 1 scoop collagen peptides or protein powder (optional) - $0.51
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a high speed blender.
- Blend on high 30 seconds – 1 minute until smooth.
- Pour in a glass or in a bowl and add your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Freeze bananas in advance to help keep the smoothie cold! The riper the banana, the sweeter the smoothie!
- You can use fresh or frozen strawberries, but I typically use frozen because they are less expensive, don’t go bad overnight and help to make the smoothie ice cold when blending.
- If you don’t have frozen berries, you can add 1/2+ cup of ice to the blender to ensure it gets thick and cold.
- If chia seeds get stuck in your teeth you can blend them in a high speed blender to make ground chia seeds. Store these in the fridge up to 3 months.
- Fridge: leftover or extra strawberry banana chocolate smoothie can be stored in a well-sealed glass or container for 24-48 hours. You may notice the smoothie starting to separate, just stir it with a spoon and it will blend right back together.
- Freezer: you can pour leftover smoothie into ice cube molds to freeze them. Then you can use these frozen smoothie cubes to make a quick and easy smoothie when you don’t feel like measuring out ingredients, just add water or dairy free milk and blend up.
- Freezer: you can also pour leftover chocolate strawberry banana smoothie into popsicle molds! These are even better if you add some avocado to the smoothie before freezing.
