Santa Barbara Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie ( Vegan & GF)
This chocolate peanut butter smoothie with banana has only five ingredients. It takes less than 5 minutes to make and is a decadent vegan, gluten free, creamy drink perfect for breakfast or a snack.
Chocolate and peanut butter are one of the best flavor combinations imaginable. The combination of rich chocolate with peanut butter is almost if not better than either flavor by itself! This smoothie recipe gives you a way to enjoy the amazing combination of chocolate and peanut butter, without the guilt you’d get from eating candy.
I like to make smoothies because they are a quick and easy snack or light meal that feels indulgent but isn’t bad for you. This smoothie tastes like creamy and chocolaty milkshake, but it has less than 300 calories and about 8 grams of protein. It fills me up and also satisfies when I am craving something sweet.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie Ingredients
Five ingredients, none of which are hard to find or store:
- Peanut butter
- Cocoa powder
- Almond milk
- Banana
- Ice
No yogurt, no honey, no sweetener. All of those are ingredients I have on hand all the time. This recipe is also pretty forgiving of overripe bananas. The banana is what gives the smoothie the creamy texture. The taste of the banana is hidden by the chocolate and peanut butter. So even if your banana is soft and should have been eaten two days ago, you can still use it in this smoothie.
What about a Sweetener?
I don’t think this chocolate peanut butter smoothie with banana needs any extra sweetener. I use unsweetened almond milk and Santa Barbara Vegan Cocoa Powder. The peanut butter I use does have a little bit of sugar added and between that and the banana this smoothie is sweet enough for me. Maybe if you like your smoothies extra sweet you will want to add honey or another sweetener, but try it without any extra sweetener first. This smoothie is all about the peanut butter banana flavor combination, not sweetness.
Should I use Frozen or Unfrozen Bananas?
Either frozen or unfrozen bananas work in this smoothie recipe. Frozen bananas will make the smoothie a little thicker and more creamy. So if you want a smoothie with milkshake like thickness – frozen bananas are the way to go. Frozen bananas also take planning ahead. I actually have frozen bananas in my freezer, but if I want a quick snack and there are bananas sitting on the counter, I am not going to bother digging through my freezer. But if your freezer is better organized than mine and you do use frozen bananas, reduce the ice to a 1/2 cup.
How to Make a Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie with Banana
There isn’t much to say about making this smoothie – it is the definition of easy! Just put the ingredients in the blender, blend it all up and you are done. It makes cleanup easier if you keep the peanut butter off the sides of blender. The peanut butter sticks to the sides and takes more time to clean. None of the ingredients in this recipe are particularly difficult to blend, so the recipe works well even if you don’t have a super fancy blender.
Peanut Butter Smoothie Recipe Modifications
This recipe is easy to adjust and switch up to fit your tastes. Here are some suggestions:
- Add more milk to make the smoothie thinner.
- If you want more chocolate flavor or more peanut butter flavor add more of one those to tip the balance towards your favorite.
- Adding protein powder can make this recipe a more substantial meal replacement.
- Change up the flavor and use almond butter or cashew butter instead of peanut butter.
The finished smoothie is a delicious balance of flavors and you can feel good about indulging in a creamy chocolate smoothie.
Topping off the Smoothie
I topped this smoothie off with a vegan whipped topping and vegan chocolate sprinkles, you can top with a sprinkle of Santa Barbara Cacao Nibs which makes it even better. The crunchy flavor of the cacao nibs makes a nice contrast to the smoothie. Also using Santa Barbara Chocolate Chips would have the same effect.
Benefits of Making this Smoothie
So this chocolate peanut butter smoothie with banana is amazing because it is:
- The perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter flavors
- Vegan
- Quick and easy
- Only 4 ingredients (don’t count the ice - zero calories)
- Smooth and creamy
- Perfect for breakfast or a snack
- Delicious and satisfying
Recipe :
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup almond milk
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 1 Tablespoon Santa Barbara Vegan Cocoa Powder
- 1 Banana
- 1 Cup ice
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients and blend well.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
If you use frozen banana, decrease the amount of ice to 1/2 cup.
