Oaxaca Chocolate Banana Smoothie
This rich and nutritious chocolate banana smoothie is spiced with cinnamon and cayenne for a little kick.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 9, 2024
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This getting older business is rough, isn’t it? I’m only beginning to notice the effects. My smile lines seem just a little deeper. Silver strands are infiltrating my dark hair. Hangovers hurt more than they used to. I’m even shopping for comfortable shoes (who am I?!).
On the upside, I’m getting wiser, too. I’m not taking failed relationships quite so personally, because most aren’t meant to be. If a job doesn’t suit me, I’ll find a better one. If a “friend” makes me feel small, out she goes! It’s never easy, but every time I take a leap toward the brighter side, I’m better for it.
Take this smoothie. I used to sip on a similar smoothie at a raw, vegan restaurant where I worked for a brief time. I waited tables on the weekends just to learn from the chefs, and I learned a lot about food presentation and vegetable preparation. It wasn’t a happy place, though, so I was glad to leave once I had learned enough.
I got this smoothie out of the deal, too. It’s rich and creamy, gently spiced with cinnamon and cayenne pepper (hence the Oaxaca, Mexico reference), and naturally sweetened with ripe bananas. It’s a nutritionally redeeming, grown-up chocolate frosty—my favorite frozen summer treat.
Oaxaca Chocolate Banana Smoothie
This rich chocolate banana smoothie recipe is spiced with cinnamon and cayenne for a little kick. Slice peeled, overripe bananas into 1-inch chunks and keep them in the freezer so you can make this smoothie whenever your sweet tooth demands it. Recipe yields one 8-ounce smoothie, but you can multiply the recipe and make several at once if you’d like.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup cashew milk or milk of choice
- 1 large frozen banana
- 1 tablespoon dark chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Dash of cayenne pepper (omit if sensitive to spice)
- Optional sweetener: ½ teaspoon maple syrup or honey
Instructions
- In a blender, combine the milk, banana, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, cinnamon and cayenne and blend. Don’t worry if the chocolate chips are still a little chunky.
- Taste, and add sweetener if necessary (I used overripe bananas and didn’t need any additional sweetener).
Notes
To make the raw/extra-healthy version: Substitute cacao nibs for the chocolate chips, cacao powder for the cocoa powder and add 1 teaspoon maca powder for a nutritious malted flavor.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Use your favorite non-dairy milk and non-dairy chocolate chips. Vegans, if you add sweetener, make it maple syrup.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Amazing. I cut the cocoa in half so it is not quite as rich.
Thanks, Sandra!
This looks SO good! Since I can’t eat bananas.. I’m thinking about using frozen cauliflower instead and adding a bit more sweetener. Hopefully it works out :)
Hmm… That sounds very interesting and not sure how it will work out since consistency, flavor, etc is very different. Love to hear what you think!
This was yummy! I had one non-frozen overripe banana to use up, so I made it with that + 5 ice cubes. I did a full tsp of maple syrup, and used unsweetened oat milk. Thanks for the recipe!
I love your recipes.