Chocolate Smoothie Two Ways

​Whether you’re a smoothie bowl fan or you prefer your smoothie in a glass, if you are a chocolate lover then I’ve got you covered.  Following up on my top tips last week these two smoothie recipes make for a meal in themselves.  Perfect for those days when you need breakfast in a hurry or a quick post gym refuel.

​Spiced Chocolate Smoothie
(makes one large glass)

​If you are a fan of spiced hot chocolate then this is the smoothie for you.  Child friendly chocolate and banana smoothie is transformed with the help of ginger, cinnamon and cayenne pepper.  Herbs and spices don’t just add flavour to our food, they can be packed with micronutrients too.  Cinnamon can help support healthy blood sugar balance and ginger has anti-inflammatory properties, whilst cayenne pepper may support digestive health.  

​Ingredients
1 handful of oats (about ¼ cup)
1 banana
1 date
1 tbsp almond butter
1½ tbsp. cacao
2 tsp maca powder*
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ginger
Pinch cayenne pepper
½ tsp vanilla extract
200ml almond milk

Method
Pop all the ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth.
 
Variations and Notes
 
*maca powder is a dried, powdered root.  It is said to have adaptogenic properties which can help support hormonal control.  In cooking it tends to give things a mild, malty taste.  I have done this smoothie with and without maca and it tastes delicious either way so don’t worry if you don’t have any.
 
This recipe easily multiplies - but be cautious with the cayenne pepper.  A little definitely goes a long way and it is much better to add more at the end if it doesn’t have enough of a spicy kick than to try and tone it down if you were too heavy handed at the start.
 
I like this best when it is really cold.  You can achieve this either by using frozen banana or just by throwing in a few ice cubes before you blitz.
 
‘Glutenfreeman’ tolerates gluten free oats really well but if oats aren’t part of your diet replace with 2 tsp chia seeds.  It will give a different texture but the chia will help provide balance and the ‘fuller for longer’ effect of the oats.
 
Play around with the spices to suit your taste.  I sometimes up the cinnamon and ginger, add cardamom or even throw in a tbsp. of tahini.
 
If you have children and spice is not their thing you can start with a spice free option then try adding in cinnamon.  If they go for the cinnamon then gradually warm it up with a little of the ginger.  You can add other spices to yours after you have served theirs.

​Chocolate Avocado Smoothie Bowl
(4 small bowls or two piggy portions)

​When it comes to convenience I definitely go for the ‘grab and go’ smoothie option rather than a smoothie bowl.  My first experience of smoothie bowls was more accident than design when I used too many frozen ingredients and ended up with a ‘nice cream’ effect rather than anything I could drink easily.  I did however like being able to add toppings.  So, when my preferred supermarket finally started stocking frozen avocado I decided to play around with a thicker smoothie bowl.  The end result was thick, creamy and smooth – well worth a share.

​Ingredients
1 large banana
1 avocado
2 dates
1 cup almond milk
½ cup kefir
1 handful oats (about ¼ cup)
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp cashew nut butter
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp cacao

​Method
Pop all the ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth.
 
(I used frozen avocado and banana.  To prevent the frozen ingredients getting stuck together and to quickly achieve an even, smooth consistency I added half of the banana and avocado to the rest of the ingredients and blitzed to smooth then added the rest.)
 
Top with your preferred toppings – here I went with buckwheat granola and freeze dried raspberries.
 
 
Variations and Notes
 
Banana and avocado are not given as weight.  You may need to add more (or less) milk to achieve the right consistency depending on the size of your fruit.  My smoothie was the consistency of thick Greek yoghurt.
If you are dairy free you could replace the kefir with a dairy free yoghurt or just add more almond milk.  To maximise health benefits try for a live yoghurt.
If you don’t have cashew butter you could replace with your favourite nut butter or, if your blender is powerful enough, some whole cashews.