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    Home » Recipes

    Plant-Based Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

    Aug 23, 2021 · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This chocolate cherry smoothie is packed with sweet cherry flavor, decadent chocolate, and no added sweeteners. Energize your morning or afternoon with this quick and healthy plant-based smoothie recipe!

    chocolate cherry smoothie garnished with cherries and chocolate chips.
    Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

    Why you’ll  love this smoothie

    • 100% Plant based and vegan.
    • 18 grams of protein with NO protein powder needed.
    • Smooth and creamy texture without banana! 
    • Naturally sweetened with fruit

    Ingredients

    Silken Tofu. Tofu is the all-star ingredient in this smoothie recipe. Adding 10 grams of protein and a creamy texture, tofu also contributes iron and calcium to this recipe.

    Spinach If you don’t eat a lot of spinach, do what I do to keep it “fresh” and store the bag or box of washed spinach in the freezer. While I wouldn’t make a salad with frozen spinach, it works perfectly for smoothies. 

    Don’t have it? Just skip it and your chocolate cherry smoothie will still taste amazing. Note that 1 cup of spinach has 5% of your DV for iron. 

    Oats.  Oatmeal helps to thicken this smoothie up and adds important nutrients like iron, soluble fiber, and protein. I generally use rolled or “old-fashioned” oats, but you can also use instant or quick oats. 

    Cherries. Frozen cherries help make this smoothie a bit more “chill”, but you can absolutely use fresh cherries here if you have them. Just remove the pits and toss them in. 

    The vitamin C in 1 cup of cherries is 25 % of your daily value! With this good vitamin C source, you’ll absorb more of the iron from spinach, oats, and tofu. 

    Cauliflower. I love adding frozen riced cauliflower to smoothies for the amazingly smooth texture it brings and for the increased nutrition.

    Understand that eating uncooked frozen vegetables can come with a risk of listeria, as this bacteria can withstand cold temperatures. This same risk applies to eating fresh vegetables that have not been washed properly. 

    If you're concerned or part of a vulnerable population (over age 70, under age 5, sick with another health condition, etc) then it may be best to avoid the frozen cauliflower. You can always add a few frozen bananas for extra creaminess! 

    Other ingredients: almonds, almond milk, cocoa powder. 

    Ingredients in chocolate cherry smoothies: spinach, cherries, cocoa powder, almonds, almond milk, tofu, riced cauliflower, oats
    Ingredients: tofu, almond milk, riced cauliflower, oats, cherries, almonds, spinach, cocoa powder

    Equipment you’ll need

    A blender. Any blender will work, especially if you let the mixture sit for 10 minutes or longer as I’ve described below. If you want an extra creamy finish, use a high-powered blender. 

    Step by Step

    1. Add the oats, cocoa powder, almonds, tofu, and almond milk to the blender. Stir or shake and let sit for 10 minutes so the almonds and oats can soften. 
    2. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy! 

    Substitutions

    Greens: Spinach goes well in this chocolate cherry smoothie since its taste is so mild. You can use other greens like kale, swiss chard, beet greens, or even carrot tops. 

    Nuts: I use slivered almonds in this smoothie, but you can feel free to use any type of nut or seed you’d like. It helps to add healthy fat and extra protein without having to use protein powder. You can also leave these out without having too much of an effect on the flavor. 

    Milk: I used unsweetened almond milk, but you can use any type of plant-based milk you’d like. For extra protein use soy, pea, or any kind of protein-added plant milk. 

    For a Creamy Texture: For extra creaminess without too many extra calories, fat, or carbs I used frozen cauliflower. Just pointing out again that there is a small risk for a foodborne pathogen anytime you eat frozen vegetables without cooking them, so if you feel more comfortable leaving these out, please do! You can add avocado or frozen banana to increase the creamy factor!

    top down view of smoothie with cheries and chocolate on top.
    Chocolate Cherry Smoothie garnished with chopped cherries and chocolate chips

    Top Tip

    Make sure you soak the oats and almonds, especially if you don’t have a high-powered blender. This helps the smoothie to be smooth and creamy without little gritty chunks of nuts and oats floating around. 

    If you love this chocolate cherry smoothie, you’ll love these other plant-based recipes! 

    Better than Cake Carrot Banana Smoothie

    Vegan Oatmeal Banana Pancakes

    Strawberry Bakes Oatmeal

    Did you make this recipe? Be sure to rate it below and tell me what you think! Snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @Graciouslynourished and use the hashtag #graciouslynourished

    Chocolate Cherry smoothie in a short glass garniished with cherries and chocolate chips

    Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

    This chocolate cherry smoothie is packed with sweet cherry flavor, decadent chocolate, and no added sweeteners. Energize with this healthy plant-based smoothie recipe!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Total Time 10 mins
    Course Breakfast, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 1 Serving
    Calories 324 kcal

    Equipment

    • Blender

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ cup silken tofu
    • ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
    • ¼ cup oats
    • 1 tablespoon sliced or slivered almonds
    • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
    • 1 cup frozen cherries
    • ⅓ cup frozen riced cauliflower
    • 1 cup spinach

    Instructions
     

    • Add the oats, almonds, cocoa powder, tofu, and milk to the blender. Let sit for 10 minutes to soften.
    • Add the frozen cherries, frozen riced cauliflower, and spinach. Blend until smooth.

    Notes

    All nutrition facts are an estimate based on products used. 
     
    Add oats, almonds, cocoa powder, tofu, and milk to the blender and let sit for 10 minutes so that the oats and nuts can soften. 
     
    Note: eating uncooked frozen vegetables carries the potential risk of Listeria, a foodborne pathogen that can withstand low temperatures, but is killed with heat. The same risk applies to fresh vegetables.  If you're concerned or part of a vulnerable population (over age 70, under age 5, sick with another health condition, ect) then it may be best to avoid the frozen cauliflower.  
     

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1gCalories: 324kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 18gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 93mgPotassium: 744mgFiber: 9gSugar: 18gCalcium: 198mgIron: 6mg
    Keyword Dairy Free, One Serving, Smoothie
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    Image of smoothie garnished with cherries and chocolate chips | Plant Based Chocolate Cherry Smoothie
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    Hi, I'm Kelsey! Registered dietitian, recipe developer, mom of two, and a perfectly imperfect advocate for wasting less food and eating a little better. I'm a big believer that small practical steps add up to big changes & that chasing the gold stars & A+'s just slows us down and makes life no fun. Let's 🥂 to delicious food, wasting a little less, saving money, & having fun in the kitchen!

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    Hi, I'm Kelsey! Registered dietitian, recipe developer, mom of two, and a perfectly imperfect advocate for wasting less food and eating a little better. I'm a big believer that small practical steps add up to big changes & that chasing the gold stars & A+'s just slows us down and makes life no fun. Let's 🥂 to delicious food, wasting a little less, saving money, & having fun in the kitchen!

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