This nutty chocolate smoothie has just enough richness from cacao and toasted hazelnuts to make your morning serving of kale taste totally delicious! All you need are 6 ingredients, a blender, and 5 minutes. It's also a great afternoon pick-me-up!
I've never really been one for New Year's Resolutions or January diets, but even still, something about mid-January has me craving extra nutrition. Maybe it's all the vegan holiday desserts and pimento cheese I've been eating recently. So when the urge to create a healthy chocolate smoothie hit, I figured I should roll with it.
I was also brainstorming vegan Nutella recipes recently, so toasted hazelnuts seemed like a natural fit for this chocolate smoothie!
When you add kale to smoothies, I find that you either need a lot of fruit or another bold flavor to mask the bitterness and really make it work. Cacao and toasted hazelnuts get the job done nicely!
Ingredients
You have some when it comes to the fruit/sweetener you choose for your smoothie. Initially I planned to make mine with dates, until I realized I didn't have any. Thankfully, our freezer is always stocked with frozen bananas.
If you prefer lower glycemic breakfasts and/or less sweet smoothies, you can always use half the amount of banana listed, plus some stevia, monk fruit, or whatever you like.
Or if you like your smoothies on the sweeter side, go ahead and double up on the fruit!
The other ingredients you'll need for this kale smoothie are:
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- raw cacao powder
- chia, flax, or hemp seeds
- toasted hazelnuts
- kale - lacinato or regular curly kale
- non-dairy milk - I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk; oat milk is also tasty.
- a pinch of sea salt - this helps reduce the bitterness of kale. Don't skip it!
Blend it all up, and you're ready to roll. Obviously, a high-speed blender makes great smoothies, but a regular blender works here, too. You may end up with a few pieces of crunchy hazelnuts, but that's not so bad.
Smoothie Tips
- Start on low, and gradually increase the speed of the blender to high.
- If needed, stop to stir the ingredients or add liquid.
- Since this kale smoothie isn't made with a lot of frozen fruit, you may want to add ice. Ice also makes it nice and frothy.
- To make it more filling, add a scoop of plant-based chocolate protein powder.
Storing
For the best flavor and nutrition, smoothies are best enjoyed immediately after blending. But this one keeps well, for up to about 24 hours. Just be sure to keep it chilled.
I hope you enjoy this nutty and healthy chocolate smoothie! It's:
creamy
lightly sweet
nutritious
chocolate-y
versatile
and only mildly green-tasting 😉
More vegan smoothies:
Recipe
Hazelnut Chocolate Green Smoothie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- scant ¼ cup toasted hazelnuts
- 3 or 4 large kale leaves, lacinato (dino) or regular, thick stems removed - Add or sub raw spinach if desired
- 2 ½ Tablespoons raw cacao powder
- 1 small frozen banana OR 2 to 3 medjool dates - Or other sweetener of choice; for sweeter smoothie use more fruit or add stevia or maple syrup.
- 1 tablespoon chia, flax or hemp seeds
- pinch of sea salt - reduces bitterness of kale
- large handful of ice
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except ice in a blender, and blend until mostly smooth.
- Add ice, and blend again until thick and creamy. As with most smoothies, this is best consumed immediately. But you can also refrigerate it after blending to enjoy later in the day.
Notes
- Start on low, and gradually increase the speed of the blender to high.
- If needed, stop to stir the ingredients or add liquid.
- Since this kale smoothie isn't made with a lot of frozen fruit, you may want to add ice. Ice also makes it nice and frothy.
- To make it more filling, add a scoop of plant-based chocolate protein powder.
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.
Marci
Simple, tasty and filling. My husband and I both enjoyed it, thank you!
Lori
Happy to hear it, Marci. Thank you! 😀