I love making healthy smoothies, in particular the ones that hide high-nutrient ingredients like my Spinach Pineapple Banana Smoothie, Zucchini Smoothie, or Blue Spirulina Smoothie. They are delicious, healthy, and super quick to put together. Frozen cherries in smoothies are my new obsession and especially with chocolate. The chocolate cherry combination is the most decadent dessert-like flavor, reminding me of a black forest cake. The best part is that cherries are also packed with antioxidants like beta carotene, low in calories, and rich in fiber. In smoothies, cherries add the same creamy, thick texture as bananas. Their taste is light and delicate but irresistible.
What Is A Chocolate Cherry Smoothie?
A chocolate cherry smoothie is a delicious, sweet chocolate smoothie packed with frozen cherries, spinach, and chia seeds. It’s filling, healthy, packed with antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins, and has a delicious dessert flavor that reminds you of a black forest cake.
Ingredients and Substitutions
All you need to blend together, are the following:
Frozen Pitted Cherries – They’re generally much cheaper than fresh ones. Fresh or Frozen Banana – You may need more plant-based milk if using frozen banana because it thickens the smoothie recipe making it more difficult to blend. Baby Spinach or trimmed kale leaves. This brings many vitamins and minerals without changing the deep red color of the smoothie. Chia Seeds for added healthy fats and omega-3 fatty acids. Almond Milk or any non-dairy milk, like coconut milk, oat milk, or soy milk, increases the proteins in the smoothie and makes it more filling. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – You can also use cacao powder or carob powder if you have a chocolate allergy. Cashew Butter or other nut butter like almond butter or peanut butter. Vanilla Extract – for taste.
How To Make A Chocolate Cherry Smoothie
It’s so simple to make this chocolate cherry smoothie that I guarantee you will make this often for breakfast or as a quick snack. Follow my two steps below.
Serving
Serve this chocolate cherry smoothie recipe as a healthy breakfast, either in a tall glass or a bowl as a smoothie bowl. Then, add some crunchy toppings like:
Homemade Granola – try my chocolate granola for a boost of chocolate flavor. Dark Chocolate Chips Shredded Coconut Banana Slices Berries A Drizzle of Nut Butter Slices Almonds Cacao Nibs Hemp Seeds Whipped Cream – make my Vegan Whipped Cream
Flavor Variations
You can use this recipe to create a range of healthy chocolate cherry smoothies. For example, feel free to add in the following:
Protein Powder – Add one scoop of vanilla or chocolate protein powder to make a chocolate cherry protein smoothie. Also, increase the milk by 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup, or the texture might be too thick. Plant-Based Greek Yogurt to boost the creamy texture, try soy or coconut yogurt and add up to 1/3 cup. Sweetener – Boost the sweetness and add maple syrup, date syrup, or agave syrup. Other Berries – Swap some of the frozen cherries for frozen raspberries or blueberries.
Allergy Swaps
Below are some ingredient substitution ideas if you need:
Frozen Fruits – You can use fresh cherries if they are in season. However, the smoothie won’t be as thick and creamy. If you choose fresh cherries, add a frozen banana to thicken the recipe. Also, for a frothier texture, add 1/2 cup of ice cubes to the blender. Nut-Free – Swap the almond milk for oat milk or coconut milk. Replace the nut butter with sunflower seed butter or plant-based yogurt like coconut yogurt. Chia Seed-Free – Swap the chia seeds for ground flax or leave them out entirely.
Here are my answers to your most common questions about this smoothie recipe:
More Smoothie Recipes
Below are some other delicious smoothie recipes for you to try.
