Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie by DK on Apr 23, 2018

Chocolate PB and Banana Smoothie with Greek Yogurt Recipe | Healthy Protein Rich Smoothie Recipes

After school snacks has managed to get Prime time in my day to day schedule. I seem to be planning more for it than the rest of the meals put together. Well, this happened right after my decision to cut back on store bought processed snack that my jr. seemingly inhales after he gets back from school. It started looking like a tradition - a comfort habit that he falls back on, no matter my suggestions for home made alternatives. I had to give him compelling reasons to try home made ones that was so fulfilling and satisfactory that he did not have much space for his regular affair. It took a while for this transition, but happened sooner than I expected.

I find that protein rich snacks had the most wins. They were light without weighing him down yet filling enough to see him through sport practices that followed soon after. Since I already cook 3 meals a day, the thought of adding one more was too much amidst my other chores. So, my choices have been mostly very simple / minimal cooking/ huge batch friendly options. This delicious smoothie falls under this criteria. Greek yogurt and peanut butter provide the protein that keeps him satisfied without craving for junk. The banana is for this mother's contentment at having worked towards his daily fruit requirements and that chocolate works on luring the guy into even considering this in the first place :)

Cook time: No cook time
Prep time: No cook time
Serves: 1-2 people
Yields: Around 1-1/2 to 2 cups

Ingredients

1 large Banana
1 tbsp Cocoa Powder
2 tbsp natural Peanut Butter (just peanuts nothing else)
1/2 cup whole milk Greek Yogurt

Optional

1/4-1/2 cup whole Milk, or as needed to thin it (optional)
1-2 Dates, or as needed to sweeten (optional)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Additional sliced Banana for topping
1 tbsp Semi Sweet Chocolate Chip, for topping

Vegan Options

Substitute Greek Yogurt with Soy/almond milk instead

Method

1. Every time I am faced with "Oh I am so ripe that I am going black" banana, I simply throw it in the freezer for later use. That mostly gets used in my pancake batter, cakes and/or breads. If you do not happen to have some in your freezer, simply slice the banana, place it on a plate and keep it in the freezer for 1-2 hours. Is freezing really required? No, not really. You can use it as it is and add ice cubes if you like it cold.

2. Now add all the ingredients to a blender (I added a date for additional sweetness and nutrition)

3. and blend until smooth. If too thick, you can either add some water to thin it or milk for extra creaminess. I add few splashes of raw milk until its creamy and flowy. If you do not have a powerful blender, you might require more milk for blending. Adjust seasoning according to your taste. My personal recommendation would be to avoid sour yogurt.

Pour it out in glasses. Optionally top it with banana and chocolate chip - or something else of your choosing. Adding blueberries, chia seeds or granola doesn't hurt :) These are best when freshly made.