Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Smoothie: Rich, Delicious, and Vegan


Raise your hand if you'd like to kick off your day with chocolate. Ok, you're in, then. Cool.

Now, I'm not talking about tossing some M&M's into your oatmeal (because: eww). What I propose is a rich, delicious smoothie that is chock full of goodness to fill your belly and get your morning started right. I'm talkin' fiber, Vitamin C, calcium, iron, and protein, among other good things. Of course, strawberries plus chocolate is a classic pairing of flavors; let's also note that it teams up two of the most antioxidant-packed foods in town. In other words, chug-a-lug.

This smoothie boasts a secret ingredient: dried plums. Prunes? you ask. Yup. Not only do prunes pack a nutritional wallop and pair wonderfully with chocolate, they add sweetness to this smoothie, which is necessary because cacao powder is quite bitter.

Ingredients
yields: about 12 ounces

  • 5-7 prunes
  • 1 cup organic frozen strawberries*
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1T chia seeds
  • 1T raw cacao powder 
  • 1T agave (or to taste, optional)
  • 1T cacao nibs (optional)

*Strawberries are on the "Dirty Dozen" of foods highest in pesticides, so I recommend only eating organic ones. 

Toss everything in the blender. If your blender isn't super powerful, let the berries thaw slightly before blending.


Blend until smooth. 


How gorgeous is the color of this smoothie? It's almost a mahogany. Oh yeah, and it tastes great, too!


I like to throw some cacao nibs on mine for a fantastic crunch.



Happy Valentine's Day, friends!



Comments

  1. Oh WOW - I AM in!  =)  I don't have all these ingredients, but most and it's gonna be tasted in our house by morning.  MMMM!  So glad I found this at your pinboard...yehaw!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love your enthusiasm! I think the recipe's pretty flexible, so I'm sure you can play around with it to fit what you've got on hand. Please come back and let us know how you liked it...

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  3. Yay, I'm so glad. If your blender isn't super strong - or if your prunes are particularly dry - you can always add a couple of tablespoon of boiling water to the prunes to soften them before throwing them in the blender.

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