Banish your sweet tooth with a naturally sweetened chocolate cherry spinach smoothie! Made with 5 healthy, real food ingredients that will leave you feeling full, nourished, and satisfied. The natural sweetness comes from the banana and sweet cherry. Top with a little cacao nibs for a crunchy treat!
Chocolate cherry spinach smoothie recipe
The flavors are on point in this chocolate cherry spinach smoothie and make a great mid-day snack or perfect breakfast that’s ready quickly.
The darker color of this smoothie masks the green color you’d get from the spinach. Picky eaters won’t notice a thing from the addition of dark cherries and chocolate.
You’re getting an awesome mix of carbohydrates, fat, and protein to keep your energy great too! I know you’re going to love it, so let’s get smoothie-making!
A must in my delicious smoothie recipes
I’m of the thought that if you’re making a smoothie, why not add some veggies in there?
Green smoothies get a good dose of spinach or kale, and other smoothies that have a more hidden veggie color might include frozen cauliflower or sliced cucumber.
The mindset of adding goodness in makes it an easy choice to pop some veggies into a smoothie
I am a huge fan of using fresh produce when available.
Sometimes you have it, and sometimes you don’t. That fresh spinach may go bad quicker than you might want, or you just don’t have any on hand.
That’s when frozen chopped spinach comes into the mix!
Frozen spinach doesn’t carry as much volume as fresh spinach, but the nutritional powerhouse is just the same. It is one of my favorite ways to add greens that I can easily keep on hand without the worry of food waste.
Simple ingredients for this chocolate cherry smoothie
Scroll down to view the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions.
- coconut milk from a carton
- frozen spinach
- banana
- cocoa powder
- frozen dark sweet cherries
- collagen peptides, optional but adds extra protein
How to make this healthy smoothie
- Add the coconut milk, frozen spinach, and 1 cup of water to the high-speed blender. Blend for 30-60 seconds, until the spinach is fully combined with the liquid.
- Next, add the banana, cocoa powder, and frozen cherries, along with optional collagen peptides. Blend for 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. You will end with a fluffy creamy smoothie.
- Top your healthy chocolate shake with your favorite toppings – unsweetened coconut flakes, hemp seeds, chia seeds or cacao nibs, or even chocolate chips are a great option!
Substitutions
Below you’ll find a list of substitutions that will work well in this healthy cherry smoothie recipe.
If you try something different out, please leave a comment below letting us all know how it turned out!
Coconut milk – Coconut milk from the carton can be replaced with canned coconut milk for extra creaminess or unsweetened almond milk for less of a coconut flavor. Regular milk will work here as well.
Frozen spinach – Fresh spinach can be used in place of frozen spinach. Other leafy greens that work well are kale and Swiss chard.
Banana – Bananas can be omitted or substituted with fresh fruit or mixed berries for berry smoothies.
Cocoa powder – Cacao powder is a good option to use in place of cocoa powder. If you don’t have cocoa powder, you can also add a handful of chocolate chips in while blending for bits of chocolate in every sip!
Frozen cherries – Fresh cherries work just as well in this smoothie recipe. If you opt to not use frozen, you’ll want to add a little ice or use a frozen banana to ensure the smoothie thickens nicely.
Collagen peptides – While optional, collagen peptides add a nice protein boost to this smoothie. You can use protein powder in place of collagen peptides here. Use an unsweetened and unflavored protein powder to replace it. If you opt to use a sweetened protein powder, reduce the amount of banana as that adds sweetness to the mix. Another option is to add almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter, or your favorite nut butter as a great way to increase the protein.
More recipes you’ll love
Chocolate Cherry Spinach Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups coconut milk from a carton
- 1 cup frozen spinach
- 1 ripe banana
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 2 cups frozen dark sweet cherries
- 2 scoops collagen peptides optional
Instructions
- Add the coconut milk, frozen spinach, and 1 cup of water to the high-speed blender. Blend for 30-60 seconds, until the spinach is fully combined with the liquid.
- Next, add the banana, cocoa powder, and frozen cherries, along with optional collagen peptides. Blend for 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. You will end with a fluffy creamy smoothie.
- Top your healthy chocolate shake with your favorite toppings – unsweetened coconut flakes, hemp seeds, chia seeds or cacao nibs, or even chocolate chips are a great option!
Nutrition
If you try this healthy cherry spinach smoothie recipe, I’d love it if you left a star rating and comment below letting me know how it turned out!
XO
Heather
Originally published May 2018. Updated February 2023.
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