Caffeinated Chocolate Banana Smoothie July 18, 2017 | Good Morning, Friends! I shared that I was making my favorite caffeinated smoothie on Instastories about a month ago and you guys have been asking about it ever since. I’m so sorry it’s taken me this long to publish the recipe, but better late than never, right?! This has been one of my absolute favorite things to make as of late and has been a great meal replacement that’s still healthy, full of healthy fats and protein and also keeps my nursing supply up. My husband has been on a smoothie kick for lunch lately and he continued to mention how delicious his favorite chocolate peanut butter smoothie from Jamba Juice was, so I set out on a mission to create a healthy version that we could all enjoy. Because we have a newborn and are running on little sleep, I decided to make our version with a little kick of caffeine, which really helps me to wake up in the mornings and knock out two birds with one stone (breakfast + coffee). Once I perfected my recipe and let Dan taste test it for me, I knew that I was on to something as he admitted that my version was better than the Jamba one he’d been loving. SCORE! *On a restricted diet? No worries! I’ve included Paleo and Whole30 substitutions below! It really is a super delicious meal replacement smoothie and one that’s easy to whip up. The key to the mixture is making sure that the banana is frozen, as it will make the smoothie so creamy and cold. When I decided that this caffeinated smoothie was going to be a staple in our house, I bought 20 bananas at once and peeled, froze them in large freezer ziplocs, so I always have some on hand. What You Need: -1/2 Cup Unsweetened Cold Brew Coffee (find this in the cooler section of your grocery store) -1/2 c. Chocolate Almond Milk – 1 tbsp Peanut Butter -1 Frozen Banana (Frozen is key) – 1/4 c. Walnuts – 1/4 c. Rolled Oats -1/2 tsp. Chia Seeds -4-6 Ice Cubes -Mini Chocolate Chips or Cocoa Nibs for Topping Directions: Combine all ingredients in your blender (I used THIS one)! Blend until smooth. If I’m feeling fancy (or making them for both the Hubby and I), I top with sliced bananas, a few chopped walnuts, cashew butter drizzle and a few mini chocolate chips (if you are paleo, you could do cocao nibs). This smoothie has been amazing for warm Summer mornings and on-the-go-meals! It’s full of healthy fats, protein and even oats to help boost my nursing supply! It’s definitely a meal replacement and keeps me full for at least 4 hours, which is amazing considering I’m a nursing mama. It’s the perfect little kick of caffeine in the morning, because we all know that casually sipping hot coffee in the mornings is a thing of the past. If you want to make it Paleo and/or Whole 30, here are the substitutes: -Instead of chocolate almond milk (sub in Whole 30 approved almond milk + cocao powder) -Instead of peanut butter, use my favorite cashew butter -Skip the oats, maybe add another 1/2 frozen banana -Top with cocao nibs *Liked this recipe? I’d love if you pinned the below image to your Pinterest boards! It really helps to spread the word! If you’ve missed out on anything Nordstrom Sale, make sure to check out THIS PAGE! Also, if you want to read about my Whole30 journey, see THIS POST!
Naomi @HuntingforPinkFlamingos says July 20, 2017 at 11:08 AM That Starbucks iced coffee is EVERYTHING. I always have some on hand! I can’t wait to try it in this smoothie!
Kelly says July 20, 2017 at 3:54 PM This looks and sounds amazing, I’ll have to make it soon! Thanks! xx Kelly Sparkles and Shoes
Laura says July 24, 2017 at 10:27 AM Made this smoothie this morning and it is ???????? Thank you for sharing!!
Style Your Senses says July 25, 2017 at 7:57 AM Yay! So glad that you liked! Having the same thing for breakfast!