Chocolate Peanut Butter Avocado Smoothie

This creamy smoothie feels like a dessert treat, but it's really hiding lots of veggies and stuff that's totally good for us. It's a total win win situation!

There's not a whole lot to talk about as far as the method of this recipe. It's a dump and go kind of deal. Throw all of the ingredients in a blender, push the button, and enjoy. Super simple.

So, let's talk about what we're putting in the blender. For me, my smoothies always start with frozen bananas. I will buy bananas with the intention of purposefully letting them get super duper ripe (like banana bread ripe), then I chop them up, freeze them, and keep them in a bag in my freezer. The riper the banana, the sweeter it will be. And, I love the natural sweetness and body that a frozen banana adds to a smoothie.

In addition to the banana, we're also going to add a little bit of avocado and a whole cup of fresh spinach to the smoothie. I love love love a green smoothie, and I love that you can hide a whole serving of greens in a smoothie without tasting it. I love my greens, so I wouldn't be mad even if you could taste it. But, you definitely can't. And if we're being honest, I added the avocado because I had it and needed to use it. But, I love the extra creaminess that it brings to the party. Now, my rule when it comes to avocados is that they always need salt. So, we're going to add just the teeniest tiniest pinch of salt to the blender to really help accentuate our sweet flavors.

To flavor our smoothie, we're going for that classic combo of chocolate and peanut butter. So, we'll add a little unsweetened cocoa powder and a plop of peanut butter right into the blender with our veggies. Since our cocoa powder is not sweetened, we're also going to add a little maple syrup to balance out the bitterness from the chocolate.

For extra protein, I like to add just a tablespoon of ground flaxseed. Flaxseed is one of those super food ingredients that has so much to offer in one little scoop. It's high in protein; it's rich in fiber; it's high in those good omega 3 fats; it's high in nutrients; and it's been known to help with high cholesterol and blood pressure. I find flaxseed to be a little earthy, so it pairs perfectly with the rich and nutty flavors we have going on in our smoothie. I used ground flaxseed, but you can certainly use whole flaxseed. The blender will do it's job and break it up either way.

To bring our smoothie together, we're going to use to coconut milk to help loosen everything up. You could also use almond milk if that's what you have or prefer. But, I love the little bit of natural sweetness the coconut milk adds to the party. Now because the banana is the only frozen component of our smoothie, the texture is actually a little softer and creamier like a shake. But, if you prefer that thicker, icier texture of a smoothie, feel free to add in a little ice before you blend everything up.

When it's time to serve, we have a decadent yet healthy treat right at our fingertips. The chocolate and peanut butter are rich and indulgent. The banana and avocado are sweet and fruity. Now, it's hard to make green and brown things blended together look beautiful, but I'm telling you this smoothie is so refreshing and delicious, you won't even notice it's not a bright, tropical color.

Ok, everyone. I'd love to know you're take on drinking smoothies in the winter. If you're not into it now, you sure will be after this recipe!

Enjoy, have a great weekend, and let's eat!