Cacao Almond Bliss Smoothie

By
Jen Hoy
Jen Hoy
Jenny Hoy is an author, chef, and holistic nutritionist, with more than two decades of experience in the fields of food and healing.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 05/12/21
Tested by
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Tested by Diana Rattray
on 03/23/21
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Recipe Testing Panel
Cocoa smoothie hero

The Spruce / Loren Runion

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 5 mins
Servings: 2 to 3 servings
Yield: 3 cups
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
123 Calories
5g Fat
18g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 3
Amount per serving
Calories 123
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 6%
Saturated Fat 0g 2%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 3mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 18g 7%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 3mg 17%
Calcium 36mg 3%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 213mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This cacao almond bliss smoothie is as much a dessert as it is a mini-meal. The good news is that if you are going to eat a chocolate almond sweet creation, this is the way to go. It can even be frozen into a sorbet. This is heaven on earth for guilt-free chocolate loving bliss! Use frozen bananas in this recipe–just peel and cut into chunks, then freeze; the banana acts like little ice cubes). You also can use homemade almond nut milk. For more information on cleansing with smoothies, try these detoxification tips.

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"Overall, this smoothie had very nice flavor, and I enjoyed it. The banana flavor comes through with a hint of cinnamon. There wasn't strong chocolate flavor, and it wasn't overly sweet. Since ice cubes are optional, it is thinner than smoothies that use frozen fruit and/or ice." —Diana Rattray

Cacao Almond Bliss Smoothie Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or other nut milk)

  • 1 tablespoon raw cacao powder

  • 1 tablespoon almond butter

  • 1 medium banana (cut into chunks)

  • 1 tablespoon honey (or agave nectar)

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    cocoa smoothie ingredients gathered

    The Spruce / Loren Runion

  2. Place all of the ingredients into a blender. Add a few ice cubes if desired.

    cocoa smoothie ingredients in blender

    The Spruce / Loren Runion

  3. Blend everything together until smooth.

    smoothie ingredients blended in blender

    The Spruce / Loren Runion

Recipe Tips

  • Make sure you sip smoothies slowly and “chew” them so the digestive enzymes in your saliva will be activated.
  • Add a scoop of protein powder for extra nutrients. Pea protein, hemp or rice protein, and organic whey or soy all good sources.

Recipe Variations

  • Use 2 cups of coconut milk instead of the nut milk.
  • Add a teaspoon of maca powder for an extra energy boost. Makes one generous or 2 small servings.
  • To increase the protein, replace about 1/2 cup of the nut milk with plain yogurt.
  • For more almond flavor, add a few drops of almond extract, or to taste.

What is the difference between raw cacao powder and regular cocoa?

To make regular cocoa the beans are roasted at high temperatures. Raw cacao is made from unroasted, cold-pressed beans.

The roasting process reduces the acidity, but it may also decrease the nutritional value and antioxidant properties of the beans. Raw cacao's cold-press method retains the enzymes and removes the cocoa butter/fat.

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