Okay, before you think I've gone all weird with my smoothie combinations, read on just a bit! This Chocolate Beet Smoothie packs a nutritional punch and yet tastes like dessert! We like that, don't we?
So I'm continuing with my weekly SMOOTHIE recipe update from the archives. This CHOCOLATE BEET SMOOTHIE recipe that got my kids so excited as they remembered it and had absolutely loved it. Yes, despite the beets ( and spinach) in here!
If you're looking to increase your daily vegetable intake, adding them to your smoothies is very effective. The taste is not compromised at all, colors make them even more appealing like in my GREEN SMOOTHIE , STRAWBERRY SPINACH SMOOTHIE and BEETROOT GINGER SMOOTHIE.
Since I've talked a lot about beets in my previous posts, let's discuss cocoa powder a bit. It comes from the cocoa bean, is very nutritious and offers many health benefits. For starters, it contains phenethylamine which is a mood elevator and natural antidepressant. The fiber content in cocoa is pretty high, it's rich in antioxidants and according to some studies, it may also help in lowering stress levels and blood pressure. For that amazing chocolate taste, I'm willing to bet on all of this goodness!
As the sweetness of fruits helps mask its bitter taste, cocoa works very well in smoothies. Add some honey or maple syrup or dates to sweeten the deal further if you want. What you'll get is a rich chocolate flavor with just the amount of sugar YOU want. No nasties, added sugars, no preservatives. And, I repeat, it will taste out of the world fabulous!
Notes to make this smoothie
This recipe uses light coconut milk, but please feel free to use any milk of your choice. Even yogurt will work well here.
I sweetened the smoothie with date syrup. If you don't have date syrup on hand, add some soaked dates or use any sweetener of your choice.
I prefer to toast oats lightly before adding them to my smoothies. You can completely omit this step.
A handful of spinach ( lightly blanched) ups the nutrient content in this smoothie. I prefer cooking it a bit as its easier for me to digest then. But you may leave it out altogether if you wish.
So here's the handy-dandy recipe for this glorious Chocolate Beet Smoothie. I’d love to hear from you. Please do rate and comment below! You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM , PINTEREST and FACEBOOK for more fabulous recipes!
Chocolate Beet Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 Banana, sliced & frozen
- 1/2 Beetroot, cooked & diced
- 8 Almonds
- 1 cup Light coconut milk You can use any milk of your choice
- 2 tsp cocoa powder
- 1.5 tsp Date syrup Or 4-5 Dates. Or any sweetener of your choice
- 1/4 cup Oats
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- OPTIONAL A handful of Spinach, lightly blanched you can use raw spinach too
- A handful of ice
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in your blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust for sweetness.
Tara says
Used this as a starting point- had lots of beets to use. No oats but used frozen cauliflower rice, a whole beet, 1 scoop protein powder, softened dates, added greek coconut yogurt, almond milk. Also added a handful of power greens. Was surprisingly good! Thank you!
Natasha Minocha says
Thank you for your lovely feedback, Tara! You really amped up the nutrient quotient in this smoothie with such wonderful ingredients! I love it!! xx