One of my favorite flavors of ice cream used to be Mint Chocolate Chip. And, this plant-based smoothie version is just as good. You can even make it thicker and serve as ice cream.
You won’t believe how frozen banana takes on the texture and flavor of ice cream. It’s perfect for this cacao mint smoothie! Add a little vanilla for a vanilla version. Of course, using mint flavoring for this mint chocolate chip smoothie recipe is an option, especially if mint is currently out of season.
Non-dairy milk is perfect for plant-based recipes. I always like to make a batch of fresh almond or oat milk to have on hand. Having these plant-based essentials available in your pantry is recommended to make preparing your meals that much easier! Here are 7 Tips and Timesavers for Plant-Based Cooking in a Flash and tips on How to Stock Your Plant-Based Pantry
Want to make your own plant-based milks? Check out my article How to Make Delicious Homemade Nut, Seed and Grain-Based Milk
For this healthy chocolate mint recipe, I did use fresh mint leaves. Fresh mint can be very strong, so use sparingly until you have just the right amount.
Try these other healthy and delicious plant-based alternatives:
- Cherry Chocolate Smoothie
- Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
- Watermelon Salad with Tofu Feta – Mint inspired
- Strawberry Salsa – Mint inspired
More Healthy Smoothie Ingredients
Adding the kale or spinach to this chocolate mint smoothie recipe helps to increase the nutritional benefits without affecting the flavor. Read more about introducing more leafy greens into your diet in my article series Get Your Leafy Greens On Part 1 and Part 2.
Oats are a great addition in plant based smoothies because they are full of soluble fiber and help draw cholesterol out. Nothing wrong with that!
They have no sugar at all, so they are quite bitter if you eat them plain, but I find they are fantastic in smoothies. I like that little bit of crunch.
These cacao nibs are the best and can be purchased on Amazon.
You can purchase these cacao nibs here.
I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below for this Mint Chocolate Smoothie! If you have a photo, post it on my Facebook page, tag me using the hashtag #plantbasedcooking
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This recipe is Certified Plantricious because it meets the following guidelines.
The Trusted Seal for
Plant-Based Nutrition
- Must be whole food plant-based, contains no animal products
- May be minimally processed
- No added oil
- No added sugars
- No artificial additives or preservatives
- Sodium (mg) to Calories ratio, 1 ≤ 1
- Total Fiber to Calories, 2g ≥ 100 calories
Mint Chocolate Smoothie
Equipment
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
Ingredients
- 4 medium bananas cut into about 1" pieces and frozen
- 1/2 cup or more non-dairy milk or homemade
- 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh mint or 1/2 tsp mint extract
- 2 handfuls spinach or other greens kale or romaine lettuce
- 1 Tbl ground flaxseeds
- 2-3 Tbl cacao nibs
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
Instructions
- Add the optional oats, ground flax, cacao nib to the bottom of a high-powered blender.
- Add the bananas, greens and non-dairy milk.
- If you want more bits of cacao, save and add them later after you've blended the mixture a bit.
- Blend starting on low and slowly arise the speed. Add more non-dairy milk if the mixture is too thick.
I use coconut milk for an extra creamy texture! I like the addition of veggies. Great recipe!
Thanks. Mmmm, coconut milk. I usually like the lite version, but it’s a great addition!
My chocolate mint plant is growing big and beautiful, and this will be a great recipe to try it in! Thanks!
That sounds wonderful, Elizabeth. I hope you enjoy the recipe.