Chocolate, raw almond butter, almond milk, and a hidden veggie create a smoothie so delicious and satisfying you'll be craving it for dessert...but it's healthy enough for breakfast! This Almond Butter Cup Smoothie is totally vegan, raw, soy-free, and refined sugar-free yet it has all the flavor of your favorite treat!
Who doesn't sometimes want candy for breakfast?! This Almond Butter Cup Smoothie satisfies that chocolate treat craving while also getting you the nutrients you need for a healthy meal or snack! This smoothie makes me feel like I'm a total super-foodie and a kid all at the same time. I love a magical chocolate experience! It's super easy to make and takes less than 5 minutes, but it's also filling, satisfying, and tastes totally decadent while being really good for you.
Almond Butter Cup Smoothie Ingredients
This smoothie has a couple of my favorite smoothie ingredients: a hidden veggie that adds so much nutrition without changing the flavor, and a sweetener that has NO refined sugar! Yup, this is a plant-based, healthy smoothie with all the flavor of your favorite dessert.
- Almond Milk - I love using my Homemade Almond Milk! It's really easy to make and my family uses it all the time.
- Frozen riced cauliflower - This is my favorite hidden veggie to put in smoothies! It makes for a super creamy smoothie with so much added nutrition...and you cannot taste the cauliflower at all.
- Almond Butter- Make sure it's unsalted and the only ingredient is almonds! You can also make your own Raw Creamy Almond Butter.
- Medjool dates - I look for large, pitted dates and I store them at room temperature. If your dates have hardened you can soak them in hot water for a few minutes before rinsing them and tossing them in the blender!
- Unsweetened cocoa powder or cacao powder - Look for unsweetened cocoa powder or raw cacao powder for even more nutrients. It's a totally natural way to get your chocolate fix. Yum!
- Vanilla - Just a splash pairs so well with the dates, cacao, and almond butter!
Using Raw Cacao Powder & Nibs in Smoothies
This smoothie is rich in antioxidants, protein, healthy dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals! It contains raw cacao powder and cacao nibs for some healthy chocolate flavor. Cacao powder is produced by cold-pressing unroasted cacao beans which keeps their healthy enzymes intact. Cacao powder is a healthy alternative to conventional cocoa which is more processed and oftentimes full of sugars and fillers. Plus, cacao powder contains antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals such as magnesium and iron. If you do not have cacao powder you can use unsweetened cocoa powder here.
Cacao nibs are known as nature's chocolate chips. They are crunchy pieces of husked cocoa beans that come straight out of the tropical cacao fruit. It is considered pure chocolate and has a bitter yet slightly sweet flavor. Cacao nibs are an excellent source of iron and dietary fiber, and one ounce of cacao nibs offers 4 grams of plant-based protein!
Sweetening Smoothies with Dates
Dates are the most incredible little fruits! What would I do without them?! Dates are naturally juicy and sweet with a caramelly flavor. They contain tons of fiber, which is great for digestion and weight loss, along with being fat-free, sodium-free and cholesterol-free. They have nutritious vitamins and minerals including zinc, copper, magnesium, manganese, vitamin B6, niacin, calcium, iron, vitamin K, and loads of potassium!
All About Raw Almond Butter
I used Raw Creamy Almond Butter in this recipe. This adds so much protein and nutty, perfect flavor! Almonds are low in carbohydrates and high in protein. They also offer a good source of fiber, healthy fats, vitamin E, magnesium, iron, and even calcium! Plus, when you make your own almond butter, you know it only has one ingredient: raw almonds.
For a complete guide on almonds, see my comprehensive post on Almonds Benefits for Vegans (+ Recipes).
For a nut-free option you could try to substitute sunflower seed butter and sunflower seeds instead of almond butter and almonds. Pumpkin butter and pepitas could also work for a nut-free option. I haven't tried this yet but imagine it would work well!
Fun Smoothie Toppings
I usually pour this Almond Butter Cup Smoothie straight from the blender into a glass and enjoy! If you want to go all out and make this a fun and fancy drink, though, I have a couple toppings that would be so indulgent and delicious.
- Vegan Almond Butter Cups, the treat that inspired this creation!
- A dollop of Coconut Whipped Cream (my kids love this one!)
- Chocolate drizzle! Do this by placing your serving glasses in the freezer for 5 minutes. Melt vegan dark chocolate mixed with a touch of coconut oil. Once the mixture is smooth and drippy, drizzle it with a spoon into the frozen glass. Let it set in the freezer while you make the smoothie!
- A drizzle of Creamy Almond Butter or Instant Vegan Caramel Sauce
This smoothie is gluten-free, vegan (no dairy!), and made without refined sugar. It's also raw, soy-free, and peanut-free! If you make it I hope you'll tag me on Instagram--I love seeing smoothies in my feed--and leave a review below. I also have an entire cookbook about smoothies called Rock Your Blender! It's filled with delicious smoothies that taste like treats. You can download the e-book instantly or order a copy on Amazon.
Almond Butter Cup Smoothie
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 1 1x
Description
Chocolate, raw almond butter, almond milk, and a hidden veggie create a smoothie so delicious and satisfying you'll be craving it for dessert...but it's healthy enough for breakfast! This Almond Butter Cup Smoothie is totally vegan, raw, soy-free, and refined sugar-free yet it has all the flavor of your favorite treat!
Ingredients
For the smoothie
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup frozen riced cauliflower
- ¼ cup unsalted raw almond butter
- 4 large pitted soft Medjool dates
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder or cacao powder*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups ice cubes
Smoothie Booster Options
- 1 tablespoon cacao nibs (adds 4 grams protein)
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
Garnish Ideas
- drizzle of almond butter
- drizzle of melted vegan chocolate or homemade unset chocolate
- vegan homemade almond butter cups
- cacao nib
Instructions
- Place almond milk, frozen riced cauliflower, almond butter, slivered almonds, dates, cocoa powder and vanilla extract into a high speed blender. Add any of the optional smoothie boosters. Blend from low to high speed and leave on the highest speed until smooth and creamy (at least 30 seconds).
- To the blender, add the three cups of ice one cup at a time (blending in between each cup). Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Pour into 2-3 large glass and any of the desired garnishes (almond butter drizzle, melted chocolate, almond butter cups, cacao nibs). Enjoy immediately
Equipment
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- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: Smoothie
Marie says
Made this today. Fantastic recipe! Sweet and deliciously refreshing on a hot summer day. I didn't freeze the milk because I forgot. Instead added some plain ice cubes to the blender with the other ingredients. So yum!
Elaine Gordon says
Awesome thank you so much! If you don't have frozen almond milk you can add raw blanched slivered almonds and ice. That will keep it nice and creamy :). Or more almond butter along with the ice. Just a suggestion. Glad you loved it as is though! Best, Elaine
Kathy Lucero says
Amazing Smoothie cup. It is a perfect cup for my kid. It is delicious and rich in protein, all kind of nuts, fiber, and energetic.
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much! We love it too!