This Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie recipe works great as either a breakfast or snack option, keeping me full and satisfying a sweet craving at the same time. You can tweak the recipe to make it a bit lower in fat and calories, and/or higher in protein, depending on your goals. It has a wonderful balance of flavors, making it just as much of a chocolate smoothie (for you chocolate lovers out there!)
I like having a few easy smoothie recipes memorized, ones where I always have the ingredients ready to go. Sometimes it’s because I’m rushing, need a snack, or am simply feeling a bit lazy (when I’m feeling more motivated, I love a good smoothie bowl. Be sure to check out my Acai Berry Smoothie Bowl. More on these below).
Chocolate and peanut butter is one of my favorite flavor combinations, so this smoothie has been a staple of mine for quite some time. I can keep it reasonably light, or up the protein so it functions as a meal replacement.
How to Make a Smoothie Healthy (or “Healthier”)
The nutritional content in this recipe is valid if you use regular peanut butter, but I’ve recently become a huge fan of dehydrated peanut powder. Not the ones like PB2, which include sugar and other unnecessary ingredients.
There are several brands of peanut powder that are actually nothing but dehydrated peanuts. I found one at Whole Foods called Crazy Richards Pure PB, and now buy it in bulk on Amazon where it’s much cheaper. Two tablespoons is only 50 calories and 1.5 grams of fat! It also has 6 grams of protein.
I like adding a touch of protein powder as well sometimes if I’m having the smoothie in place of an actual breakfast. Stay away from this if you’re vegetarian, but I love Vital Proteins Collagen Powder. One scoop has 9 grams of protein (you can use up to two scoops), and is totally flavorless. I skip this step if I’m having the smoothie as a snack.
I don’t have a specific brand recommendation for a vegetarian protein powder, but I recommend using something that’s unflavored and unsweetened so it doesn’t interfere with the other ingredients.
How to Make a Smoothie Thicker
Cutting back on the liquids is the easiest way to thicken a smoothie. You can also increase the thickening agent. For a thicker smoothie, try cutting the milk back to 3/4 cup or less, and/or using a larger banana.
You can froth up a smoothie by adding a handful of ice, which is helpful if you’re not starting with a frozen banana. Make sure to drink the smoothie ASAP, or you’ll wind up getting the opposite effect when the ice melts! (Sorry if that one was too obvious).
Smoothie Ingredient Substitutions
If you’re using regular nut butter as opposed to the powdered version, you can swap out the peanut butter for cashew or almond butter. Cashew butter is one of my favorites! Try my homemade cashew butter or almond butter if you’re into DIY pantry staples.
I prefer using milk (usually 2%) over yogurt in this recipe. While yogurt is a great smoothie thickener, I think it adds too much tang here, and the flavor clashes with the chocolate and banana. But you can absolutely swap in yogurt if you prefer.
Try a Smoothie Bowl
Have you ever had a smoothie bowl? I thought they seemed gimmicky until I tried one myself. Now I’m a fan! Check out my green berry granola smoothie bowl for an example.
I like cereal (and yogurt with toppings), and smoothie bowls are basically the same thing but with a smoothie base. It’s an opportunity to add texture with complimentary flavors.
For a chocolate peanut butter smoothie, some great toppings would be sliced bananas, chopped, roasted nuts, granola and maybe some cacao nibs. Maybe with a bit of honey drizzled on top.
Looking for more breakfast recipes?
Be sure to check out my simple overnight oats and banana millet breakfast porridge!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 medium banana, chopped and preferably frozen
- 1 cup milk (skim, low-fat, non-dairy, etc)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2-3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter (cashew or almond butter, or peanut butter powder may be substituted)
- 1 teaspoon honey or light agave nectar (see notes)
- Optional: 1-2 scoops Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides (see notes)
Instructions
- Puree the banana, milk, cocoa powder, peanut butter, and honey in a blender. Taste and add more sweetener if desired.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
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If you want to add additional sweetness without using honey or agave nectar, you can add 1/2 a chopped apple (I don't bother peeling it, but you might want to since the peel adds some texture). Another option would be a few drops of liquid Stevia.Â
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
Recipe Troubleshooting
For immediate help troubleshooting a recipe, please email me using the form on my contact page. I’ll try to respond to urgent questions as quickly as possible! For all general questions, please leave a comment here :)
Beverley says
I am the worst at writing that’s why I don’t p have a blog and just my FB page. I enjoyed reading all of your comments especially while sipping on a smoothie, so thank you for the great recipe. I think your newsletter and blog is worth reading so I say go with the flow xoxo
Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic says
I love writing and consider myself a writer, and I also think that his statement about writer’s block is false and unfair. Everyone has a different process, and sometimes it involves being stuck in a writer’s block, sometimes the words just flow.
I also didn’t think much about the “triple threat” until you wrote about it here – good point!
Meg @ The Housewife in Training Files says
Thank you for sticking up for all us of food bloggers who sometimes just want to post a delicious recipe that we spent hours creating, shooting and editing. The point is to share our love of food. I do not claim to be a great writer; I don’t think I ever will be but I do have a love of food and want to share it. That is my goal. Thank you again for sticking up for all of us!
Sandy says
I read your blogs for the recipes and the photos. I don’t read it for your writing, but you do that well enough for my needs.
Casey says
I want to chime in here as well, as I was actually sitting in the session with Ruhlman when this all went down. I think it’s interesting to note, as a set-up to this, that Ruhlman collaborated with Thomas Keller on his first big break-out cookbook. Ruhlman was the words, Keller was the recipes and probably somebody else was behind the photographs. So for all of you struggling with wearing many hats, there’s a little context for you. Currently, Ruhlman doesn’t collaborate, and does create his own recipes, prose and sometimes photos (care of his wife). But mainly he considers himself a writer. Which is very different than the way many of you feel (resonating more with the recipe development and photography). And I don’t think he was judging the phenomena of writer’s block so much as criticizing folks who use it as an excuse to not keep pushing when inspiration fails them. The quote about “chefs don’t get chef’s block” was meant in the context of a restaurant. When dinner service goes on at 5:30, the chef can’t look around at 5:00 and say, “I don’t know what to make. I have chef’s block.” They have to push through it. In all of my coverage of his session, I was paraphrasing him, and he is pretty rant-filled (by his own admission) and therefore quite entertaining!
Finally, in another session, Stephanie Stiavetti (The Culinary Life) was advising on how to create great content that will boost your SEO. She gave this insight that I think is amazingly simple and will most likely help all of you: think of one individual that you’re speaking to in your post. Are you trying to help her master a technique? Are you trying to ease her burden of getting a healthy dinner on the table five nights in a row after a long day at work? Are you teaching her about gluten-free, vegan baking? Drill down to ONE person to whom you are writing, and really understand who she is. Does she work long hours? Does she have a family, kids? Does she have allergies? Take the time to create a fully-realized person. Then write to her/him. Forget everyone else. Your prose will benefit from it, you’ll stop trying to please the masses, and Google will reward you for your authority on that subject. The individual can change over time, or even from post to post, but it will help guide your content and writing. Worth considering!
merilyn says
Thank you, Jennifer, you are obviously talented in many areas.
I am a visual artist and also enjoy creative writing. I have definitely had the blank canvas syndrome, brain fog, writers block … call it whatever! But it has nothing to do with laziness in my opinion. I never push it if the mood isn’t right especially with writing … however, I will slosh some paint around and usually that gets me in the zone for painting and off I go… it is the creative process which is not easily explained… it’s a feeling, intuition a process … one’s creative life!
I think if you don’t want to write, don’t! Your recipes and photography are strong enough for a successful blog
and I for one, enjoy it, without much ranting and raving. Leave it to those other bloggers … there are plenty out there! … cheers m :)
kelley {mountain mama cooks} says
I’m right there with you. Sometimes the writing comes easy and sometimes I struggle with what to say. And for the record, I get “chefs block” too. Not often but I find myself uninspired in the kitchen now and then. I don’t beat myself up. Just roll with it. This too shall pass.
Jennifer Farley says
I have photographer’s block today. Watch out, everyone, here comes Miss Lazy Pants!
Kathryn says
It’s an interesting debate – I have heard another very well respected author (fiction, rather than food writing) say something similar. Not about the being lazy part but that if writing is your job, you just do it, even if you don’t feel like it. It’s not something special or any different to the guy who collects the trash every week whether he wants to or not. I actually like that idea – that writing isn’t sacred, that you don’t have to be in the zone to do it. It’s just a few words on the page. That said, I totally get where you’re coming from. I can barely think of a single thing to say every time I open a blog post!
natalie @ wee eats says
Beautifully said.
It’s amazing how many people echo the same sentiment – that the words are hard and that if they could just do a photo and the recipe they would…. but then, aren’t these OUR blogs, and couldn’t WE really do that if we wanted? I will be the first to admit that a lot of the blogs I “read” I will just scroll right past their lengthy descriptions and beautiful stories to get straight to the gold > the RECIPE.
I have much love and respect for Ruhlman and now I’m super jealous of him because, can you imagine? Him saying that he’s never had writer’s block gives me the same feeling I get when someone says they don’t get headaches… WHAT? ARE YOU A HUMAN? HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? I feel like my whole life is writers block with just moments of inspiration peppered in … haha!
Let me be the first to say, Jennifer, that I would TOTALLY still frequent your blog even if you decided not to write a single word besides the recipe, just make sure to keep using those gorgeous photos <3 ;)
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says
I TOTALLY understand how you feel-sometimes I have those days too. I just wanna be like “This is delicious. Recipe here:” and I think it was totally right of you to stand up and say something! Because…writing is hard and sometimes you just can’t summon anything.
Anyway, you’re awesome and I love this smoothie!
Jennie @themessybakerblog says
I have my bachelor’s in English with a concentration in writing, and I struggle with writer’s block more than I’d like to admit. I struggle less with recipe inspiration, but that happens too. It’s not laziness, that’s for sure. I think sometimes we’re so overwhelmed and overworked that our brain gets tired; well, at least mine does. BTW, I love the end of this post. You can’t go wrong with this combo. Pinned.
Jennifer Farley says
Towson, by any chance? :)
Jennie @themessybakerblog says
Yup!
Jennifer Farley says
Me too! So random.
Christina says
OMG. That tweet just burned my cookies!! Are you kidding me? I have a couple of rants on my blog too and I can assure you, I would have not been as eloquent and kind as you were in this post, if the comment was directed at me. Blame it on my Italian blood or whatever you want, but I cannot put up with such self-righteousness, especially from those who do not even know the person they are attacking! Good for you, Jennifer! I’m glad you addressed this, and am 100% behind you! Btw, your photography is so fantastic, you could not write a single word outside of the recipe and you’d still have one of the best blogs out there!
Christina says
I just realized that this tweet was not actually directed at you (right?) Regardless, it’s a little less offensive, but not much!
Jennifer Farley says
No, it wasn’t directed at me. He was speaking at IACP and people were tweeting soundbites from his session. As it flashed across my twitter feed I realized I was probably getting that quote out of context. But still! I get stuck all the time and it has nothing to do with lack of effort. Wrong adjective, dude!
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl says
Love love love this post. I love that you spoke your mind. And if photographs like yours are a sign of laziness then I would kill to be lazy. :)
Kris says
Well said. And girl, I’m with you!
Tracy | Peanut Butter and Onion says
Chocolate… check…peanut butter… check…. new favorite drink on the go… double check