Full disclosure: I’ve never wanted orange in my chocolate, or chocolate in my orange for that matter…
I preferred the two separate, and was stubbornly convinced that the seemingly odd combo made both components exponentially worse, not better.
Then something came over me (probably the panic induced by needing to procure a new recipe while having a cooker’s block—like a writer’s block, okay), so here we are with a zesty chocolate bevvy!
In all honesty, this smoothie blew my socks off!
Blew my mind?
Knocked my socks off??
Anyway.
It’s really flippin’ good!
What I’m trying to say is you need to whip up this smoothie for yourself pronto (and maybe one or two other lucky individuals, orrr preferably just three servings for yourself) then experience the amazingly odd flavor combo that somehow comes together for a magical gulping, er sipping** experience.
If you couldn’t already tell, I’m proud of myself for throwing a bunch of stuff in a blender and having it turn out perfect on the first try.
Because let me tell you, that ain’t always the case ha.
So yes yes here is the recipe structure!
All you have to do is blend up juicy navel orange segments, the zestiest of orange zests, frozen ripe banana slices for more natural sweetness and acceptable smoothie mass, a generous scoop of cacao powder (that’s our chocolate flavor), creamy almond butter, pure hemp protein or pea protein (totally optional, for those gainz), real deal vanilla extract, fragrant ground cinnamon, and a big ole pinch of pink sea salt to bring out all of those lovely flavors!
Top with a sprinkle of reserved orange zest, finely chopped dark chocolate, and crunchy chocolate coconut chips for a true treat.
Yep it’s healthy, and you bet it’s darn tasty!
P.S. As mentioned below in the recipe card, no liquid is needed here since the juice from your orange should help all your ingredient fellows amalgamate good and proper. If your blender has taken a beating over the years, feel free to add a splash of unsweetened unflavored oat milk if you must.
P.P.S. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner (ha!) so I highly encourage you to MELT your chocolate for a magic shell like drizzle. Yes do it please. It’s all about that self care these days.
P.P.P.S. I was very tempted to throw a handful of fresh baby spinach in here for a serving of veggies but thought the resulting extra poopy color would be a bit off-putting, to say the least. If you’re not snapping pics or super into aesthetics go right ahead though!
P.P.P.P.S. I went a littllee crazy with the photos, but don’t hate too much. I managed to narrow down the final pool by a lot! lol.
Vegan Dark Chocolate Orange Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon orange zest, plus more for topping
- 1 1/3 cup refrigerated naval orange segments (1 medium-large orange)
- 1 3/4 cups frozen ripe banana slices (the riper, the sweeter)
- 5 teaspoons cacao powder (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon almond butter (no added oil or sugar)
- 1 tablespoon pure hemp protein (pure pea protein works too), optional
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pink sea salt, to taste
Optional Toppings:
- Orange zest
- Finely chopped high-quality dark chocolate (I like 70% cacao)
- Baked crunchy chocolate coconut chips (I used Bare brand)
Instructions
- Blend the smoothie ingredients until creamy and well-combined. Note, liquid should not be necessary since the juice from the orange is enough to get things going in the blender. If you find that your orange isn't juicy enough, add a splash of unflavored unsweetened nondairy milk, like oat milk.
- Taste, and adjust the ingredients if you wish.
- Pour into a glass, then sprinkle on the toppings.