Get your day off to a delicious and healthy start with these quick and easy Banana Cocoa Oat Smoothies. They’re oh-so-chocolaty and creamy, and all you need is about 5 minutes and a few simple ingredients!
I say you can never have too many smoothie recipes! Nothing beats a smoothie on a busy morning (and even on not-so-busy mornings). You can whip one up in just a few minutes, take it with you, and it tastes like a milkshake…but it’s good for you!
I start many days with a smoothie. I’m one of those people who doesn’t really have much of an appetite until I’ve been up for a few hours, but I don’t like to skip breakfast. So I’ll sip on a smoothie while I work and then have a late breakfast or early lunch.
Having a bunch of different smoothie recipes keeps me from getting bored with the same smoothie every day. These Banana Cocoa Oat Smoothies are one of my all-time favorites! They’re wonderfully chocolaty and creamy, and the oats help keep me full until I’m ready to eat.
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED:
- Unsweetened almond milk
- Frozen bananas
- Oatmeal
- Vanilla Greek yogurt
- Cocoa powder
- Vanilla extract
- Pure maple syrup
HERE’S A QUICK LOOK AT HOW TO MAKE BANANA COCOA OAT SMOOTHIES:
Smoothies are incredibly versatile and forgiving, so you can always change up the ingredients using what you like or what you have on hand!
I love using unsweetened almond milk because it really cuts down on the calories and, depending on the brand, it has just as much or more calcium than regular milk! In a smoothie, I can’t tell the difference, so I go for the lower-calorie option, but you can use regular milk or your favorite milk (soy, cashew, coconut, etc.).
I use frozen bananas because they give the smoothie a thick, creamy, frosty consistency. They also add some sweetness if they are very ripe. Plus, they’re good for you and are a good source of potassium.
If you don’t have frozen bananas, this smoothie will still taste delicious, but it just wont be as thick and frosty. You could add some ice if you want. I personally don’t like the way ice waters down a smoothie, so I highly recommend keeping a bag full of peeled bananas in the freezer if you plan on making a lot of smoothies.
The vanilla Greek yogurt adds creaminess and body to the smoothie as well as a little extra protein. You can use whatever kind of yogurt you like (plain, non-Greek, even fruit-flavored yogurt will work).
Finally, pure maple syrup is my sweetener of choice because we actually make maple syrup and always have some around, but you could use honey, agave, or your favorite sweetener (or you don’t even have to sweeten it at all).
This recipe makes two tall, very generous smoothies. Each smoothie nearly fills a 16-ounce glass. If you are making this for the kiddos or if you’d just like a smaller serving size, you could definitely break it down into 3 or even 4 smaller servings.
I hope you try this Banana Cocoa Oat Smoothies recipe and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
Banana Cocoa Oat Smoothies
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 2 frozen bananas
- ½ cup regular old-fashioned oats
- ½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Best when served immediately.
Notes
- You can replace the ingredients to suit your tastes or to adjust for what you have on hand (for example, regular milk, soy milk, cashew milk, plain yogurt, non-Greek yogurt, honey, agave, etc.). Calorie estimate is based on the recipe as written. Any changes/substitutions made will change the calorie count.
- This recipe makes 2 tall, very generous smoothies, each close to 2 cups. If you’d prefer to serve 4 smaller smoothies that are about 1 cup each, the calorie estimate per smoothie is 171.
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