A mocha smoothie with a healthy twist!
Mocha Smoothie
Back when I was working in sales, driving around all day every day to visit accounts, I frequently visited a certain coffee shop to get my chocolate/coffee fix. It was just too darn easy to hit up that drive-through. Addictive is the best word to describe it so let’s just say I’ve had my fair share of blended coffee drinks. I should have bought stock.
Anyway, I’ve since broken that habit, but I still get the cravings. This smoothie is pretty darn close to that addictive chocolate and coffee concoction I used to buy almost every day. It’s like a grown-up chocolate milk with a wonderful coffee flavor. Did you know that coffee makes chocolate taste more chocolaty? I’ve learned this after watching approximately nine million hours of Ina Garten and, you know what? It’s true. So, if coffee and chocolate gets you all excited then this mocha smoothie is for you – it’s the perfect way to start the day or a great pick-me-up when the 3 o’clock slump hits. Oh, and have I mentioned this version has a healthy twist? I’ve been saving that part… I wanted to lock you in with all the chocolate talk.
And the healthy twist is…spinach! Yes, there is spinach in this mocha smoothie.
Wait, don’t leave! Let me explain…
When I first tried a spinach smoothie a few years back I did so fearfully – would it taste weird? Would it be like liquefied salad? I quickly realized, like so many others have discovered, that spinach is GREAT in smoothies because you can’t taste it. For veggie-challenged people like me, spinach smoothies are an easy and painless way to sneak in some healthy stuff. Up until now I’ve stuck to the regular spinach & fruit smoothie varieties and have never ventured into anything more daring – like combining it with coffee and chocolate. Even for me, a green smoothie fan, the idea of mixing spinach with my morning coffee seemed a little…out there. Maybe you’re reading this thinking it sounds crazy, too? Well, I’ve got news – even mixed with coffee and chocolate you can’t taste it. Even better, you can’t see it once you’ve blended it up. The color is a rich chocolate brown – no sign of spinach. So, if you decide to try this (and I hope you do!) don’t skip the green stuff – it’s a sneaky and tasty way to get some greens.
More Smoothie Recipes
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Mocha Smoothie
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Prep Time: 20 minutes - Total Time: 20 minutes
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Yield: 2 -
Category: Breakfast
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Pin RecipeDescription
A chocolaty coffee smoothie with a green healthy twist!
Ingredients
- 1 frozen banana, peeled
- 1 cup strong coffee
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup 2% milk
- 1 cup fresh spinach, very loosely packed
- 1 cup ice
Instructions
- If you don’t already have frozen bananas on hand, first slice a banana and lay the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Brew the coffee and then leave it in the fridge to chill while the banana slices are in the freezer.
- Place all of the ingredients in a blender, puree and serve.
Notes
So, there are all sorts of other ways to make this even more healthy, but I’m not really into alternative sweeteners or milk substitutes but maybe you are? In which case, you should know this recipe was inspired by Oh She Glows. I switched up a lot of the ingredients, but the idea to even make this came after stumbling across that link.
Nutrition
- Calories: 121
- Sugar: 18.3g
- Sodium: 30.4mg
- Fat: 1.6g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 3.5g
- Protein: 3.2g
This was delicious, really delicious! Definitely could not at all detect the spinach flavor, it was heavily chocolatey and the coffee came through.
I added a few teaspoons of half N half because I like my coffee creamy, and subbed the sugar for a drizzle of sugar free Hershey syrup because I’m trying to cut added sugars. Honestly it would have probably been good without any added sweetening, the banana sweetness really came through.
★★★★★
I am so excited! I have everything I need to get me through my 3:00 slump…well, I guess it’s just about my 4:00 slump! This looks amazing!!! Thanks for the added nutrition!
★★★★★
I hope you enjoy it, Annie!
Who could pass this smoothie up? Love the chocolate and coffee, and I could get on board with the spinach, especially since you can’t even tell it’s there by the color!
Spinach? Now way… 🙂 how awsome is this! I am usually not a huge fan of Coffee drinks but you made me so curious that I have to try it.. also the frozen Bananas sound so indulging. So true that Coffee makes Chocolate taste more chocolaty.. hm maybe a pinch of salt would also work in this smoothie…
thanks for a wonderful post
A pinch of salt is a great idea!
Wow I would have never guessed spinach in a mocha smoothie. What a fun and creative twist. Spinach is great in smoothies because it can easily be disguised but still pack tons of nutrition!