Are avocadoes good for you?

Avocadoes are nutrient powerhouses. They contain a generous amount of healthy fats, potassium, and fiber because of this they're also very filling. You might also like my recipe for Chocolate Avocado Pudding and my tips on how to freeze ripe avocados .

Can I use a banana that hasn't been frozen?

The frozen banana is what thickens up the smoothie and makes it creamy so it's essential for this recipe. Freezing a banana is super simple. Peel the banana then break it in half and put it in a zip top bag to freeze overnight. You can do this with several bananas so you always have one ready. See my full post on how to freeze bananas .

Avocado Chocolate Smoothie

Name: Avocado Chocolate Smoothie (Vegan)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 12 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Healthy
Ingredients: 2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or your choice of milk); 2 tablespoons maple syrup; ½ ripe avocado, with the peel and pit removed; 1 frozen banana, broken in half; 2 tablespoons cocoa powder or cacao powder; ½ teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup ice (optional, if you prefer a thicker smoothie)

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or your choice of milk)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 ripe avocado, with the peel and pit removed
1 frozen banana, broken in half
2 tablespoons cocoa powder or cacao powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup ice (optional, if you prefer a thicker smoothie)

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Instructions

In the base of a high-speed blender, combine the almond milk, maple syrup, avocado, banana, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and ice (optional, for a thicker smoothie).
Process on high for 30 seconds, or until the ingredients are well combined and the texture is thick and creamy.
Serve immediately.

Notes

To make this smoothie a meal replacement, consider adding 1-2 scoops of your favorite unsweetened protein powder.
If you are on a sugar-free diet, you can also leave out the maple syrup and use a few drops of stevia to sweeten.
The nutritional info for this recipe does not include protein powder.

Author: Carrie Forrest, MPH in Nutrition
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Category: Breakfast
Method: Blender
Cuisine: Healthy
Diet: Vegan

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/2 of recipe
Calories: 255
Sugar: 19.7 g
Sodium: 194.7 mg
Fat: 12.7 g
Saturated Fat: 1.7 g
Carbohydrates: 36.6 g
Fiber: 7 g
Protein: 4.3 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg