Black Forest Cake Smoothie, Plant-Based

Creamy, chocolatey, smooth and delicious, this healthy smoothie will remind you of eating a big piece of black forest cake! From the new cookbook Plant Powered Health, by Lisa Goodwin,  (available on Kindle), this Black Forest Cake Smoothie will totally satisfy your plant-based chocolate cravings.

I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at Plant Powdered Health, along with a couple of the recipes including this healthy smoothie recipe, Mexican Stuffed Potatoes, along with Sweet Potato Chili, Lemon Crema Farfalle, Greek Pita with Tzatziki Sauce, and Creamy Butternut Soup. 

The Book Plant Powered Health

Glancing through the pages, I discovered that this is more than a simple recipe book. Plant Powered Health includes sections on:

• Vegan Nutrition 1o1 – including chapters on  Making Sense of Carbs, Protein, and Fat (chapter 3), and Balancing Your Meals (chapter 6)
• Easy Transition Guide
• 48 Recipes
• 5 Meal Plans

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This comprehensive healthy vegan resource book would be a great gift for anyone just getting started with a vegan diet. And with its fresh take on classic vegan dishes will appeal to the seasoned plant-eater as well.

The author, Lisa Goodwin, from the website 2 Share My Joy, was gracious enough to allow my readers a special preview of one of her recipes. I choose the Black Forest Cake Smoothie mainly because I don’t as yet have a single healthy smoothie on Veggie Fun Kitchen, and also because BLACK FOREST CAKE!

For Some other Delicious Vegan Breakfast Ideas, Try:

• Vegan Classic Breakfast Casserole
• Healthy Banana Nut Pancakes
• Broccoli Leek Frittata
• The Easiest Monkey Bread
• Vegan Scramble with JUST Egg

To Make this Healthy Smoothie You Will Need:

(There is a handy printable recipe card below if you keep scrolling, with all of the exact measurements and complete directions)

• chia seeds
• banana
• almond milk
• pitted cherries
• cocoa powder (unsweetened)
• baby spinach
• optional coconut flakes for topping

 

Tips and Tricks for Making a Black Forest Cake Smoothie:

The best banana to choose:

You might have noticed that this smoothie did not contain any added sugar. It gets its sweetness from the banana and the cherries. For a no-sugar-added healthy smoothie that still tastes great, make sure to choose a banana that is just on the “other” side of ripeness. I wouldn’t necessarily want to eat this banana, but I’m not ready to throw it out either! Choose a banana that is just slightly cheetah-spotted.

Chia seeds:

Chia Seeds are added to help thicken the smoothie and because they are a powerhouse of nutrition. Read this informative article from Healthline.com to learn more about the powerful benefits of chia seeds.

Chia seeds gel up when wet. Truth be told, I’ve never been a huge fan of the texture when used as an ingredient in pudding or oatmeal. When the chia seeds are blended up as they are in this smoothy, however, you cannot tell they are there at all!

You should be able to find chia seeds at your local grocery store in the section with “healthy” foods and gluten-free flour and such. If you are having challenges finding chia seeds, you can always order them here on Amazon.

Cherries:

Choose your cherries well. You will want a sweet rather than tart cherry for this recipe. If cherries are not in season, you can use frozen cherries. 

Baby spinach:

I was a little wary when I first tried this healthy smoothie with the baby spinach. I swear – you will not know you are drinking spinach… You will be too busy knowing you are drinking a chocolate smoothie! Use a high-speed blender like this Vitamix (affiliate link)  to make sure the spinach is fully processed and incorporated.

Optional coconut:

While the coconut is an optional added garnish, this is a black forest cake smoothie. And coconut should definitely be a part of it! If you do not want to add in any extra sugar, choose unsweetened coconut. You will still get a coconutty flavor without the added sugar.

The Recipe For Black Forest Cake Smoothie:

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