Or, how to enjoy chocolate and peanut butter all day, every day.
This is my new favorite thing among all the favorites.
For a while I lost interest in smoothies. I went through a phase over the past two years where I didn’t want them at all — sometimes I’d rather chew my food. I generally prefer chewing over drinking my calories.
But things changed because Max absolutely LOVES smoothies. If he sees Eddie or me drinking one, he jumps up and down, points and yells until he gets a sip. I’ve been having a lot of fun creating different flavor combos for him. It’s tricky to make a tiny portion in the Vitamix, so I make a big batch and we share. Our go-tos are strawberry coconut, blueberry spinach, and pineapple.
Sharing a smoothie with my child makes me unexpectedly happy. I find it sweet enough to make me a little emotional.
Surprising discovery: this is one of the rare recipes where I actually like cacao nibs.
In a recent post I wondered if anyone really liked cacao nibs. I’ve tried to love them for years and usually find them gritty and surprisingly bland — more like little rocks than anything chocolatey.
But sprinkled over this smoothie bowl they add a pleasant crunch and a faint chocolate note that complements the sweetness beneath. With plenty of chocolate and peanut butter already in the bowl, the nibs worked for me.
Look at that peanut butter. I used Justin’s honey peanut butter and warmed it until it was creamy and runny. When it hits the cold chocolate smoothie it firms up slightly, mimicking the texture of a peanut butter cup or how hot fudge tightens on cold ice cream. The contrast is perfect.
My rule for smoothie bowls: they must be thick. Almost like soft serve — banana soft serve is my benchmark. That’s why I always use frozen bananas. I know some people dislike banana flavor; I genuinely don’t notice it much in creamy chocolate smoothies, but if you’re sensitive to banana taste, you can thicken the bowl with extra hemp seeds, frozen yogurt, or even frozen avocado.
You can also make this a triple chocolate treat by adding chocolate protein powder. I personally avoid protein powder after overdoing it in my twenties, but it would increase the chocolate intensity for sure.
That’s also my strategy for getting Eddie to try most of the food I make: a little trickery usually works.
I prefer a smaller portion when eating a smoothie bowl with a spoon. Thick and creamy bowls feel more manageable in smaller servings, and they allow me to pile on toppings — that’s the best part. Think frozen yogurt or a salad: I love the toppings and take bites of the smoothie underneath.
This recipe can serve two to four people. I usually stretch it to four so it works as a snack and there’s room for lots of toppings. If you pour it into glasses without toppings, two servings feels right.
Truthfully, when chocolate and peanut butter are involved, I often want to keep the whole bowl to myself. At least this is cleaner than dipping a chocolate-chip-covered spoon into the peanut butter jar — who does that? (Okay, maybe I do.)
Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie Bowls
Yield:
2
to 4
15 mins
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Ingredients
- 2 cups chocolate almond milk
- 1 cup ice
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt I like 2% to 4% best
- 3 frozen bananas
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons hemp seeds
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- toppings
- cacao nibs
- chia seeds
- flaked unsweetened coconut
- hemp seeds
- sliced almonds
- sliced banana
- creamy peanut butter
- cocoa powder sprinkles
Instructions
-
Add the milk, ice, yogurt, bananas, cocoa, peanut butter, hemp seeds, chia seeds, vanilla and salt to a high-powered blender. Blend until smooth and thick. Pour the mixture into two or four bowls and top with your desired toppings.
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