Chocolate Banana Smoothie (2024)

If you’re trying to reduce sugar in your diet but you LOVE ALL THINGS CHOCOLATE, this creamy Chocolate Banana Smoothie offers the best of all worlds. Freeze a couple of bananas ahead of time and you’ll be sipping on this sweet and creamy drink in minutes!

Healthy Chocolate Banana Smoothie

This smoothie might look and taste like a decadent dessert, but it’s actually full of nourishing, whole food ingredients that you can feel confident serving your kids (even for breakfast! )

When you’re striving to feed your kids right, it’s easy to fall into a pattern of binary thinking. Almost without realizing it, you might find yourself assigning categories to foods, like this:

Broccoli: good. Candy: bad. Carrots: good. Cupcakes: bad.

It’s natural to look for patterns that can help us make quick decisions about what to eat. But when we can think about food in a more nuanced way, we can enjoy a lot more foods without feeling bad about our choices.

Healthy food can taste absolutely delicious and indulgent… just like something we might think of as “off limits.”

This Chocolate Banana Smoothie is the perfect example. It’s super sweet, creamy, and full-to-the-brim with kid appeal. AND it’s made from whole fruit, milk, and other nourishing ingredients.

Buzz up this smoothie today and share it with your kiddos. Embrace the delicious complexity of healthy food!

Ingredients in Chocolate Banana Smoothie

The ingredients list is short, simple and whole:

Bananas – the key to making a really creamy chocolate smoothie is using frozen bananas. Frozen bananas when blended are super creamy and you just can’t replicate it any other way. It is worth freeze bananas ahead of time to use in your smoothie. The best way to freeze bananas is to peel them, cut them into thirds or fourths (makes it easier to blend) and freeze flat on a tray until solid. Then put in an airtight container to use in the future.
Milk – you can use whatever type of milk you prefer for this recipe.
Cocoa Powder – unsweetened cocoa powder is what is called for to make this smoothie. Cocoa powder has a surprising amount of nutrients. It containsiron,zinc, andselenium. Look for cocoa powder that is at least 72% cocoa.
Honey – adds a subtle sweetness to this chocolate smoothie. If you want to go totally free of added sugars in this smoothie, you can leave the honey out entirely. Really. It’s still way sweet!

One serving of this smoothie provides six grams of protein, four grams of fiber, plus the goodness of whole fruit and antioxidant-rich cocoa.

How to Make a Chocolate Banana Smoothie

Whipping up this chocolatey treat is quick and easy, and you’ll be utterly famous with your kids when you make it. Here are a few tips for making it just right:

Freeze your bananas ahead of time. The next time there’s a bunch of brown bananas staring you down on your counter, go ahead and peel a few, break them in thirds or fourths. Lay flat on a tray and freeze. Then move to an airtight container to use in the future!
Blend it well. Add all of your ingredients to the blender. I like to add my liquid first to help everything blend better. Frozen bananas have a tendency to escape the blades in even high-powered blenders. Let yours run for an extra 20 seconds or so, so the smoothie is ultra smooth.
Serve it right away. This smoothie shines when it’s frosty cold and well-blended. Enjoy it straight away after making it for the best taste and texture.
Top it with whipped cream. This is totally optional, but oh so fun.

Frequently Asked Questions and Tips

What do I do with leftover smoothie? If you do have leftover smoothie, it’ll keep in the fridge, but may separate after a few hours. A quick stir with a straw will restore a more even consistency. Our favorite way to use leftover chocolate banana smoothie is to pour into popsicle molds and freeze. Then you have creamy chocolatey popsicles for later!
Can I add peanut butter to this smoothie? Yes! Add 1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter for an even more creamy and delicious chocolate smoothie!
Should I add ice? If you use frozen bananas, you definitely don’t need to add ice. But if you like it super cold and a bit more chilly and frothy texture you can definitely add a handful of ice.
Can I make this with fresh bananas instead of frozen? You can, but the texture won’t be as creamy. You can add more ice to compensate for the texture, but the smoothie will be more slushy than creamy. Also, I have found that the flavor is different with fresh vs. frozen.
If we have a banana allergy, can we substitute something else? You can use frozen mango or avocado to give this smoothie the same creamy texture, it will just have a much different flavor.
How many calories are in this smoothie? The nutrition information is shown at the bottom of the recipe card. This recipe makes about 16 ounces (2 cups) of smoothie and is calculated based on 2 servings (so 1 cup) The calories are calculated based on using 1% milk. You can adjust if you are using a different type of milk.
Can I leave the honey out? Yes – a lot of readers have said that this smoothie is plenty sweet with just the frozen bananas. You can blend and taste it and add honey after if you think it needs to be sweeter.
Can I add yogurt to this smoothie? Absolutely! Adding plain or vanilla Greek yogurt makes this smoothie even more creamy and also gives a boost of

More of Our Favorite Smoothies

Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shake for Kids – This healthy whole food chocolate peanut butter protein shake offers a boost of protein for your kids without any protein powders!Great for kids who have a hard time eating other high protein foods.
Homemade Chocolate Milk – Kids love this creamy, fruit-sweetened remake of chocolate milk that tastes–magically!–just like the store-bought kind.
Dairy Free Peanut Butter Protein Shake – This thick and creamy Dairy Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shakeis great to refuel your kids after a long day at school, sports game or even in addition to a meal for those kids who have a dairy sensitivity or allergy.

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3.9 from 348 votes

Chocolate Banana Smoothie

A creamy, chocolatey drink that makes a healthy snack or dessert

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Total Time5 minutes mins

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: 2

Calories: 192kcal

Ingredients

1 cup milk dairy or non dairy
2 medium bananas frozen
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon cocoa powder unsweetened

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until creamy and well-combined. Serve immediately topped with whipped cream if you like.

Video

Nutrition

Keyword : Chocolate Banana Smoothie

www.superhealthykids.com

Natalie Monson

I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.

Learn More about Natalie

[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by james hamilton, Healthykids. Healthykids said: Chocolate Banana Smoothie: I had a few banana posts in waiting because we found these adorable Mini bananas at t… http://bit.ly/hfULMP […]

We LOVE smoothies! My kids can’t get enough. Add some cinnamon and peanut butter to this one and it would be right up our alley 🙂

Ooh! My kids LOVE “baby bananas!” (as they call them!) Great post!

This was very delicious! Can be eaten for breakfast or any time of the day. Is esp. good on a hot summer day or inbetween meals when it’s past lunch and not yet time for dinner and you’re hungry. My daughter loved it. I use special dark baking cocoa for the chocolate but you can also use carob a well.

I just started a low sugar diet but fruit is ok. I’m used to having a treat of some sort at the end of the night so I thought I’d try this smoothie. It was soooo good! I even forgot to add the honey and it tasted great! Do you have any other variations? I may be having one of these nightly. 😉

You know what is super delicious??? This banana Ice cream! It has no added sugar and really tastes like ice cream:
http://blog.superhealthykids.com/2011/03/the-best-sugar-free-ice-cream-youll-ever-eat/

Good luck on your low sugar.. My sister in law just created a facebook group that I joined, and it’s a “no sugar club” 🙂

Yes, Beth is in my ward! 😀 I’ve known I needed to cut down on sugar but this club is the thing that made me commit.

I like to add peanut butter too.

[…] Chocolate banana […]

[…] food kick of late. My FAVORITE has been these smoothies I found on this Index of Recipes website: http://blog.superhealthykids.com/2010/12/chocolate-banana-smoothie/. It tastes like a chocolate banana shake and I’m not one for chocolate ice cream or shakes. […]

This smoothie looks great! I’m loving your site, as I have a picky 2-year-old that I am finding many recipes for. Thank you!

SOOOOO GOOOODD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even kids like me LOVE UM……..

Ok…….Am I the only one that just threw a bunch of bananas in the freezer? Tip…….peel them first then freeze.

Brittany- you don’t have to peel the bananas first- I don’t! The peel comes off even after they are frozen fairly easily.

Just wondering what the bananas actually do I’m allergic to them so can you just use chocolate or would I have to use something to make it a bit thicker

Kim, if you can’t use banana, you could try some frozen mango, or even avocado to make it thicker.

Thank you for that the mango sounds yummy

how many calories are in this? I’m sorry if it’s been asked I couldn’t find it. I’m on the weight watchers diet so Id like to figure this out point wise 🙂

Hi Cathi- I haven’t calculated this myself yet, but this is a great tool you can use to do it yourself.
http://nutritiondata.self.com/

How long do you need to freeze the bananas? Can I through them in the freezer the night before if I know I want to make them for breakfast or will that be too long?…. Also, what are other ways I can get cocoa into my daughters diet more frequently without making things overly sweet? I want her to have the benefits from cocoa more regularly without encourage her to develop a love of really sweet things. My daughter is 21 months and I have never given her chocolate yet and want to resist that as long as possible because she has always been a great eater. She loves just about every vegetable and fruit and will gladly choose one for a snack or desert over crackers or less healthy items when offered options. I am concerned if I give her chocolate or other sweets she will develop a preference for sweets and start wanting sweets over healthier options and my great little eater will become a picky eater instead. She drinks milk but I have only ever given her white milk not chocolate milk…. my concern with introducing chocolate milk to her is that although when I make it at home I can make it with pure cocoa, if she develops a taste and liking for it then when we are not home such as restaurants and visiting family and friends she will want chocolate over white milk and it won’t be pure cocoa instead would be the unhealthy sugar laced kind…. Sorry about the supper long comment and maybe I am over thinking it but any advice or ideas would be very helpful as I get little helpful advice on this subject from family and friends because they all think I am crazy and over protective for worry so much about what she eats. I just want to continue to encourage her already existing love of healthy foods instead of destroying it.

Hi Tia- If I were you, I would wait even longer. Although cocoa itself is super healthy, it’s generally paired with sweet things to make it more palatable and enjoyable. No need to go down that road just yet!
Freezing your bananas over night is plenty of time to get them frozen.

Did you use unsweetened cocoa powder?

Just made this with chocolate almond milk and no honey. Tastes so yummy even my picky 7 year old likes it 🙂 thanks

I just tested it for a kids cooking class tomorrow and I liked it better with the addition of a little vanilla extract (1 tsp) and a couple tablespoons of Siggy’s coconut yogurt. It mellowed the intensity of the banana and cocoa flavor and was also creamier. No peanut butter in school but that’s always a good addition.

Awesome! Good addition 🙂

Trying to make this with coconut milk as you suggested. It won’t blend, bananas are frozen and coconut milk is a mushy solid not reaching the blades, so nothing is in bottom of blender. Seems not enough liquid? Did you mean to say coconut water instead? Going to have to wait until something in the blender container thaws before re- trying.

Rachel- I did mean coconut milk, but the kind I’ve been using is liquid, rather than solid. Maybe the “light” version is more liquid? I’ll have to check. there is also coconut milk by the almond milk and dairy milk, in a carton that is completely liquid and drinkable.

Please help with a few brands of good quality 100% cocoa that I can buy.

Hello Amy! Love this recipe, looking forward to making it. Could you tell me how many ounces of smoothie this makes?
Thank you!

Hi Haylee! This recipe makes roughly 16 ounces (or two cups) of smoothie. Keep in mind that the size of bananas you use might make for slightly less or more than this amount.

Thank you for this delicious recipe! I can’t wait to try it out. Although, I do have one question regarding any extra ingredients. Do you think it would be wise to include some essential oils into the mix to boost my health?

Hi Rick, we recommend against essential oils in foods as we prefer to focus on whole foods in their natural concentrations. (Particularly where children are involved.)

Made this and it was delicious. Thanks for the recipe. We used oat milk!

Thank you for the recipe, I was looking for a smoothie to drink before gym, I love this.
Question: If I double cacao powder, will the taste be bitter.

Hi there, I haven’t tried it myself so I’m not sure. I say give it a try and see if you like it!

This was delicious I didn’t put in the honey but it still tasteted AMAZING this could be eaten as a dessert it was that good

Very good

Trust me. it’s so delicious!!!
i wanna go market now, and go home to make this.

thank you for inspiring me about this smoothie 🙂

I make something similar, only one banana, no added sweetener. I add peanut butter and spinach and often 1/2 cup riced cauliflower. It is plenty sweet, both my toddler and I love it. I promise you can’t taste the veggies.

Thanks for sharing! That is a great idea.

Great recipe! My kids hated it though! Might be because I added vodka.

I like it but in my royal opinion would recommend adding some Avocado and sweet potato and hot English tea. From the queen of England and her royal chef and family.

I liked it but would recommend only one banana and add a crushed apple. I know it sounds unusual but add a bit of vinegar if it’s too sweet. (Trust me it works).

Hey! I love this website but I personally think that for the adults you guys should add a tablespoon of white wine and even 4 teaspoons of vodka! I have tried this and it’s amazing! ??

Haven’t tried it but looks delish!

We have to go through such an amount of obstacles to get to the recipe on this page. Even when tapping ‘jump to recipe’ then comes a signup popup, then several video popups for other recipes, have to wait till the X comes up, then scroll past loads of advertising. Finally the recipes is in small print. Digital obstacle course. I hope it’s worth it to you but it’s very annoying to the user. Shame as I do like your recipes. The recipe popup videos shouldn’t come up so soon, please change it to like 2 minutes later?

We appreciate your feedback! Unfortunately, the ads are necessary to be able to continue providing content to our users, but we can look into adjusting how it’s affecting the ability to view the recipe. 🙂

My son is very picky eater so we try it and he loves the smoothie.

This is was very delicious it is more than an ice cream

This was very tasty. My sister loved it.

Planning to make this for a healthy and wholesome snack for after school hunger pangs. I have a ton of brown banans and have tossed a few in the freezer. Excited for this yummy drink. Thanks for this simple smoothie idea.

I am totally making this for the kids, only it might be hard to beat dad to the finished smoothie 🙂

218 calories for 2 servings or one?

Per serving!

This was so good! I made with yogurt and added some frozen strawberries too.

Loved this simple recipe. Very tasty. I also brought it up a notch and tried it with Hersheys Special Dark 💯 % cacao and it was intensely good!