Chocolate Mint Smoothie

Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Mint Smoothie Recipe

I love ice cream and could eat it every night. But, I know I probably shouldn’t eat ice cream every night, especially since it’s so hard to stop at the recommended half-cup serving. Instead, I opt for smoothies to get that cold, creamy goodness I crave. Luckily it’s easy to infuse indulgent flavors into smoothies, like a Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie or Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie. And then there’s this minty version that I love for these reasons and more…

• Better than a milkshake. While I do enjoy a trip to the drive-thru or even my lighter copycat Shamrock Shake Smoothie, we all know chocolate makes everything better. And adding a little cocoa powder to a minty smoothie adds a little extra indulgent flavor.
• Allergy-friendly. Smoothies are naturally gluten free, and by using your favorite non-dairy milk and yogurt, you can make a dairy-free smoothie too. And unlike many other smoothies, this one doesn’t contain any peanuts or tree nuts.
• Easy to customize. I give you the base recipe here, but you can always blend in superfood extras like greens, seeds, and protein. Or dress it up with decadent toppings to make it feel like dessert. I share more ideas further down in the post.

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need to make this Chocolate Mint Smoothie, as well as substitutions. And don’t forget the add-ins and toppings ideas detailed below. You can add extra nutritional benefits or make your smoothie feel more like a special treat. The full amounts can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Milk. I prefer unsweetened vanilla almondmilk. Feel free to substitute your preferred dairy or non-dairy milk.
• Cottage cheese or plain Greek yogurt. I actually prefer cottage cheese. It blends up into a perfectly creamy and silky smooth texture and the salt enhances the sweetness. I think it lends itself better to certain flavor combinations, like how it mellows out the mint flavor compared to the tartness of Greek yogurt. But either will work. Nondairy yogurt is also a great alternative.
• Mint extract. You can use peppermint extract, but it does change the flavor slightly, so it depends on your preference. Peppermint would make it a festive Christmas smoothie!
• Vanilla extract. Enhances the chocolate flavor and the overall creamy sensation. You can omit it if you like.
• Honey, sugar, or equivalent sweetener of choice. Optional, and depends on how sweet your banana is and how sweet you like your smoothies.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder. You may find you want it more or less chocolaty so use 1-2 Tablespoons depending on your preference and whether you use regular or dark cocoa powder.
• Frozen banana. See my article on how to freeze bananas. I always keep some on hand so I’m ready anyitme I want a smoothie. I like to use overripe bananas for the natural sweetness so I do not have to add any additional sweetener.
• Ice cubes. Adjust the amount you add based on your desired texture and thickness.

Just add everything to the blender in the order listed and blend until smooth. Feel free to adjust the flavor, sweetness, and texture with more cocoa powder, extract, sweetener, or ice, as needed.

Customize Your Smoothie

For added nutrition in your mint chocolate smoothie, blend in:

• Baby spinach or other dark, leafy greens
• Chia, flax, or hemp seeds
• Protein or collagen powder – I use this one!

To make a more indulgent chocolate mint smoothie, top it with:

• Cacao nibs or mini chocolate chips
• A drizzle of fudge sauce
• Candy canes (especially if you use peppermint extract)
• Whipped cream