Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie

 

Get ready for one of the most delicious and healthy Valentine’s treats.  Surprise your partner (or your mom or BFF) with a tasty, creamy, and nutritious Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie that’s packed with phytonutrients from the cacao, vitamin C from the raspberries, and healthy, plant-based fats from the almonds. Bonus: it could pass as dessert!

Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie

Ingredients

Unfiltered Almond Milk

 ½ cup raw almonds

 2 cups water

 1 tsp vanilla extract

 2 pinches salt (optional)

Smoothie

 1 ½ cups organic raspberries

 2 tbsp cacao powder (Fair Trade or Fair for Life)

 2 dates (+2 as desired, pitted)

 water or ice (as needed)

Directions

1

Make the unfiltered almond milk: Add the almonds, water, vanilla, and salt, if using, to a high-speed blender.

2

Blend until the almonds are completely dissolved. You will still see some almond skin. It blends well with the smoothie, but if you’d rather skip the skin then strain the almond milk and add it back to the blender.

3

Add the raspberries, cacao powder, and dates. Start with two dates, blend until smooth then taste to see if you’d like additional sweetness.

4

Add a handful of ice or water to reach your desired consistency. Note: if you refrigerate for later, this smoothie will thicken. You’ll most likely have to add ¼–½ cup of water and reblend to make it a smoothie-like consistency. (Or, alternatively, you could make it into a smoothie bowl!)

Chef's Notes

Substitutions
Instead of cacao you could use carob powder, however, you’ll receive about half of the amount of iron.

In place of almonds, use raw cashews or try raw sunflower seeds.

Instead of raspberries, use organic strawberries or blueberries or a combination of berries (they’re all great sources of vitamin C).

In place of dates you could sweeten the smoothie with figs or banana.

Make it an orange raspberry smoothie by substituting half the water for the almond milk with freshly squeezed orange juice.

Add more delicious nutrition
Add 1–2 tablespoons of hemp seeds or chia seeds (which means you’ll also need more water).

Add a teaspoon of your favorite adaptogen powder (mushrooms, maca, or turmeric).

https://foodrevolution.org/recipes/chocolate-raspberry-smoothie/