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I’m not quite sure how it happened. But somewhere along the lines of the last 2 years of self-employment, after years of a late-to-bed-late-to-rise musician schedule, I have now officially become a morning show person.
Still working on the morningperson thing. My body seems bent on the whole nightowl thing. But the blogging world and Twittersphere are up early, so about a year ago I turned on a morning show for the first time in about a decade to help wake me up. And now I basically can’t go a morning without tuning in to at least say a quick hello to Josh, Lara, Robin, George and the gang.
Oh yeah, it’s GMA all the way at my place. Yes, yes, I know that 90% of it is fluff news. But apparently their advertising has worked because they are now totally a “part of my morning”. And I kind of wish Lara Spencer would be my best friend. :)
Anyway, the other main part of my morning nowadays is smoothie-making. I shared last week about how I’m back on the smoothie kick, so I have a backlog of recipes photographed that I need to share with you. And this chocolate chia smoothie is one of ’em. You could arguably call it a “shake”, since it tastes so darn decadent and delicious. But don’t let that chocolate fool you. This is basically a healthy green smoothie hiding behind a bit of naturally-sweetened cocoa.
And it’s super easy to make. Here’s the skinny…
Chocolate Chia Smoothie Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Basically, this is your classic chocolate green smoothie with a bunch of extra chia seeds added into the mix. I had some fresh spinach on hand, so added that in for my greens. Then I just added in a banana, some milk (I used almond milk), unsweetened cocoa powder, a hint of vanilla and lots of chia seeds.
Oh, and I forgot to add ice before I snapped this photo. Be sure to throw in about a cup full of cubes. (Or if you’re using a frozen banana, you may not need them.)
Then just pulse in a blender until it’s nice and smooth! If you feel like it needs a little sweetening, you can add in some honey or your choice of sweetener. But I loved it just as-is.
Such a rich and delicious treat, made all the more so knowing that it’s actually good for you. I’d call it a perfect way to start the day. (And I kind of think Lara would love it, don’t you??)
Omg. YES! I can totally relate to the morning show thing. I was just telling my boyfriend how sad it is that I spend half the morning running from the kitchen to the bedroom so I can “catch up” with my talk show peeps. But I love it! And these smoothies?! Gorgeous! Pinned :) xo
Does anyone know a good substitute for bananas in smoothies? Nearly all smoothie recipes have at least one banana and I just can’t stand them! (and yes, I can still taste the banana flavor even with all the other goodies :) ) other than that, I would love to try this recipe!
Kim —
I’ve been told to use avocado. It’s mainly to give your smoothie a nice texture.
Just made this and I LOVE it! I decided to use kale instead as it’s much harder for me to ‘eat’ than spinach and it was great. I also added in a couple of dates for sweetness. I’m totally going to try to trick my 8 year old with this recipe…. her new thing is refusing to eat anything green! Thanks for the post!
Well one can’t help be hooked by chocolate. Then to see spinach and feel self righteous about healthy. And lastly that it take ONLY 3 minutes to make. Be still my heart! Be careful with that morning or any kind of day time TV stuff. Laughing—–
I really, really hate it when people post recipes that are – healthy or whatever and do not put the nutritional information with them. How much protein? how many calories? how many carbs?
Colleen —
Recipe builder shows this as 189 cal 5 gr protein 27 carbs per serving.
this looks sooo good! I will definitely try it!
I am also really into chia seeds. when I put them in my oatmeal or shake I let them soak in water or almond milk for about 15 min so they have the chance to triple their size.
This smoothie is delicious! I have it every morning. I have 3 toddlers, and they all liked it too. Had to put it in an opaque cup so that they couldn’t see that it was green the first time :-) Now they know it’s yummy!
oh gosh this is just sooo good! I changed out 2 tblsp of ground flax meal for the chia seeds, omitted the vanilla and used unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Then doubled the whole recipe. My 16 and 9 year old are enjoying it with me.
I loved it but everyone else was freaked out by the dark green color and the sightly odd texture (from the Chia seeds). After they got past that they loved it as well. Excellent recipe!
Really identify with the night owl what happened to the morning thing! It was nearly 4pm when I read this and I hadn’t had my morning smoothie!! Well it IS Sunday after all.
Went and made this straight away and still sipping on it. Thanks so much, absolutely YUMMO!
Cheers
try this with unsweetened coconut milk and a few almonds. its amazing! Also, in place of the Banana, for ones who don’t care for them, try a cup of plain Greek yogurt. It also ads a nice punch of protein!
So we FINALLY got a good blender AND I bought some chia seeds, so I looked up recipes and came across yours which looks amazing and I so want to try it!! My questions is…..I read somewhere that chia seeds should be soaked before using them in recipes but most recipes I’ve seen don’t say to do this. What are your thoughts?
That’s awesome Suzette, I hope you enjoy this! I actually don’t bother soaking my chia seeds. They start to change in texture after being in the smoothie awhile anyway. I don’t think it’s necessary, but it’s totally your call! : ) Enjoy!
Thanks for the advice to use avocado instead of banana in smoothies as I am on an anti fungal /a restricted sugar diet which does not allow bananas as they are high in sugar. Looking forward to making this smoothie.
I keep swearing off green smoothies, but I’m going to try this one and see how it goes. I usually get enough vegetables at other meals, but the chocolate and chia call to me…
Hayley —
We think you’ll like it, Susan! The cocoa and the banana really mask the green. It ends up tasting much more like a chocolate shake than a healthy green drink. : )
I had a late night sweet tooth and was looking through some smoothie recipes off pinterest. I saw this one and thought “craving chocolate?- yup! Craving smoothie?- yup! Do I have all of the ingredients?- yup!” So I blended it all in my blender and that’s when I realized “NOPE! Never again!” It tasted awful! I even forced myself to drink more to see if my tastebuds were being tricky. Still, nope! This recipe might taste great to others… But my husband and I (who both love healthy recipes) would have to give it two thumbs down.
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Oh no, we’re sorry to hear you didn’t like it Katie! :( This is a favorite of ours, we’ve each made it many times, and truly love it because we can never taste the spinach. Did you measure everything exactly? What kind of cocoa powder did you use?
Hi there, we haven’t tried that, but it might work! You probably don’t want to leave it frozen for too long though, probably no more than a day. We hope you enjoy, and let us know if you end up trying this.
Just tried this as a midday snack, and it hit the spot! This is the first time I’ve ever used chia seeds…but definitely not the last :) Thanks so much for a great smoothie recipe!
Absolutely loved this smoothie! I was having a Late night chocolate craving and this hit the spot and was actually good for me! (I shared with my husband and he loved it too) I drank it too quick to snap a photo though, sorry, perhaps next time.
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks Audrey, we’re glad you and your husband enjoyed it! :D
Just made this smoothie and loved it! I added one little addition with a handful of fresh mint from my little herb garden. If you like chocolate mint it’s amazing!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
We’re so glad to hear that Natassia — and wow, fresh mint would be amazing in this — good call! :)
I made this, but I could still taste a little spinach, so I decided to experiment. Being a chocoholic and coffee addict, I decided to add two teaspoons of coffee powder concentrate, and one tablespoon of Torani suger free syrup. I’m drinking this right now, this is dessert in my book. NO taste of spinach, NO bitterness. Perfect chocolate fix, I can’t even tell that it’s healthy.
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks for sharing Amelia — we’re so glad you enjoyed it! :)
Omg. YES! I can totally relate to the morning show thing. I was just telling my boyfriend how sad it is that I spend half the morning running from the kitchen to the bedroom so I can “catch up” with my talk show peeps. But I love it! And these smoothies?! Gorgeous! Pinned :) xo
I loooove chia seeds in smoothies, especially when they involved chocolate! : )
Does anyone know a good substitute for bananas in smoothies? Nearly all smoothie recipes have at least one banana and I just can’t stand them! (and yes, I can still taste the banana flavor even with all the other goodies :) ) other than that, I would love to try this recipe!
I’ve been told to use avocado. It’s mainly to give your smoothie a nice texture.
I love the mixture of chia seeds with bananas! I’m sure it tastes awesome!
I love the chia seed banana combo, I’m sure this smoothie tastes awesome!
Chia AND chocolate?! This one is a keeper!
Never tried it with chia seeds before, definitely going to now! Awesome :)
Never tried this with chia seeds before, definitely will now :) Awesome!
Looks amazing. What a great way to get some spinach in my kiddo.
Just made this and I LOVE it! I decided to use kale instead as it’s much harder for me to ‘eat’ than spinach and it was great. I also added in a couple of dates for sweetness. I’m totally going to try to trick my 8 year old with this recipe…. her new thing is refusing to eat anything green! Thanks for the post!
What kind of blender do you use? Definitely adding this smoothie to my list of must-makes!
In the interest of saving money, can I substitute ground flax seed for half of the chia?
Hi Ellen,
You definitely could. It may change the flavor/texture a bit, but flax seed is great for you!
~Ali
Looks like a great way to start the day!
Definitely going to try this recipe. I loooove, love, love those straws! Where did you get them?
I can’t wait to try this recipe! It looks great!
totally with you there, at least while on mat leave! I’ll miss morning shows :)
I, too, fight my night owl tendencies. So hard! Glad that you have successfully broken the cycle!
This smoothie looks worth getting up earlier for! I can’t wait to try this out! My current smoothie is growing stale.
Well one can’t help be hooked by chocolate. Then to see spinach and feel self righteous about healthy. And lastly that it take ONLY 3 minutes to make. Be still my heart! Be careful with that morning or any kind of day time TV stuff. Laughing—–
Ugh, yes! I’m always looking for new smoothie recipes! Can’t wait to try this one ;)
I really, really hate it when people post recipes that are – healthy or whatever and do not put the nutritional information with them. How much protein? how many calories? how many carbs?
Recipe builder shows this as 189 cal 5 gr protein 27 carbs per serving.
I’m holding out on smoothies-for-breakfast until Midwest summer kicks in, but I’ll def be thinking about this one until then!
What a great way to start your day!
This looks like a great smoothie to have as a dessert with lunch! Nothing like a pick-me-up in the middle of the day- I can’t wait to make this~
This smoothie looks so good! I’m a nightowl too, but an exciting breakfast always helps coax me out of bed. Can’t wait to try this one. Thanks!
OMG! This smoothie is incredible! I have made it for dessert for the past four nights. I am obsessed.
I will try this Smoothie, But how many calories is this and will it be a healthy substitute for a meal?
Please advise.
*** I’m trying to lose 15 to 20 Pds. I do yoga and pilates 3xs a Week.
Just made this as a late night study treat and it is delicious!! Great for an energy boost.
Just made this recipe this morning. It is amazing! What brand of dark cocoa powder did you use?
Awesome! I used Hershey’s brand.
this looks sooo good! I will definitely try it!
I am also really into chia seeds. when I put them in my oatmeal or shake I let them soak in water or almond milk for about 15 min so they have the chance to triple their size.
This smoothie is delicious! I have it every morning. I have 3 toddlers, and they all liked it too. Had to put it in an opaque cup so that they couldn’t see that it was green the first time :-) Now they know it’s yummy!
I add almond butter and it is extra delicious!!
oh gosh this is just sooo good! I changed out 2 tblsp of ground flax meal for the chia seeds, omitted the vanilla and used unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Then doubled the whole recipe. My 16 and 9 year old are enjoying it with me.
I’m drinking this smoothie right now and it is soooo good! Definitely going into the regular rotation.
I loved it but everyone else was freaked out by the dark green color and the sightly odd texture (from the Chia seeds). After they got past that they loved it as well. Excellent recipe!
Awesome recipe! Going to make this and post it on my blog: www.simplykateg.com (will give my readers a link to this original recipe as well)
YUM! I will be adding this to my green smoothie lineup!
This looks and sounds delicious! I can’t wait to try it.
Really identify with the night owl what happened to the morning thing! It was nearly 4pm when I read this and I hadn’t had my morning smoothie!! Well it IS Sunday after all.
Went and made this straight away and still sipping on it. Thanks so much, absolutely YUMMO!
Cheers
So glad you enjoyed it! :)
try this with unsweetened coconut milk and a few almonds. its amazing! Also, in place of the Banana, for ones who don’t care for them, try a cup of plain Greek yogurt. It also ads a nice punch of protein!
OOoh, that sounds delicious, great idea with the Greek yogurt! : )
Amazing smoothie, just made it and I’m in love!!
Thanks so much Emily!
So we FINALLY got a good blender AND I bought some chia seeds, so I looked up recipes and came across yours which looks amazing and I so want to try it!! My questions is…..I read somewhere that chia seeds should be soaked before using them in recipes but most recipes I’ve seen don’t say to do this. What are your thoughts?
That’s awesome Suzette, I hope you enjoy this! I actually don’t bother soaking my chia seeds. They start to change in texture after being in the smoothie awhile anyway. I don’t think it’s necessary, but it’s totally your call! : ) Enjoy!
Thanks for the advice to use avocado instead of banana in smoothies as I am on an anti fungal /a restricted sugar diet which does not allow bananas as they are high in sugar. Looking forward to making this smoothie.
No problem, Emma, we hope you enjoy it! : )
I keep swearing off green smoothies, but I’m going to try this one and see how it goes. I usually get enough vegetables at other meals, but the chocolate and chia call to me…
We think you’ll like it, Susan! The cocoa and the banana really mask the green. It ends up tasting much more like a chocolate shake than a healthy green drink. : )
I had a late night sweet tooth and was looking through some smoothie recipes off pinterest. I saw this one and thought “craving chocolate?- yup! Craving smoothie?- yup! Do I have all of the ingredients?- yup!” So I blended it all in my blender and that’s when I realized “NOPE! Never again!” It tasted awful! I even forced myself to drink more to see if my tastebuds were being tricky. Still, nope! This recipe might taste great to others… But my husband and I (who both love healthy recipes) would have to give it two thumbs down.
Oh no, we’re sorry to hear you didn’t like it Katie! :( This is a favorite of ours, we’ve each made it many times, and truly love it because we can never taste the spinach. Did you measure everything exactly? What kind of cocoa powder did you use?
I didn’t care for this either, the spinach doesn’t really work with the rest of the ingredients for my personal taste.
We’re sorry to hear you didn’t care for this Katie, thank you for sharing!
Can you make this ahead of time and freeze?
Hi there, we haven’t tried that, but it might work! You probably don’t want to leave it frozen for too long though, probably no more than a day. We hope you enjoy, and let us know if you end up trying this.
Just tried this as a midday snack, and it hit the spot! This is the first time I’ve ever used chia seeds…but definitely not the last :) Thanks so much for a great smoothie recipe!
Awesome Whitney, we’re happy to hear that! Aren’t chia seeds cool? :D
Absolutely loved this smoothie! I was having a Late night chocolate craving and this hit the spot and was actually good for me! (I shared with my husband and he loved it too) I drank it too quick to snap a photo though, sorry, perhaps next time.
Thanks Audrey, we’re glad you and your husband enjoyed it! :D
Just made this smoothie and loved it! I added one little addition with a handful of fresh mint from my little herb garden. If you like chocolate mint it’s amazing!
We’re so glad to hear that Natassia — and wow, fresh mint would be amazing in this — good call! :)
I made this, but I could still taste a little spinach, so I decided to experiment. Being a chocoholic and coffee addict, I decided to add two teaspoons of coffee powder concentrate, and one tablespoon of Torani suger free syrup. I’m drinking this right now, this is dessert in my book. NO taste of spinach, NO bitterness. Perfect chocolate fix, I can’t even tell that it’s healthy.
Thanks for sharing Amelia — we’re so glad you enjoyed it! :)