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When I’m in the mood for a chocolate milkshake, but I don’t want to have a stomach ache later, this is the smoothie recipe I reach for. I make it at least 3 times every week, and over the years, I’ve figured out ways to add more protein and fiber to it.
What I think you’ll love about this chocolate smoothie is that it’s not made with banana. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes banana is perfect in a smoothie. My favorite peanut butter banana smoothie also has a milkshake-like texture when you’re in the mood for that.
But, this is the smoothie I make when I want it to taste like a real chocolate milkshake, and not like a “healthy” chocolate milkshake, if that makes sense. I hope you’ll love it just as much!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“This smoothie is perfectly creamy and tastes like the most indulgent chocolate shake (even with only 3 dates because that’s how we like it). One of Megan’s smoothies is always on rotation in our house for breakfast, and right now it’s this one!” – Sarah
Date Smoothie Ingredients
- Medjool Dates. Obviously, you’ll need dates to make a date smoothie. Shop for ones in the fresh produce section of your grocery store, rather than the bulk bins. In my experience, you’ll get the squishiest, juiciest dates in the produce section. That way you won’t have to soak them before getting started.
- Cacao or Cocoa Powder. I always keep raw cacao powder in my pantry, so that’s what I use in this, but regular cocoa powder should also work.
- Almond Butter. This adds creaminess, plus a little fiber. You can use a different nut butter if you prefer, but this one is the least noticeable when you’re going for a chocolate flavor.
- Ground Flax. This is added to thicken the smoothie and add more fiber.
- Hemp Hearts (or Collagen Peptides). I like to add something extra for protein, and if you’re aiming for a plant-based drink, hemp hearts are a complete source. Otherwise, I like to use a scoop of unflavored collagen peptides.
- Milk of Choice. You can use milk or water to blend this, since there are other ingredients that will make this creamy, too. However, for extra protein, I usually opt for a milk with protein, like soy milk or regular cow’s milk.
Note: If you have dry dates that are difficult to split apart with your fingers, try soaking them in a bowl of very hot water for 10 minutes to help soften them up. After you drain away the soaking water, they are ready to use in this recipe.
How to Make a Date Smoothie
Step 1:
Add 1 cup of almond milk, 4 pitted Medjool dates, 2 level tablespoons of cacao powder, 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds, 1 tablespoon of hemp hearts (or a scoop of collagen), and 1 tablespoon almond butter to a high-speed blender.
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Secure the lid a blend until the dates are totally pulverized.
The mixture should look like a thick, smooth chocolate pudding when it’s done blending. Taste the mixture to make sure it’s as sweet as you’d like it to be, but keep in mind the flavor will be diluted with the next step. (It gets better with ice!)
Step 2:
For a slushy texture (that reminds me of a frosty from Wendy’s) add 1 heaping cup of ice cubes and blend again. Depending on the consistency you are going for, you might need to add a little more ice and blend again.
The more ice you add, the more diluted the chocolate flavor will be. We like ours pretty thick in here the Gilmore home. Serve this chocolate date smoothie right away for the best flavor and texture.
Chocolate Smoothie with Medjool Dates
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk of choice
- 4 Medjool dates , pitted
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds (or chia seeds)
- 1 tablespoon hemp hearts (or 2 T unflavored collagen peptides)
- 2 level tablespoons cacao powder
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- 1 cup ice cubes , plus more as needed
Instructions
- In a high-speed blender, combine the almond milk, 4 dates (use 5 if they are on the small side), ground flax, hemp hearts, cacao powder, and almond butter. Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the blender if needed.
- Taste the smoothie and make any adjustments you need. The flavor will be diluted once you add the ice, but this is your chance to add more sweetness or cacao powder if needed.
- Add the ice cubes, and blend again, until the shake has a slushy texture. The more ice you add, the more diluted the chocolate flavor will be.
- Serve right away for the best taste and texture.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes to Try
If you try this chocolate date smoothie recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it.
Best (No Banana) Smoothie. The recipe is missing a handful of raw spinach, which was included in the old version. One can easily leave out the almond milk in place of water. Easy to throw together, fulfilling the cravings for the chocolate smoothie addicts among us!
Wanted to make a chocolate smoothie without banana. This was incredible! Honestly, I was suspicious at first because of the ingredient list, but it somehow worked – especially with regular milk. Thanks!
I love this recipe! I have made it with almond and peanut butter and I like both. It’s creamy and delicious and tastes like a treat. I love having a smoothie option that doesn’t use banana
Yum! I wouldn’t say this tastes like a chocolate shake, but it’s good! I like the idea of putting the ice in after the other ingredients have blended. This helps give it a better, icy-frappuccino-y texture. I used 2 dates instead of 4 and I used some cashews instead of the almond butter because that’s what I have and the high power blender does a good job of making them disappear into the liquid. The color is def off-putting (um, baby diaper), but I’m not making this for anyone else so it’s ok. I also made a version with unflavored protein powder and that worked too (though it does have a slightly gritty texture). Anyway, super appreciative of the banana-free shake/smoothie recipes and am excited to try the hazelnut version and other flavors you created. Thanks! 7/20/23
I have a smoothie every morning and this is the best one I’ve ever tasted
Lovely recipe. Thanks for sharing.
This smoothie is perfectly creamy and tastes like the most indulgent chocolate shake (even with only 3 dates because that’s how we like it). One of Megan’s smoothies is always on rotation in our house for breakfast, and right now it’s this one!
Very good this will be my favourite smoothie 👍thank you for the recipe
This is very tasty. They only issue I have is the dates don’t completely blend. Maybe I should not keep them in the fridge or I need dates that are fresher. I may add a frozen banana to take my vitamins for more of a base but I wanted to try it alone and it tastes like a milkshake!
This is on repeat at my house – especially when curbing a chocolate craving!