Happy Monday!
Hope you had a great weekend! I thought I’d switch things up from my regular #MoveitMondays post and share a smoothie with you for Williams-Sonoma Smoothie Week! The folks over at Willlams-Sonoma asked me to create a fun and quirky smoothie for Smoothie Week and I thought what’s better than to create a Secret Green Chocolate Banana smoothie that has all the rich and decadence of chocolate plusΒ all the super power of a green smoothie! That’s a win-win if I ever heard one π
As you know, smoothies are a big part of my life. When I go a couple days without a smoothie my body begins to crave the instant nutrition and greens stored in my daily smoothies. And when I wake up, my my favorite way to start my dayΒ is with a big green smoothie –Β I love throwing all theΒ ingredients into the blenderΒ and swirling them around until a beautiful green smoothie appears before my eyes!Β It feels great knowing that I’ve started the day with a nutritional oomph that leaves me feeling totally energized! That’s real fast food, amiright?!
But I know that not everybody has jumped on the smoothie bandwagon. Honestly, before I was a “smoothie person” I couldn’t stand the thought of a smoothie. The thought of blended up fruits and vegetables was not appealing to me at all. That was until I started experimenting with delicious fruits and vegetables that actually taste good together!
And what’s a better way to sway the smoothie critics than to create a rich and delicious Chocolate Banana Smoothie Β that’s actually a green smoothie in disguise!Β *hehe*
The secret “weapon” in my morning smoothies is Chlorella powder. Have you heard of Chlorella? It’s tasteless, super potent and filled with so much nutritional goodness it’s hard to beat. Chlorella is basically a green algae thatΒ packs a great, condensed nutritional punch. When I found out that Chlorella, gram per gram, contains twice the amount of protein than spinach, isΒ super rich in iron, B vitamins and contains all of the essential amino acids plus so much more, I knew that Chlroella had to become a must in my morning routine!Β
So drink up and have a fabulous Smoothie Week, Cheers! π
What are your go-to secret smoothie ingredient(s)?
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- 2 bananas, frozen and chopped up
- ½ cup almond milk or milk of choice
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp cacao/cocoa powder
- 1 tsp chlorella powder
- Dried Coconut
- Dried Cranberries
- Goji Berries
- Chia Seeds
- Cocoa Nibs
- Add bananas, almond milk, vanilla extract, cocoa powder and chlorella powder to a blender and blend until the smoothie is creamy and smooth. Add more almond milk, by the tablespoon, if a thinner smoothie is preferred.
- Serve in your favorite glass and garnish with toppings of choice.
If you do try this Secret Green Chocolate Banana Smoothie or any other recipes of mine, I love hearing about it! InstaΒ or TweetΒ it to me (@cearaskitchen with hashtag #cearaskitchen) or Facebook it to me via the Cearaβs Kitchen Facebook Page! 
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35 comments
Made this and it’s good π I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk and a bit of honey in place of plain almond milk and vanilla extract, but otherwise followed the recipe – mine came out a dark murky green – maybe the chlorella I’m using is more potent? Because I find that no matter what other ingredients I use, the chlorophyll content in chlorella is so high that it makes everything greenish. And it’s certainly not tasteless either! It has a very strong seaweed/ocean flavour – thankfully it’s masked somewhat by other ingredients in recipes.
Hi Kat! Thanks for the feedback π I’m so happy that you enjoyed the smoothie! I’m wondering if you can see/taste the chlorella because of the brand of cocoa powder and/or chlorella you used? Mine always seems to come out a dark chocolate color! Maybe some brands of chlorella are more potent than others? I use this one everyday in morning smoothie that I buy off Vitacost and can never taste it! Which brand are you using?
Congratulations on the smoothie feature with Williams Sonoma! What a delicious smoothie using chlorella powder! Well done, Ceara!
Thanks so much, Rika!! <3 I love chlorella powder in the morning!
My goal is to get through the Insanity program, which I recently started! Although I don’t do the workouts every day as outlined by Shaun T (per your recommendation, I agree, it’s too much and the body needs rest), I still hope to finish the program (or at least survive it!).
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I have to tell you that any ‘green’ smoothie I drink has to be a secret green smoothie…I have a weird psychosis about drinking vegetables, ha ha! This one looks like it hides those veggies really well! Looks delicious!
I love smoothies Ceara, and here is something new to me to explore. To be honest I have never heard of chlorella, and glad you introduced it to us. I will definitely top the smoothie with dried cranberries and dried coconut. Love it! Pinned!
Oh this looks good! You know I love secret greens too. Adding cacao to my morning smoothie feels like dessert for breakfast! I can’t get enough! I haven’t tried Clorella, but I’ll put it on my list. It sounds so worth while! Thank you for this delicious smoothie, Ceara!! I’ll have to get over to WS to check out their other smoothie week posts! So fun!
This looks fantastic! I am smoothie obsessed so this is right up my alley!
Chocolate and banana for a breakfast smoothie sounds so decadent and amazing! I used to use spirulina, another form of blue-green algae that’s filled with nutrients. I really should get back to adding that to my diet. Thanks for the reminder.
Thanks for the sweet words as always, Linda! I love spirulina too! I kind of switch back and forth between the two π Hope you’re having a great week!
I love chocolate, and you are making me wish I had this smoothie this morning instead of my horrible breakfast lol. Great post
Hehe, thanks for stopping by and the kind words, K!! π
Great recipe girl!! Gotta love chocolate! …and hidden greens?? I’m all about that life!! Way to keep us all healthy!! Love your motivation!!
<3 Thanks, Caileee!!! Hehe, got to get those hidden greens ;) Hope your having a great week!
I love starting my day with a smoothie! This looks so indulgent and chocolatey, but I love that it’s secretly healthy! I heart those sneaky greens. π
Thanks, Sarah! I love secretly healthy things – especially when they involve Chocolate!!! π
I usually start my mornings with a smoothie for breakfast, so this recipe is perfect for me. Never heard of chlorella powder before though, hopefully I can get my hands on some so I can try out the recipe!
Chlorella powder is amazing – I especially love it when I can’t get my hands on fresh organic greens to add to my smoothies π Thanks, Thalia!
Ceara this sounds SO delicious π and healthy = perfection! YUM
Thanks so much, Michele! π
Love green smoothies to kick start the day, I usually add in fresh ginger root for an added flavor kick as well as some health benefits. I’ve never tried Chlorella before but it sounds awesome! This smoothie looks so creamy and delicious! I can always get behind chocolate for breakfast π
I love the idea of adding gresh ginger root, Kelly! I have to try that! Sounds like a wonderful way to start the day π Thanks for the kind words!
Chlorella! I’ve always been meaning to try it but haven’t just yet. I do have blue-green algae in my pantry, but it must be a different variety..? Hidden greens are the best!
Chlorella is amazing! Spirulina also is a green algae and it also rocks my socks off! I switch between both in my morning smoothies!
What a lovely smoothie, and it looks so creamy and rich perfect for after the morning workout!
Thanks, Shundara <3
I’ve been obsessed with smoothies lately Ceara! Love chocolate and definitely trying this one soon! I have to research chlorella powder.
Thanks, Mira! Chlorella is pure awesomeness! I’m sure you’ll love it and this smoothie π
I love the name of this smoothie, Ceara! I’ve always been a little hesitant to try green ones, but your recipe is definitely changing my mind. I’ve never heard of chlorella powder before, but I love that it has the green nutrients but doesn’t taste like it! And the chocolate and banana combination sounds amazing! Definitely adding this to my list of smoothies to try. Pinned!
I know what you mean about being hesitant to try green smoothies – I was too at first! But they are truly delicious – I even got my mom hooked on them this summer π Thanks for the kind words and the pin, Gayle π
Totally agree on the smoothies Ceara. And you know what, no matter how cold it gets here, I still crave smoothies! They make me feel healthy & happy. Pinning this to my all new smoothie board =) I especially love the toppings you suggested, dried coconut, Yum!!!
Me too – hehe, glad to know I’m not the only one! I crave smoothies year round too! Thanks for the kind words and the pin, Laura π
It’s good to see someone thinking it through.