Rich Dark Chocolate Smoothie

Some of us are still recovering from excess calories during the holidays, so with February upon us and Valentine's Day around the corner, I decided to post this rich dark chocolate smoothie to help satisfy chocolate cravings. This is both a healthy and delicious alternative to the beginning of February. This chocolate sweet drink comes from the March 2017 edition of Cooking Light magazine. It is has no dairy in it. The addition of dates makes this smoothie extra sweet!

Bon Appetit!

Tips and other Information:

Nutritional Information: Calories 302, Fat 7.2g, Protein 9g, Carb 58g, Fiber 7g, Sugar 37g, Chol 0mg, Iron 3mg, Sodium 200mg, Calc 483mg

The pictures show two drinks. Please don't be confused by this as this recipe serves 1, but we split the serving into 2 cups for picture purposes.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Total time is 10 minutes.

Ingredients:

3 pitted dates
1 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk (such as Almond Breeze)
1 cup ice
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 (5.3 ounces) container vanilla soy yogurt
1/2 banana, sliced and frozen
Dash of instant coffee or espresso granules (optional)

Directions:

Place the dates in a small bowl; cover with hot water. Let stand 3 minutes or until softened; drain. Place the milk and dates in a blender; blend 30 seconds or until pureed. Add ice and the remaining ingredients; blend 30 seconds or until smooth. Serves 1.