One of the most popular questions I’ve received over the years is “How can I get my partner to eat healthier?” What I’ve come to realize is that for most people change has to happen from within. Whether it’s a personal struggle they go through or a light bulb moment they experience, many of us have to figure it out for ourselves. Plus, some people are naturally more resistant to change than others and if you push them, they repel in the opposite direction. I don’t believe in pressuring someone to eat a certain way and I don’t think that there is a one size fits all approach for everyone. Leading by example helps (and sharing great-tasting food!), but ultimately if someone is going to make any kind of change in their life it usually has to be internally motivated for it to stick. This has been especially true for my own dietary changes and the shifts I’ve seen in Eric too. I’ve been singing the praises of green smoothies to Eric for 6 years now, but it just took him one moment of internal motivation to get hooked. Go figure. Although in his defense, I think I scared him off with an utterly gross concoction I made for him years ago.
Earlier this year, Eric ditched his morning cereal in an effort to cut down the gluten and processed carbs in his diet as he was suffering from some major brain fog and wanted to experiment with his diet. He now drinks a huge green smoothie every morning and claims he is feeling better. His only problem, he says, is keeping his pants up because he dropped some weight in the process.
This year, we’ve been big fans of adding hulled hemp seeds into our smoothies for a natural protein, fibre, and omega-3 boost. One 3-tablespoon serving has an impressive 2.5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids, 10 grams of protein, and 3 grams of fibre. It also has oodles of manganese, magnesium, iron, zinc, B6 and more. You can find the huge bags of hulled hemp seed at Costco for a good price. Hemp seeds can be a bit bitter or grassy tasting, so it does take some experimenting to find the right ratio of ingredients in a smoothie (I’ve definitely made some bad ones). Luckily, hemp pairs with chocolate effortlessly so it’s a no-brainer.
I’ve been enjoying my hemp-filled Green Warrior Protein Smoothie for a few months now. When I’m too lazy to prep all the veggies I simply add a couple spoons of hemp seed into my classic green monster recipe. Does the trick! Not long after, I decided to make a chocolate-hemp spin-off. I wanted something that I could enjoy on a hot summer day that would satisfy a craving for something sweet, chocolaty, and cold – while still packing in tons of nutrition. I made this recipe in May and was planning on sharing it during our kitchen reno this August, but recipe development has been a bit slow for me the past couple weeks so I decided to pull it out of the draft folder early. Plus, I just didn’t feel right keeping it from you given how hot and humid the weather has been lately. This smoothie has been my saving grace and has kept me from buying expensive pints of vegan chocolate ice cream more often than not.
Another thing I like about this recipe is that it makes 3 1/2 cups worth. When I’m feeling especially generous, I call this recipe “for two”, but there are definitely times when I chug it back faster than anyone can even see me make it.
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Creamy Chocolate Hemp Smoothie for Two
Yield
3 1/2 cups (2 servings)
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Total time
Cool down with this creamy, ice-cold, and luxurious chocolate hemp smoothie. Enjoy the boost of protein and omega-3's that the hemp seeds provide while indulging in a lightly sweet chocolaty treat. For a fun twist, try this recipe with homemade almond milk, Coffee Shop Worthy Hazelnut Milk, or even adding homemade coffee ice cubes. This recipe is inspired by my Cheerful Chocolate Smoothie from The Oh She Glows Cookbook.
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond milk (see note)
- 2-3 pitted large Medjool dates, to taste (I use 2)
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons hulled hemp seed
- 1 large peeled and frozen banana
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 large ice cubes
Directions
- Add all ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend until super smooth.
Tip:
1) This recipe yields a fairly thin consistency. If you want a thicker shake-like texture, try reducing the milk to 1.5 cups instead of 2 cups or go wild and add a scoop of your favourite non-dairy ice cream. 2) If your dates are a bit firm or dry, soak them in water for 30-60 minutes before making this smoothie. You can also swap the dates for liquid sweetener if desired. Just reduce the almond milk a bit so it's not too thin.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Love this!! Such a cool flavour!
Wow, this looks amazing. I am going to make it for my 2 kids and my husband this morning. I think we will all love it.
We are also fans of your green warrior protein smoothie. Nutritious and delicious.
Thank you, Angela.
Glad to hear you enjoy the green warrior smoothie!
Yum! This looks so good–and I bet it would be amazing with hazelnut milk! I love your photos by the way. The bottle is so cute!
Thanks Audrey! I’m a sucker for a vintage milk bottle ;)
Mmm is right!! I’ve kind of been doing something similar to this for a large part of the past few months. Something about cacao-nut butter-banana just does it to me! Might have to add the hemp in now thanks to this recipe ;)
Well, you know that I love that this serves two! I’ve been adding hemp seeds to almost everything these days. I love them on top of salads. I even love them on top of a reheated cobbler that needs a bit of crunch. I think this smoothie is my next hemp adventure!
Oh yeah…SOOOO making this! I’ve even got bottles and straws like that so I can feel all fancy pants too. ;-)
Yum! Looking at this, I’d never think it was vegan, but it is, which is great! What a great and healthy way to eat chocolate :)
Well that looks easy enough and refreshingly chocolatey! I’ve been put on a no added sugar diet by my Dr. and crave chocolate like nobodies business. This may be my saving grace this summer
This looks so delicious! My entire family is obsessed with dates at the current moment and I’m sure this will be a hit!
~Kari
Any advice on where to buy hulled hemp seeds in Toronto?
We buy the big bags at Costco :)
Dayna you can get them almost anywhere in Toronto! Any heath food store like Noahs will carry them. Also most grocery stores have them (at a slightly higher price) like Loblaws. My trick is to get them at homesense in the food aisle! They sell the huge brand name bags for very cheap!
I’m excited to try this! I often make something similar for me to enjoy with my 3 year old (he loves “smoo-ty”). I recently purchased hemp seeds, but haven’t really liked the taste so far in a number of recipies. Maybe this will do the trick!
I giggled at the little caption on the last photo -too cute! I also get my hemp hearts at Costco! Best deal ever. Sharing healthy, delicious, chocolatey foods with the one you love is a great way to show your partner that you care about them :)
So simple and so good for you. I think my chocolate-loving father will enjoy this one :)
Mmmm sounds yummy. I should try that !
I was just curious, where did you buy that pretty glass bottle ?
I bought a bottle like that from Chapters/Indigo. So cute! I’m not sure if they still have them but you can try :)
One more question… Whats the difference between hemp hearts and hulled hemp ?
No difference. Hemp hearts are hulled hemp seeds.
Wonderful! So, I give this two thumbs up….buuuut, I did change it up a bit. I was out of almond milk so I just added 2 Tbsp of raw almonds + 2 cups water. Also I had a big bowl of fresh cherries sitting right by my Vitamix, so I thought why not?! Chocolate Cherry hemp smoothie…yum, I added about 10 pitted cherries too and it was sooooooo amazing! And I did share :) boyfriend approved!! Thanks!
love the addition of cherries! Glad you enjoyed it :)
I’ll be adding this to my dessert rotation for sure! And I’ve been making your green warrior protein smoothie like 3 or 4 days a week since you posted it. It’s my all time fave smoothie, and it still comes out thick without a banana! Amazing! Not that I’m against bananas, but I already eat 2-3 a day anyway
Wow, i’ll be sure to try this! I agree that pushing someone actually scares them away. I have a tendency to speak of my own experiences with food in social circles without imposing my views on anyone, and it’s funny how many people around me suddenly decided to go veg. (Sometimes for a short time, sometimes lasting)
I have a quick question. I recently bought a huge bag of hemp protein powder and I found the taste to be bitter, especially when you swallow and I don’t mean the earthy/nutty taste of hemp. More like eating raw nigella seeds, if you know what I mean? I don’t have much experience with hemp so I’m not sure if I should toss it or use it. I can handle the bitterness but my concern is the possibilty of ingesting something that has gone rancid.
Thank you for the post! New to your blog and I love it :)
Quick question: can you freeze dates and just throw them in a smoothie when you need them? Or use them frozen in any other of your recipes that uses them? Or do you just always have some available in the fridge?
Thanks :)
Looks yummy and your photography is beautiful too!
Thanks for sharing.