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)
This tastes amazing! I’ll be adding extra hemp protein and taking it to the gym for my post workout protein shake. Great recipe!
This is just what I needed to read right now – you are spot on. Healthy changes have to come from within. I know this from my own personal struggles with food and health!! Nevertheless, it is always hard seeing one you love suffer from health problems and wanting so badly to help them!
This hemp smoothie looks amazing and that nutritional profile is hard to beat! Can’t wait to try it!! Looks like a great way to beat a chocolate craving!
I think I need to make this asap.
First time in my life that I have had chocolate for breakfast…..won’t be the last….
I didn’t have almond milk and dates were dry (not medjool) so I put 1/4 cup of raw almonds and 4 dates overnight to soak. I think when I drained them in the morning that all the sweetness of the dates when out with the water. Anyway then proceeded with the recipe (without ice) and added agave and a bit of unflavoured protein powder to taste. Like I said It won’t be the last time I have chocolate for breakfast………
I find soaking the dates for a shorter amount of time in hot/boiling water works very nicely! (I’m just always in a hurry and never want to wait for them to soak XD haha)
I used to make a similar smoothie, but with flax seed. However, this recipe has more protein for sure because of the hemp, so it would be great after workouts :)
This looks so refreshing! Do you think raw cacao powder would be an acceptable substitute for the cocoa?
will this still be good tasting if you make the night before without the ice?, for an on the go breakfast the next day…or recommend eating fresh?
My girlfriends and I share blogs we enjoy with each other. I’m glad I found your blog. I’m a big follower of “Smitten Kitchen” and “Cooking With Mr. C.” I will now send my friends your link. I’m a mother of 5 and have to keep things interesting. Bonnie L.
I love these photos! I’ll try the smoothie once I get my hands on some hemp seed.
I am new to Oh She Glows, and am a little obsessed. This looks amazing but I HATE bananas. bleech!!! any suggestions on what I could substitute? maybe pumpkin puree? I don’t think frozen mango would work with the chocolate…
Sounds really good! How long will this keep in the fridge after its made?
Thank you for a wonderful recipe, Angela! I followed your suggestions of reducing the almond milk to 1.5 cups and using 2 dates. I substituted 2 tablespoons of raw cacao powder for the Dutch-processed cocoa and left out the cinnamon. The result was the best no-guilt chocolate shake I have ever tasted — perfect for a hot summer afternoon!! I confess, there was no sharing in this house today!!
Just made this… it’s delicious! I didn’t have hemp seeds so I added a little ground flax seed. I’ve made similar smoothies before with banana and chocolate that were too heavy on the banana flavor. The cinnamon does the trick… it keeps it from being too “banana-y”. Yum!
I am a hemp fanatic! Love this recipe and will be making it for sure! I completely agree about getting people to eat healthier. It has to be their choice. Chris and I started changing our eating habits [dropping fast food, lessening meat consumption + processed foods] at the same time. I would say the only real difference is that he took awhile longer to drop meat [eats it about once every 2 months now], but he stopped eating it at home years ago and I made sure to never pressure him about it at all. He’s also hesitant with some of my hearty creations [buckwheat bakes] and sludgy smoothies, haha. I can understand that, though! I always feel so lucky that we eat about 98% the same way. He even started to like mushrooms lately. Win! ;)
This looks delicious! I’ve never used hemp seeds in shakes before, just chia seeds. Do you like hemp seeds better? I’ll have to check my grocery store for them!
This looks so yum!! I know the recipe says 2 portions, but I feel I could have the whole thing by myself :)
I have to comment because I’ve made this about four times since you posted it and we love it. I never bother to freeze bananas because my husband doesn’t like his smoothies too cold anyway and it works great. We’ve used coffee ice cubes in it. Last night, it was too late for coffee so I threw in some dried cherries. OH MY! It was really delicious. Thanks so much.
Angela, congrats on your pregnancy and your very successful site and book. I just purchased two of them online can’t wait for them to come! I wanted to say that as a registered dietitian working in Oncology I find your blog to be amazingly helpful and a lot of the basis that I hope to share with people to eat cleaner and more wholesome food with a lot of color and a lot of fun. I look forward to your new posts every day. Take care best of luck to you.
Faron
Hi Faron, Thank you so much for your lovely note! I’m so happy you are enjoying the blog so much. Thanks for all your support. :)
Just what I needed after a week of travel with hardly any smoothies. My family drank it up!
I love the thin consitency by the way.
Hemp seeds are awesome! I always add them to my smoothies because they are SO high in protein.