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 is absolutely delicious! It hits your chocolate craving and also keeps you full! Love it!!
Ok, I never go back and leave comments, but this was freaking delicious. I used hemp milk instead and added cacao nibs and a bit of maca powder (which gave it a carmelly/nutty flavor). I never want to drink anything else. Thanks for the lovely pictures to make me remember to try this smoothie out!
Thank you Leigh! I’m so happy you enjoy it as much as we do. :)
I drank this all summer long! It was especially satisfying after a run! I love chocolate and this drink doesn’t disappoint. The one change I made was I included 1TB of chia seed and it seemed to be a bit thicker. Thanks Angela for another winner recipe!!
Perfect for those chocolate cravings
I just made this. It is soooo delicious. Sweet but not too sweet. I had hemp milk that I had made in the fridge, so I used that instead of the almond milk. Thanks for the fantastic recipe.
Sorry, I meant to click on 5 stars. I hit 3 by accident. Can you change to 5 for me? Thanks!
Sure, np :)
Delicious!
Can I use raw cacao powder instead of Dutch-processed cocoa powder? If so, would I use the same amount? Thanks!
I just made this last night. It was really, really good. I think the best thing about this recipe is that it is very forgiving and would probably still taste good with a variety of substitutions and playing around. I used two cups of almond milk so it was pretty thin (the way I prefer), but I also do not have a high-speed blender. Using my plain on Kitchen Aid blender, I got quite a few date chunks left at the bottom, but it still was plenty sweet and tasty, with a nice consistency. I will be adding this to the rotation of things I use to get a sweet fix when I need one.
YUM!! I’ve been curious to try adding hemp seeds into my smoothies so this might be a good chance to. I’m definitely pinning this smoothie to my Best Smoothie pinterest board (A pinterest contest by Vega – you can win a Vitamix!!)
This is like chocolate milk! I haven’t had that in ages! Time to break that trend :)
Angela, is the Dutch process important? All our cocoa is non Dutch process. :)
Hi Stephanie,
You can use whatever you have, but you may need to use less since the flavour will be more intense. You’d be best adding to taste.
Feeling under the weather and just whipped this up – ummmmmmmmmm! So good!
Yum! Thank you for creating vegan and sugar/sweetener free smoothies!
My cocoa powder has maca in it for even more nutritional benefits. I’ve been drinking these instead of eating desert in the evening. It’s delicious and no sugar crashes!
Tastes great! :)
Tastes great, thanks! :)
I’m on a bit of a mission to get some smoothies into my diet regularly, I think starting with a healthy chocolate vibe might be the encouragement I need – thanks for the recipe!
Can I use hemp milk instead of almond milk? I am so lucky the store down the street sells some. This looks yummy!
This smoothie is absolutely amazing, it has kept me going throughout my pregnancy.
It has also kept the ‘hangriness’ at bay, which my husband is thankful for. It looks and tastes like a dessert, but with the protein from the hulled hemp seeds and the fruit it’s surprisingly nutritious. Thank you so much for posting this recipe, I look forward to trying more recipes in your smoothie lineup.