The Peanut Butter Cup-Inspired Smoothie is the flavors of the candy, only liquid. Frozen banana gives body while the topping of melted, hardened chocolate over the top adds a crunch to the creamy drink. For an extra dose of peanutty goodness, top it off with crushed peanuts or a swirl of peanut butter.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium banana, sliced and frozen
- ¾ cup unsweetened plain almond milk
- ½ cup ice
- ¼ cup whole-milk plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons smooth natural peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon mini semisweet chocolate chips
- ¾ teaspoon unrefined coconut oil
- Flaky sea salt for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
- Add the Ingredients: Place the banana, peanut butter, cocoa powder, almond milk, Greek yogurt (if using), and honey or maple syrup in your blender.
- Blend: Puree everything at high speed until it is very smooth and creamy. If it’s too thick, add a little more milk to get to your desired consistency.
- Add ice: If it needs to be thicker and even colder, toss in a couple of ice cubes into the blender and mix them up well
- Taste and Adjust: Add honey or maple syrup if necessary and the sweetness isn’t level.
- Serve : Pour the mixture into a glass, add toppings of cocoa powder or chopped nuts if you fancy
- For making your smoothie thicker, you can add more frozen bananas, or some ice cubes, or you could even use frozen cauliflower for great volume without altering the taste. Chia seeds or oats can add great thickness to it also.
- Although this smoothie is best served fresh, the ingredients can be prepared ahead of time and kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator. You can then simply blend everything together when you’re ready to drink it. The ingredients can also be frozen ahead of time and then blended to make a cold, refreshing smoothie.
- Best to drink once immediately after you blend it, so you could have its perfect taste and texture. In the case that you would have some leftovers, you could refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 24 hours; the texture is going to change, though.
- To make it dairy-free, almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk can be used as replacement. Alternatively, you can replace Greek yogurt with a plant-based yogurt.
TIPS
- Healthier Version: Use natural peanut butter with no added sugars or oils. This prevents your smoothie from having extra ingredients you don’t want.
- More Protein: If you want to make this a more filling snack or post-workout, then add a scoop of protein powder (chocolate flavor works nice!).
- Vegan Version: Use non-dairy milk (almond, oat, or coconut milk). Use a yogurt alternative that’s dairy-free.
Conclusion
This peanut butter cup-inspired smoothie is a healthy, indulgent way to curb that sweet tooth. Mix in peanut butter, banana, and cocoa to get rich, chocolatey flavor while still maintaining the protein and healthy fats. Whether it’s a fast breakfast, a post-workout treat, or simply a snack, this smoothie is packed to give you just the right amount of taste and nutrition.
The best part is that it’s completely customizable and can be prepared according to every dietary requirement so that you could enjoy it with no guilt.
FAQS:
Can I use peanut butter powder instead of regular peanut butter?
Absolutely! If you want to reduce the fat content, you can use peanut butter powder instead. It is good for replacing regular peanut butter.
Is this smoothie good for a post-workout snack?
Sure thing! This smoothie consists of a good balance of healthy fats, carbs, and proteins for a great muscle recovery smoothie after a workout. Adding protein powder could also augment recovery.