When I say this is the only smoothie I’ve been making for over a year, I’m not kidding. It’s THAT good.
I’m a mint-chocolate-lover through and through and this is like my favorite flavor of ice cream meets all the nutrition and nourishment I look for in a meal-replacement-worthy smoothie (or at least a really nutrient-dense treat).
Let’s chat ingredients:
It’s a nutrition fact that frozen bananas are the best smoothie ingredient. Ok, I’m kidding. It’s not at all a nutrition fact; it’s just a personal nutritionist preference. Frozen bananas are my go-to smoothie fruit because they add the perfect subtle but sweet creaminess and they pair nice with any other flavor combo. You can go fruity with berries, you can go chocolate with cacao, or you can go full-on mint chocolate ice cream flavor with this combo.
And pro tip on bananas for smoothies: Buy a bunch at the grocery store. Let them ripen on your counter until they’re really brown. Then let them ripen for another day. (Seriously, past that comfort level.) The longer you let them ripen, the sweeter they’ll get. Then peel them, break them in half and freeze them in a glass tupperware or freezer-safe plastic bag. They make the perfect creamy, sweet addition to a smoothie. When you let them get really sweet, you don’t need any other sweetener for it to taste like dessert!
The flax seeds and chia seeds both add fiber, protein and healthy fats to balance out the starchy carbs from the banana. I like to stock up on the organic ones from NOW and keep them in my air-tight containers in my pantry. They’re affordable, they’re nutrient-dense, and they keep well in the pantry so I always have them on-hand!
Full-fat coconut milk is the liquid of choice here because it adds such amazing creaminess and texture, plus the healthy fats are amazing at helping to maintain stable blood sugar levels so you don’t get a crash 30-minutes later.
Don’t waste your money with the “lite” canned coconut milk. You’re just paying for more water. Get the full fat goodness and then just add water to your preference.
And the real mint leaves are the secret here. I’ve tried mint extract and nothing even comes close to the magic you get with real, fresh mint leaves. Trust me on this, they make all the difference.
Cacao nibs, which are dried from cacao beans, are loaded with naturally occurring polyphenols, flavonols and minerals. Blitzing them in at the end gives it the real chocolate-chip feel without any of the added sugars that will spike your blood sugar.
Option: You can also add almond milk instead of water if you want it extra creamy!
Here are the details on the recipe:
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
- 1 large handful spinach or mixed greens
- 1 scoop protein powder
- 4 mint leaves
- 1 tsp flaxseed meal
- 1 tsp chia seeds
- 1/2 frozen banana
- 4 ice cubes
- water to texture preference
- 1 tbsp cacao nibs
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to the blender besides the cacao nibs.
- Blend until it reaches your desired consistency. (I love the Smoothie function on my Ninja blender.)
- Add in cacao nibs and blend for 5 – 10 extra seconds.
- Enjoy!
Video
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At this point, y’all know I believe strongly in not counting calories. But I do think nutrient awareness is really important in making healthy choices so here are some important numbers for this amazing smoothie:
- 20 g of healthy fats to stay full for hours
- only 10 g of natural sugars
- 11 g of fiber to support digestive regularity
- 17 g of protein to support tissue and cell growth with quality amino acids
All that goodness for your body with delicious flavor to boot?! Too good to be true. Except it’s not.
Give it a try and let me know what you think! Tag me @mollie.mason on Instagram for a reshare.
Huge thank you to NOW for sponsoring this post. It’s such a joy to share my favorite brands with y’all and it’s because of brands like these that I’m able to create this extensive content for you. As always, all opinions are my own. (You can use code MOLLIE for 20% off all orders on their website.)
Please send me this recipe in my email
Hi Jessica, so glad you’re excited about the recipe! You can sign up for emails here: https://molliemasonwellness.com/bright-life-tribe
This looks delicious! Which protein powder do you use & which flavor?
Oh Christine it’s so delicious you’ll love it! I love the Banana Nut protein from Rootz. It’s linked on my Favorites page (with a discount code for you to use). It’s still delicious with nearly any chocolate protein but I swear by this one for this recipe.