This is my favorite vegan mint chocolate chip smoothie shake recipe for breakfast, lunch, or outstanding after a workout. I always loved chocolate chip mint ice cream as a child, and you will be transported with this mint cacao smoothie. Do you remember the excitement you would get knowing your family was going out for an ice cream treat? Well, you can recreate that delicious flavor completely at home, but smoothies made with mint. So try this healthy chocolate mint smoothie for breakfast or lunch today. Your children will truly enjoy this mint chocolate chip shake.
Want the Recipe for an Easy, Vegan Mint Chocolate Smoothie?
Chocolate chip mint was always my go-to flavor. The mix of chocolate chunk pieces and the coolness of the mint are such a perfect balance. This mint chocolate chip smoothie is the greatest smoothie, hands down. Kids love this vegan mint smoothie recipe.
Smoothies With Mint are My New Favorite!
I wanted to create a healthy dessert smoothie recipe that tasted like my childhood treat, that can be enjoyed for breakfast, snack, or even dessert idea. The protein of the almonds can be replaced by a scoop of your favorite protein powder. You can change this up depending on what brand of protein powder you have available. This smoothie with fresh mint will become your new go-to recipe, especially if you are in the mood for a mint chocolate shake.
One Sip of This and You Will Be Taken Back to Your Childhood Ice Cream Dreams
A few of my favorite protein powders are: Orgain Organic vegan vanilla protein powder, Primal Kitchen Collagen Fuel Protein mix vanilla/coconut flavor, and Vega Protein & Greens plant protein in vanilla. These are all dairy-free protein powders, which is what I prefer over the typical whey protein powders out there.
I first published inside my Beauty Nutrition Index Cookbook. You can find that cookbook on my website. This is one of my favorite recipes from that cookbook.
Key Ingredients Needed for a Creamy, Healthy Chocolate Mint Smoothie Recipe
CACAO NIBS
Cacao is a great source of phytochemicals, antioxidants and dietary fiber (1). It is also rich in flavonols and polyphenols. That is why I love using this super food in place of regular chocolate in many of my recipes. I especially enjoy it in this chocolate chip smoothie.
Cacao nibs are also perfect in recipes where you still want that chocolate flavor, but without adding extra refined sugar. In addition to those health benefits, they are also heart healthy from the flavonoids. Surprisingly, cacao actually has more flavonoids than red wine (2). That's what makes this mint cacao smoothie so special.
ALMOND MILK
Switch your milk to non-dairy, like almond milk or soy milk, because cow’s milk promotes more acid growth. The reason cow's milk is acid producing is due to the lactic acid it contains. Even though cow's milk doesn't taste acidic, it can cause the stomach to produce more acid.
It is especially important to switch away from cow's milk if you suffer from stomach ulcers, acid reflux, or heartburn symptoms (3). Almond milk is low in calories, dairy-free, and unsweetened almond milk doesn't raise your blood glucose levels. It's also an excellent source of vitamin E. Vitamin E has been shown to help reduce inflammation in the body.
FRESH MINT LEAVES OR MINT EXTRACT
I personally love the fresh mint leaves in smoothies made with mint, rather than the extract. They are especially good for boosting your immune system. They are also anti-inflammatory in nature. If you typically suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, snacking on a few mint leaves may help alleviate symptoms (4). You will also gain more vitamins and minerals from the fresh mint leaves than the extract. Mint leaves are rich in potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, and vitamins A and C.
AVOCADO
I love the creamy texture that adding avocado to smoothies brings. I often use avocado in place of bananas in most smoothies to cut back on sugar content, but still bring that creamy texture you typically get from bananas. Avocados are full of fiber and rich of heart healthy monounsaturated fat. This is the "healthy fat" important to add to your diet, which has been shown to help lower high cholesterol levels.
ALMONDS OR PROTEIN POWDER
Almonds contain naturally occurring alkaline magnesium and calcium, which help your body balance your body’s blood sugar and acidity. Raw almonds are the perfect substitute in any smoothie recipe if you don't have any protein powder available. I also like to use raw almonds to increase fiber, vitamin, and mineral content to my beverage recipes. Almonds are high in potassium, iron, and magnesium.
How Would This Mint Cacao Smoothie Taste With Coconut Milk Instead of Almond Milk?
Most certainly, if that is what you have on hand, use coconut milk beverage or even canned coconut milk in this recipe. Keep in mind that the calorie count and macros will change depending on these modifications.
As for taste, the coconut milk will be in an added layer of flavor with coconut undertones. Some people enjoy this, others might not. Get creative and always keep your personal preferences in mind. Feel free to use any dairy free milk of choice in this recipe.
Do I Need to Use Chocolate Mint or Regular Mint Leaves?
Either choice of mint leaf is fine in this recipe, because of the addition of cacao nibs. The cacao nibs will bring in that chocolate flavor of this mint cacao smoothie recipe. You can certainly use mint extract in place of fresh mint leaves. However, keep in mind the measurement.
I have tested it with one teaspoon of mint extract, and that is perfect. Mint extract can be strong, so don't add more than one teaspoon, or the mint flavor will be overpowering. You can also try it with ¼ teaspoon and add more to get the perfect flavor you personally desire in any smoothies made with mint recipe.
Can I Use Chocolate Protein Powder Instead of Vanilla Protein?
You can also switch out the vanilla protein powder for chocolate protein powder. I have found that most people usually stock their pantry with vanilla flavored protein powder. So, I made the recipe easier for most people to follow. The cacao nibs give it that extra crunch reminiscent of mint chocolate chip ice cream.
What if I Don't Have Cacao Nibs?
You can use any mini chocolate chips that you might have on hand for the same flavor profile of this recipe. However, if you haven't tried cacao nibs, you are missing out on the additional nutritional benefits that cacao nibs provide. Note the health benefits I discussed earlier. You can also use Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips, which are a dairy and gluten-free option for chocolate chips. They taste delicious too.
RECIPE KEY NUTRIENTS
Fiber | Protein | Iron | Calcium | Vitamin A | Vitamin E | Folate
Healthy Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip Smoothie Recipe
This easy to make healthy mint cacao smoothie is not only vegan, but also tastes like mint chocolate chip ice cream. Your family will love smoothies made with mint, so make extra for them.
Author Laura Villanueva | Serves: 1 | Difficulty: Easy | Time: 5 minutes
MINT CHOCOLATE SHAKE INGREDIENTS:
- ⅓ cup of almonds or 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
- 1 pitted date
- 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk or dairy-free milk of choice
- ¼ cup mint leaves or 1 teaspoon of mint extract
- ¼ of a small avocado
- 1 tablespoon cacao nibs, plus more for garnish
- ½ cup of ice
MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP SHAKE DIRECTIONS:
Blend all the ingredients above in a blender. Garnish with extra cacao nibs and fresh mint leaves. Enjoy this vegan mint smoothie today.
Watch How to Make a Healthy MInt Chocolate Chip Smoothie
Learn how to make an easy, healthy chocolate chip smoothie by adding all the ingredients to a high powered blender, and simply blend away. Enjoy delicious smoothies made with mint today.
Enjoy This Delicious, Healthy Mint Chocolate Chip Smoothie!
If you make this mint chocolate chip smoothie recipe, let me know in the comment section below. I would also love to hear what you think. If you make this mint chocolate chip shake, take a photo and tag me @Eat_Your_Nutrition on Instagram. I love seeing your photos. #EatYourNutrition #LauraVillanueva
REFERENCES:
- Jiyoung Kim, Jaekyoon Kim, Jaesung Shim, Chang Yong Lee, Ki Won Lee & Hyong Joo Lee (2014) Cocoa Phytochemicals: Recent Advances in Molecular Mechanisms on Health, Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 54:11, 1458-1472, DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2011.641041
- Lee KW, Kim YJ, Lee HJ, Lee CY. Cocoa has more phenolic phytochemicals and a higher antioxidant capacity than teas and red wine. J Agric Food Chem. 2003 Dec 3;51(25):7292-5. doi: 10.1021/jf0344385. PMID: 14640573.
- Kulshreshtha M, et al.(2017). Pathophysiological status and nutritional therapy of peptic ulcer.
- Chumpitazi BP, Kearns GL, Shulman RJ. Review article: the physiological effects and safety of peppermint oil and its efficacy in irritable bowel syndrome and other functional disorders. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2018 Mar;47(6):738-752. doi: 10.1111/apt.14519. Epub 2018 Jan 26. PMID: 29372567; PMCID: PMC5814329.
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