Chocolate Avocado Smoothie (super rich, creamy, thick!)
This chocolate avocado smoothie is amazingly healthy, quick and simple, and outrageously creamy. And you won’t even taste the avocado, it’s all chocolate and banana! Naturally gluten-free with paleo and vegan options.
I love avocado smoothies, and this smoothie is at the top of my list. Avocados make any smoothie super rich, thick and creamy. Chocolate and avocado together make an indulgent treat.
But no worries because this luscious smoothie is actually good for you!
Ingredients:
- Avocado
- Cocoa powder
- Banana
- Greek yogurt or coconut yogurt for paleo and vegan options
- Milk or non-dairy milk
- Vanilla
- Maple syrup or honey (for non-vegan)
By the way, if you need this smoothie to be gluten-free, check out Is Cocoa Powder Gluten-free? for more info on brands that are tested as and labeled gluten-free! You can also read specifically about Hershey’s here → Is Hershey’s Gluten-free?
How to make:
It’s super easy!
- Just blend the ingredients until they’re creamy.
- Add a little milk if you want it thinner. Add sweetener, if desired.
- Serve!
Tips
- As you blend, scrape down the sides of the blender to make sure all the ingredients are blended well.
- Like your smoothies extra cold? Use frozen bananas. It takes a little prep, but it’s worth it on those hot mornings. You can also freeze cubed avocado, so if you have some that are ripe that you’re not using, just cut them into cubes and freeze them.
- To make a smoothie bowl, top it with sliced fresh fruit and granola!
- You can store this smoothie overnight in the fridge for a quick breakfast on the run. But don’t forget about it because it will only last for a day.
- If you want to make a couple of batches, you can put the smoothie into freezer-safe glass jars with airtight lids and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just put one in the fridge to thaw overnight to thaw, stir and enjoy.
What milk alternatives can I use?
You can use any non-dairy milk you’d like. My favorites are cashew milk and then almond milk.
Soy milk and oat milk also work (for non-paleo). There might be slight differences in taste, so feel free to experiment.
How to freeze bananas and avocados:
For this smoothie, I just put the banana and ripe avocado in the fridge overnight. It makes this smoothie cold and refreshing, but if you like smoothies extra cold and don’t want to add ice (which would make it icy and watered down), then you can freeze the banana and avocado ahead of time.
How to freeze bananas:
Bananas are a staple for many, but no matter how much you eat them, there’s always a couple that start to turn bad. But that’s no problem because it means the banana will be extra sweet for this smoothie.
To freeze bananas, just peel and slice them into little bites. Place the sliced banana pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Don’t overcrowd them or they’ll stick together in a clump.
Put them in the freezer for about two hours. Once the bananas are frozen, transfer them into a resealable plastic bag and use them when needed. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.
How to freeze avocados:
Avocados, too, tend to go from ripe to overripe within a day or two. When there’s a sale on avocados, I buy as many as I can to use for smoothies later.
To freeze avocados, just peel and dice into cubes. On a lined baking sheet, place the cubes on the sheet without overcrowding. Once they are frozen, transfer to a resealable plastic bag and store in the freezer for 4 to 6 months.
If you’re looking for more information on avocados, like how to choose them, cut them, and store them, then check out my Ultimate Guide to Avocados. It has everything you need to know about avocados, including all the healthy benefits.
Are you sure this smoothie isn’t actually pudding?
No, not exactly. It verges on being a pudding because of its chocolaty creaminess and thickness. If you want to make a pudding instead, just leave out the milk. That’s what I did for this Healthy Mint Chocolate Pudding, and the result is amazing!
If a non-avocado pudding is more your thing, try this super-rich Vegan Chocolate Pudding. It’s easy and sweetened with either coconut sugar or maple, and it’s also paleo.
Other smoothie recipes:
It’s hot out there, and one way to beat the heat is to start your day with a cool and refreshing treat.
- This Vietnamese Avocado Smoothie is simple, sweet and creamy. You can make it the traditional way with sweetened condensed milk or for a healthier version that’s both paleo and vegan, you can use maple syrup and coconut milk.
- This Blueberry Avocado Smoothie is an extra tasty and simply gorgeous treat. Easy to make paleo and vegan.
- This citrusy Banana Orange Smoothie is healthy and smooth. With paleo, vegan and whole30 options.
- This Raspberry Banana Avocado Smoothie is perfectly fruity and creamy.
- If you like coconut, you’re going to love this Raspberry Coconut Smoothie. It’s rich and naturally sweetened. With a dairy-free and vegan option.
- If you want a tropical smoothie, this Strawberry Mango Banana Smoothie is easy breezy and full of amazing flavor.
Photos and text updated 7/2021. The recipe is still the same. Here’s an old photo for reference.
Chocolate Avocado Smoothie (super rich, creamy, thick!)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (60 grams) plain Greek yogurt or coconut yogurt for paleo/vegan (see below for more info)
- 1/4-1/2 cup (60 – 120 ml) cashew milk or whatever milk you'd like
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder I like Dutch-process or Hershey’s Special Dark
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- 1/2 (85 grams) avocado
- 1 banana medium, about 120 grams without the peel, cold
- 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup honey (for non-vegan) or another liquid sweetener, optional
Instructions
- Put everything, everything for the sweetener, and starting with 1/4 cup of milk, into the blender (or food processor) in the order listed.
- Blend until it’s very creamy. Add more milk, if needed, until it’s the desired thickness. Taste and add sweetener, if desired. I use 3 tablespoons of maple syrup.
- Serve immediately or keep covered in the refrigerator for up to one day.
Notes
- You could also add more banana instead of sweetener, but that will decrease the chocolate taste and make it more banana-y.
- Coconut yogurt will yield a thick smoothie like you see in the photos but you could also use coconut milk for a thinner version. If using yogurt, make sure that it’s compliant with your diet (so – no added junk for paleo).
- The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator.
Nutrition
Categories:
Dairy-free, Drinks, Gluten-free, Paleo, Seasonal Recipes, Smoothies, Special Diets, Summer Recipes, Vegan,
Just made this tonight and loved it! I used whipped creamy cottage cheese instead of yogurtand it turned out like pudding! So, I served it with a little whipped cream as dessert!
That sounds amazing! I’d never heard of whipped creamy cottage cheese. Interesting! Thanks so much for the tip and the feedback. :) So happy that you liked it!
LOVE that I found your site…One question on the Smoothies, anything I could use to replace the yogurt? Cant have the dairy. Thank you
Sorry for my slow reply, Angie! You could just leave it out (it’ll still be quite thick) but I recommend finding So Delicious Dairy-free Greek yogurt. They have it using almond milk and coconut milk! It’s really the only good sub I’ve found for yogurt. I hope you can find some! :)
Coconut cream makes a great substitute for yogurt! As long as you don’t mind it being higher in [good] fat and lower in protein. If you’re making it meal you may want to add some protein powder or nuts to increase the protein content
It’s good to know that coconut cream works well! Thanks for the tip. :)
Hi, I lie the look & sound of your smoothies, especially the chocolate one! However I too have an allergy to bananas & therefor have had to miss out on some very nice smoothies. How did you come to realise you could eat certain bananas & is it a particular one please. I need to be very specific as my allergy so far does not in any way tolerate even the slightest hint of banana.
Thank you for any help you can give me. It would make my day to be able to drink one of your smoothies.
Suzy
I’m afraid there’s no specific type of banana I can eat. It sounds like my banana allergy isn’t nearly as serious as yours. So up until recently, eating bananas would make my throat and ears (or rather, the inside of my ears?) really itchy, give me a drippy throat, and sometimes it’d develop into something like a little cold (without the coughing). Why I can eat bananas now I have no idea. But every now and then, I’ll eat one and have the same weird reaction. The next day, I’ll eat another from the same “batch” of bananas and not have the problem. Have you tried avocados? They’re great for smoothies! But I’ve heard that people who are allergic to bananas are often allergic to avocados. :( So sorry I couldn’t help more! I totally get how bad a banana allergy is when you want to eat healthy. Very frustrating and annoying!
Have you tried organic bananas?
I actually haven’t. I’ll pick some up next time I’m at the store! Thanks for the idea. :)
Could it have something to do with the ripeness? My experience is you can add a little zucchini and/or dates to taste to get the right texture and sweetness. It still won’t have the banana flavor, though
Do you mean you use zucchini and dates in place of bananas? That’s an interesting sub! I’ll have to try that. Thanks for your comment. :)
This was great. Thanks. I froze a few whole bananas and I just “shot” it out of the peel. (squeezed, lol)
Hehehe. Shooting bananas sounds fun! :D So happy that you liked the smoothie. Thanks a ton for the feedback and the rating!
This looks great! Fortunately, I have all the ingredients, so I’m gonna make this for lunch. I’m lactose intolerant, so I’m substituting Greek yoghurt for soy yoghurt and the milk for soy milk. Do you think it’ll still work?
Love xx
Thanks, Signe! It should still work. It’ll be just a little thinner but the smoothie so thick I don’t think you’ll notice. I hope you’ll enjoy it! :)
Erin,
After sitting here on the computer looking through your recipes, I am excited to try a whole bunch. I love that you have gluten/grain free ones on here. I discovered I now need to be pretty much gluten free for different reasons, but all your stuff is fun and yummy. Not to mention, I have several children and I think they are going to enjoy some of it too. Tonight, we are going to try your peanut butter dough bites. If I can tomorrow, I am going to try these avocado smoothies. Way yum!!! What I like best about you is that you make me laugh. I love to laugh. And your writing is enjoyable to read. I also like what you said about the cookie dough bites and being self control challenged. Perhaps when I need to work on my self control, i will make them (hahaha…good reason, right?) maybe i will need to make them every couple hours…j/k. but haha. And avocado is a FRUIT??? who knew. dumb dumb dottie. bummer. oh well. it will taste yummy, i’m sure. Thank you for taking the time to write all your yummy stuff and post pretty photos. I appreciate it and now I should get going. However, i might have some self control issues, b/c i don’t know if i can stop bopping around here on your blog. :)
Hi Angela! I’m happy you found the blog. :) I hope that you and your children will love the recipes! And thanks for your comment about me making you laugh. That’s actually the first time anyone has said that on here! I hope that you get a chance to make the avocado smoothie and that it’ll come out well. And haha… I love you for saying that you need to make cookie dough bites to work on your self control! :D
And yeah, I would have never figured avocado as a fruit! But I guess it doesn’t matter because they’re so very healthy. By the way, I just answered your comment on the brownies post! Thank you for your very nice comment. It made my day. :D
I thought this was really yummy! Mine looked lighter than yours. Reminded me of chocolate mousse. My daughter thought it was too bitter. My husband thought it tasted like vegetables. More for me!
I can see bitter if you didn’t add a lot of sweetener but vegetables? Haha. Well, like you said, more for you! :) I’m so happy that you liked it. Thanks a ton for the feedback!
Hi Erin,
I just got a whole bunch of bananas and I freeze them too but WITHOUT the peel. Just put them in a container and scoop out what you want when you make your smoothies. I’ll go back to the store and pick up the avocados. I love to try anything chocolate on your site. YUMMO! Thanks for the healthy idea for bananas, avocados and chocolate. Sounds great!
Happy (almost) New Year! Susan/AZ/USA
Hi Susan! I freeze my bananas without the peel, too. It’s just so easy! I’m interested in trying Sharon’s way, though. I hope you’ll enjoy this smoothie! Thanks and happy almost New Year to you, too! :)
I just freeze my bananas whole in the peel — then when you defrost you have a lovely sweet liquid with the banana flesh that helps to sweeten recipes — I can have absolutely no sugars (I have too much insulin) but I can use banana or applesauce in my baking with no adverse reaction — love your recipes.
I love that idea! My only problem with freezing whole bananas is that I like the banana to be slightly frozen when I put it in my smoothie. And it’s just too hard to peel them that way! But I’ll definitely keep your tip in mind when I have bananas that I need to freeze that aren’t for smoothies. Thanks a bunch! :)
no problem Erin — just defrost as you would normally in the microwave until still slightly frozen and peel — works great — ps love your tip about freezing my avocados — did not know you could freeze them
Ooh, great idea! Thanks. :) And yup, freezing avocados (just the flesh!) works wonders. I’m the master of buying oodles of avocados when they’re on sale and then they all start to ripen all at the same time and then I’m in a panic. So they all go in the freezer! I only use them in my smoothies and they’re perfect for that. :)
This came out grt, it was a little bitter for my taste so I sweetens it with clover honey. Delish!
Honey sounds great! Thanks for the feedback. :)
I just tried this and it was delicious. I added a little unsweetened almond milk the recipe. I also added honey as it was a little “bitter” to me as well. Very good. Thank you!
I’m happy it came out well! And you can never go wrong with honey. ;) Thanks so much for your feedback!
I love avocados in savory recipes, but I haven’t tried them in a smoothie yet. Think I’d make this as a pudding. Yum!
I hope you’ll enjoy the pudding! Let me know how it comes out. :)
Hi, I was wondering how long this would keep in the fridge if it wasn’t drunk straight away? Do you think it would freeze?! Ooo or what if it were made with a frozen banana, it would turn out like a soft serve!
Frozen banana would be great. :) I have a chocolate avocado banana popsicle recipe which I guess is really similar to this now that I think about it. https://www.texanerin.com/2013/07/chocolate-popsicles-with-a-secret-ingredient.html So I think it would freeze, but then you’ll have yourself something popsicle like. And I wouldn’t refrigerate any longer than 48 hours. The avocado could get funky!
Hi! Would this keep in the fridge if I didn’t use it straight away?
I’ve seen so many recipes with avocado circling the web these days, but many of them ruin the healthy nutrients by using too many unhealthy ingredients as well. Can’t wait to give your recipe a try :) it looks great and nutrious, just like it should be :)
Thanks, Anoushé! And agreed. What’s the point of using avocados if you pour in a cup of sugar with them? ;) I hope you’ll enjoy the smoothie! Let me know how it comes out. :)
Was inspired by your recipe to try avocado in a “sweet” recipe and I wasn’t disappointed. Thank you for the recipe!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the smoothie! :) And avocados in sweet recipes are really great. Just add enough cocoa powder and sweetener and you can’t go wrong. ;) Thanks a bunch for your feedback and rating!
This looks so good, I’m excited to try it. I’ve been hearing pretty often on the internet that avocado works well with chocolate and sweet things. & thank you for using metric units, it’s time for America to get with it.
No problem, Kiki! I usually include metric but just realized I completely forgot on my latest post. So thanks for mentioning that! :) I hope you’ll enjoy the smoothie. Let me know how it comes out!
Omg! I just had no idea this would actually taste good! Thank you!!!
Hahaha. I love that you tried it despite not thinking it’d taste good! Yay. Thanks for the feedback! :)
I think this is the best Chocolate Avocado smoothie I have ever made!!! Thank you so much for posting this awesome recipe. I had featured u in the post of Seven Cool Smoothies That Will Perk Up Your Spirits on AllFreshRecipes, I will pay close attention to ur more recipes!
What a compliment! Thank you so much. :) And thanks for featuring me! I’ll go check it out. :)
I have been making “carrot cake” smoothies with avocado, but my kids are finally on to me that it is healthy! So, I will give this one a try. I’m sure we will all devour it-just like we did the avocado brownies I made for St Pats day!. I wanted to make a green treat without using food dye. Creamy, fudgy, unbelievabe!
So sorry for the slow reply! And carrot cake smoothies… I’ll have to try that! Thanks for the idea. :) And love the idea of green avocado brownies! I’ve had a real problem with St. Patrick’s Day recipes on here because I don’t want to post anything dyed. Thanks again!
Yum Yum Yum! What if you add peanut butter?
I haven’t tried that but I imagine it’d be good. :)