Blend up a delicious Chocolate Smoothie packed with protein, fiber, and veggies—with all of the delicious flavors and creamy texture everyone wants in a smoothie!
Chocolate Smoothie
My oldest kiddo has never been into smoothies, but in the past year, she’s been willing to have a little bit of a chocolate smoothie—and it’s so nice to have the option in the mix.
This chocolate smoothie uses chocolate milk as the liquid, but also has leafy greens, zucchini, and avocado for a nice mix of nutrients including protein, vitamin C, iron, and fiber. And it’s super creamy, with a milkshake-like consistency, so it’s a great option to try with kids who may not have loved smoothies in the past.
Ingredients You Need
To make this smoothie, you’ll need the following ingredients on hand. (It’s easy to keep them in the fridge or freezer!)
- Chocolate milk: I usually use Ripple Chocolate Milk or Silk Plant Milk, which have less sugar than most other chocolate milks, but
- Frozen banana: This helps it turn out super creamy.
- Baby kale or spinach: You can use fresh or frozen greens.
- Yellow summer squash or zucchini: I put this in raw and it blends up nicely.
- Optional: avocado, nut or seed butter and/or hemp seeds
TIP: I store greens for smoothies in the freezer to knock down the green flavor since I am super sensitive to the flavor of kale. It helps a lot!
Ingredient Substitutions
- If you’d rather start with plain milk, you’ll just need to add cocoa powder. See the Notes at the bottom of the recipe.
- If you can’t do banana, you could use frozen mango or apple (both will have a slightly different flavor.
- You can cut back on the veggies, seeds, and nut or seed butter if you want to make a simpler smoothie.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s the process of how to make this simple veggie smoothie for kids. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full information.
- Measure out the ingredients.
- Add the ingredients to the blender.
- Start the blender on low, then gradually work up to high.
- Let the blender blend on high. Blend this smoothie very well to ensure that all of the veggies are evenly mixed up.
Can I add more protein smoothie?
If you’d like to add more protein, you can use an extra tablespoon each of nut or seed butter and hemp seeds. Or try my homemade Protein Powder. Kids might not need as much protein as you think, so you probably don’t need to add any more than that.
How can I make a chocolate smoothie without banana?
Omit the banana and use frozen apple or mango instead. The flavor will be slightly different, but the consistency will be about the same.
What’s the best way to help my child like smoothies?
Here are a few ideas for introducing smoothies to your kids that might help:
- Start with really small servings. One sip is better than no sips!
- Try different cups. Some kids might prefer to sip from an open cup, some might prefer to use a straw, and others might like to use a reusable pouch. You might be surprised to see how much changing this one aspect can help!
- Let them help you make the smoothie. It might help! (It might not, but it’s always worth a shot.)
- Skip the veggies for now and just go for the chocolate milk and frozen banana. There’s nothing wrong with really simplifying things.
How to Store
This smoothie is best served right after making, but you can store it in a container in the fridge (or a reusable pouch with a lid) for up to 24 hours. You can also store it in an ice cube tray and blend it up on a future day.
Best Tips for Success
- Blend super smooth for the best texture.
- You can use diary or nondairy milk.
- To make this with white milk, add 2 tablespoons cocoa powder and 1-2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup to taste if needed.
- I store greens for smoothies in the freezer to knock down the green flavor since I am super sensitive to the flavor of kale. It helps a lot!
- Serve in an open cup, a reusable pouch, or in a small bowl with a spoon. These are my favorite Smoothie Cups.
- Start with a small serving with kids still learning to like smoothies.
Related Recipes
I’d love to know what you think of this recipe if you try it so please comment below with feedback!
Best Chocolate Smoothie (with Veggies!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup chocolate milk
- 1 small banana (sliced and frozen; about ½ cup)
- 1/3 cup baby kale (or baby spinach)
- 1/3 cup raw yellow squash or zucchini
- 2 tablespoons avocado
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter or sunflower seed butter (optional)
- 1 teaspoon hemp seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Measure out the ingredients.
- Add to a blender.
- Blend, starting on low and gradually increasing to high. Blend on high for about 30 seconds to make sure the mixture is very smooth.
- Serve.
Equipment
Notes
- To make this with white milk, add 2 tablespoons cocoa powder and 1-2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup to taste if needed.
- Blend super smooth for the best texture.
- You can use dairy or nondairy milk.
- Skip the avocado if you don’t have it. (Frozen avocado works too.)
- Serve in an open cup, a reusable pouch, or in a small bowl with a spoon.
- Start with a small serving with kids still learning to like smoothies.
Nutrition
This post was first published December 2020.
How old should a toddler be before you offer cocoa? I have read that younger toddlers should not have cocoa due to its caffeine content and potential GI upset issues? I have already given my 12 month old grandson cocoa in smoothies, but stopped when I read not to give cocoa to toddlers that young. What do you think? My grandson liked the taste of the chocolate cocoa and didn’t seem to have GI issues.
It’s really up to you. It doesn’t concern me since the amount in any one serving is usually very very small and I have never seen it to have any impact other than joy. That’s my perspective anyway.
Can I make extra and save for all week or will it go bad?
It will be more like a thick chocolate milk after it sits in the fridge. I wouldn’t plan to keep it for more than 2 days. You can also make extra and freeze in reusable pouches or ice cubes like I explain in this post on meal prepping smoothies.https://www.yummytoddlerfood.com/how-to-meal-prep-smoothies-and-store-leftovers/
Do you use cooked or raw squash/zucchini?
Raw!
Even my picky husband gave a thumbs up. Thanks!