While smoothies might be a summer staple, we enjoy them all year long—they’re quick to prepare and can deliver a lot of nutrition in one delicious drink. This one packs a healthy punch with nutrient-dense foods like spinach, blueberries, and cacao for a range of beneficial vitamins and minerals. Chia seeds add omega-3 fatty acids, and collagen powder* contains amino acids that boost skin elasticity and joint health.
The best part of this smoothie is that it tastes like a chocolate peanut butter cup in a glass! Okay, maybe it’s not quite that decadent—but it definitely tastes like a treat, not the healthy meal replacement that it really is. Our favorite peanut butter for this smoothie is Georgia Grinders’ All Natural Creamy Peanut Butter because the ingredients are just peanuts and sea salt—that’s it. We don’t like any added oils in our peanut butter, and Georgia Grinders makes this yummy version that performs just as well without any added oils. A storage tip: keep unopened peanut butter jars upside down in your pantry until you’re ready to open them. This makes it a breeze to mix in any natural peanut oils when you’re ready to use it!
We love making this recipe with our Unsweetened Vanilla almond milk. The texture is so creamy and rich, and the touch of vanilla adds the perfect flavor to the mix. This almond milk is our go-to when we make smoothies. It’s the perfect base for just about any recipe, though it’s especially delicious when chocolate is involved.
*Most collagen powders come from animal sources, but there are plant-based collagen powders available if that’s your preference. We used Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides in our smoothie, but if you’d rather use a plant-based alternative, we recommend Copina Co’s Original Beauty as a good replacement.
Note: This recipe serves 3–4.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tsp. chia seeds
- 3½ c. New Barn Organics Unsweetened Vanilla almond milk
- 3 ripe bananas
- 2 c. frozen blueberries
- ½ c. frozen chopped spinach
- 3 c. Georgia Grinders All Natural Creamy Peanut Butter
- 3 ½ Tbsp. cacao powder
- 1 Tbsp. collagen powder of your choice
- ¼–1/2 c. honey (to taste)
DIRECTIONS
In a small cup, soak chia seeds in ½ cup almond milk for 15-20 minutes, until seeds have developed a gelatinous texture.
While the chia seeds are soaking, place bananas, blueberries, and spinach in a blender. Add peanut butter and honey. Sprinkle in cacao and collagen powders, taking care to avoid clumps in any one spot.
Pour remaining almond milk and chia seed mixture into blender. Mix on high speed for 2-3 minutes, until all ingredients are thoroughly blended. Taste and adjust sweetness if necessary, blending again for 30–60 seconds if more honey is added to the mixture.
Pour into glasses and serve immediately. Leftovers will keep in a sealed mason jar for 1-2 days.
