Chocolate Covered Cherry Smoothie (+ Freezer Pack Instructions)

This easy, healthy Chocolate Covered Cherry Smoothie recipe tastes like a chocolate shake (seriously!) but is chock full of antioxidants and protein thanks to spinach, dark cherries, almond butter, cocoa powder, and more. It’s dairy-free, gluten-free, and we teach you how to make it into a freezer smoothie pack for later.

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Our Easy, Healthy Smoothie Recipes

Over the next several weeks, Polly and I are sharing 7 easy, healthy smoothie recipes that you can make ahead and freeze as freezer smoothie packs. We have been working really hard on developing and testing these on neighbors and family members of all ages. The response has been overwhelmingly positive! In fact, ever since we started smoothie recipe development a few months ago, we have become smoothie addicts and so have our family members. Who knew healthy eating could be so easy and tasty!?

Here’s what you can expect from our simple smoothie recipes over the next few weeks. They will:

• Taste yummy! Yes, these smoothies are SUPER HEALTHY but we wanted to make sure they didn’t taste like weeds from the backyard. Ha! We found that adults and kids alike gulped these down. (Note: You can always add a little honey or other natural sweetener, if you prefer a sweeter version.)
• Include only simple real food ingredients that you can find in just about any grocery store these days. In fact, most of our ingredients came from Aldi and are very affordable. Of course, if you want to add in things like protein powder or other fancy powders, be our guest. But, we are sticking to recognizable whole foods for these recipes.
• Make a single-serving (16 ounce) smoothie, which can work as a meal replacement. Or, make two (8 ounce) smoothies for kids or to compliment a meal.
• Include fruits and/or vegetables and a source of protein and healthy fats–like nuts, chia seeds, avocado, Greek yogurt, or nut butter–to keep you full and satisfied.
• Include instructions to create a freezer smoothie pack (or packs) for later.

Try making these other smoothies that we’ve shared in this series or Pin them for later:

• 4-Ingredient Tropical Smoothie
• Blueberry Muffin Smoothie
• Orangesicle Smoothie
• Strawberry Pina Colada Smoothie
• Green Machine Smoothie
• Very Berry Smoothie

How to Make a Freezer Smoothie Pack

What are freezer smoothie packs? Only the best, most genius idea ever. You’ll simply toss most of your smoothie ingredients in a freezer bag/container to have on hand in the freezer. (Be sure to follow our layering instructions.) Then you can throw together a delicious, nutrient dense smoothie for breakfast, as a snack, or as a meal replacement anytime.

Amazingly, all of the fruits, vegetables, and add-ins that we’ve tested from frozen have worked well in a smoothie. That’s not always the case when you freeze certain fruits/vegetables for other uses, however. Smoothies are very forgiving!

If you’re trying to cut down on plastic bag use like we are, try these reusable silicone bags. We’ve personally tested these bags for weeks now. I’ve found them to be easy to rinse out and dry, and they do not leak. They seem well made and worth the investment.

How to Make a Chocolate Covered Cherry Smoothie

Now, on to our very first easy, healthy smoothie recipe! We are starting off with a big bang with our Chocolate Covered Cherry Smoothie. Hands down, this is the best smoothie recipe I’ve ever made. In fact, I stopped halfway through writing this blog post to make one! How is that for putting my money where my mouth is!?

It’s actually very easy to throw together once you have all the ingredients on hand. Here is your shopping list:

• Almond milk (or substitute your favorite milk of choice)
• Banana (preferably frozen in slices to create the perfect smoothie texture)
• Frozen dark sweet cherries (NOT tart red cherries)
• Baby spinach (I prefer organic, which is easy to find)
• Almond butter (or substitute your favorite nut butter)
• 100% cocoa powder or cacao powder

It’s important to note that you will need the dark, sweet cherries. I tested this with the tart red version, as well as strawberries, and it just wasn’t the same. Neither of those fruits were as sweet. I found the dark, sweet cherries in the frozen food section at our local Hy-Vee store.

This, my friends, is all you need to make a smoothie that will taste like a DELICIOUS chocolate shake with a hint of cherry to it! You will NOT taste the spinach but still enjoy all the health benefits of slurping up your greens. {{Knucks}} If you really like things sweet, you may want to add a dollop of raw honey, too.

What Blender Do I Need to Make a Chocolate Covered Cherry Smoothie?

Now, let’s talk blenders for a minute. Not all of them are created equal. I’ve owned a lot of brands over the years–Frigidaire, Cuisinart, Ninja, Vitamix, and Oster. To really pulverize the freezer smoothie packs, you’ll need a high-powered blender. The two blenders that stand out as clear winners from my experience are:

1. The Vitamix (of course!) because it is very high-powered, super simple, and will last for an eon. I saved up for and owned a refurbished version that lasted over five years with daily use. I could have sent it in to Vitamix to get fixed but instead opted for the blender below (and am very happy). (Update: I bought a new Vitamix on Black Friday and LOVE it. So worth the $.)
2. My current and more affordable Nutri Ninja Personal and Countertop Blender makes smooth smoothies and allows me to make single serving smoothies. Love the single serving blend-and-go design! The big blender doesn’t pulverize as well as the smaller containers do or the Vitamix, just so you know. We use the single-serving blender daily!

Alright now, if you’ve got your blender and ingredients on hand, it’s time to make your delicious chocolate shake…I mean your healthy Chocolate Covered Cherry Smoothie! Or, spend a few minutes dividing up ingredients and make some freezer smoothie packs for later.

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