Favorite Diligent Indulgence – The Mocha Smoothie

This creamy, chocolatey treat can be whipped up in your blender in less than five minutes. Gluten-free, vegan, and dairy free.

What has under 250 calories, plenty of protein, some healthy fat, and tastes like a chocolate dream-come-true? I’m so excited to introduce you to Mocha Smoothie.

I developed this recipe when I was an e-campus student taking all my courses from home. It was summertime, so hot outside, and I wanted to have a healthier, lower calorie alternative to a Frappuccino. Oh … and I wanted to be able to make it at home to save time and money. Plus, I made extra coffee every morning, and I did not want it to go to waste!

3 Keys To a Perfect Mocha Smoothie

A frozen banana – it amps up the creaminess factor. If you have a banana, chop it up and put it in the freezer for a few hours to harden.
Cold coffee (not hot coffee, which would make the smoothie watery). The coffee does not overpower the chocolate, instead it enhances and adds depth to the chocolate flavor.
A blender that will crush ice – pulverizing the ice creates volume, which decreases the calorie-to-volume ratio.

*On the topic of blenders: I started making this recipe using the Oster Classic Heritage blender, which I highly recommend. At ~$70, it’s a great value and crushes ice like nobody’s business. When I started to make larger batches (because everyone in my family wanted some smoothie, too), I needed a blender with more horsepower. A good friend and smoothie guru recommended the Avamix BX2000V. This hoss of a blender has more horsepower than my treadmill, and, while more expensive than the Oster, it’s a small fraction of the price of other high-end blenders.

Homemade Mocha Smoothie Much Healthier than Coffee Shop Frappé!

How this 16-oz Mocha Smoothie compares to a 16-oz Mocha Frappuccino:

	Mocha Smoothie	Frappuccino
Calories	230	410
Carbs	36	65
Protein	17	5
Fat	6	15
Fiber	7	1

What a difference! The Mocha Smoothie has approximately half the calories and carbs, and way more protein and fiber – and we’ve chopped off almost 200 calories.

So, grab your ice crushing blender* and the handful of easy-to-find ingredients and come along with me on a fantastic mocha ride …

Mocha Smoothie – 1 serving, ~16 oz

1 frozen banana, in pieces

1 cup cold coffee

¼ – ½ cup almond or your choice of milk

½ scoop of your favorite vanilla or chocolate-flavored protein powder.

I like Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard Vanilla Ice Cream.

1-2 T cocoa powder

1 teaspoonful of your favorite nut butter

A handful of ice

Put it all in your blender and press go until smooth and creamy. Pour in a large cup and enjoy.

As always, be sure to let me know what you think and don’t hesitate to share your favorite smoothie recipes!