• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Raising on Plants
  • Raising on Plants
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact Us
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Raising on Plants
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact Us
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Raising on Plants
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Contact Us
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Breakfast

    Chocolate Black Bean Smoothie

    Publish Date Apr 26, 2023 · Updated: Jul 6, 2024 by Yasmin

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    GFSFVG

    This creamy chocolate black bean smoothie is one of the best smoothies for busy mornings. It's absolutely delicious (I think it tastes like a chocolate brownie milkshake). It's incredibly easy to make, and it's ready in minutes!

    A glass of black bean smoothie with a straw.

    Before you get worried about how black beans are going to taste in a smoothie, let me reassure you - you absolutely cannot taste them. The black beans add a smooth creamy texture to the smoothie which makes it taste like a thick delicious chocolate milkshake. But one that's good for you!

    This recipe is for 4 servings of our black bean smoothie. I can split this between myself and three hungry children, with there still being a little bit leftover for my eldest who always wants more.

    Jump to:
    • What makes this black bean smoothie so great?
    • Ingredients
    • Equipment
    • How to make a chocolate black bean smoothie
    • Recipe variations
    • Storage
    • Top tip
    • FAQ
    • Other recipes you might like
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    What makes this black bean smoothie so great?

    • This recipe is refined sugar free. We use banana and dates for sweetness - only whole foods here! Which makes this recipe perfect for kids of all ages. My 11 month old, 2 year old and 4 year old all have this smoothie, and so do I.
    • The creamy black beans add lots of plant-based protein and fiber. One serving of this smoothie has 12g of protein, which is nearly a toddlers whole daily recommended intake (13g for ages 1-3).
    • It contains healthy fats and omegas from hemp seeds.
    • A healthy dose of iron comes from the cacao powder. In fact, it's the highest source of plant based iron going. When teamed with the vitamin c from the banana, it increases the iron absorption rate. Which is particularly important when consuming non-heme iron sources such as this.
    • This healthy, wholefoods, protein packed breakfast helps keep those little tummy's full until snack time.

    Ingredients

    All of the black bean smoothie ingredients laid out on a light background.
    • Banana - A natural sweetener and necessary in order for your body to absorb iron from the cacao powder.
    • Black beans - Their creamy texture when blended is great for smoothies like this. Make sure your tinned beans are in plain water, not salted water. And try to get organic beans if you can.
    • Cacao powder - I always try to encourage using cacao powder, and not cocoa powder, where possible. It's the best plant based source of iron you can get.
    • Chaga Mushroom Powder - Mushrooms really are magic. They contain a high level of antioxidants, among having other beneficial properties. I add chaga to most chocolate based recipes, but it's not essential to the recipe. If you're interested in learning more about the benefits of adding mushroom powders to your recipes, Healthline and Dirtea are good places to start.
    • Hemp seeds - These are a great source of brain boosting omega 3 fats.
    • Ice cubes - We find this smoothie best served ice cold so we recommend not skipping these.
    • Medjool Dates - I use Medjool dates because they're delicious and taste like caramel. Dates are a healthy way to sweeten meals and drinks because they are a whole food, and therefore contain extra vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Something processed sugars and sweeteners do not. For more information on why Medjool dates are, in my opinion, one of the best foods in the world, see our blog post comparing them to other types of dates.
    • Plant Milk - You can use any you have at home such as soy milk, almond milk or hemp milk. We used our homemade cashew milk.
    • Vanilla Extract - We add this solely for flavour, so it's fine to omit this if you don't have any.

    Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities.

    Equipment

    • High speed blender - Vitamix, magimix, ninja
    • Cups or bottles to drink from. For the children, we use Elk and Friends smoothie cups.

    How to make a chocolate black bean smoothie

    The blender jug filled with all the dry ingredients.

    Add the black beans, bananas, pitted dates, hemp seeds, cacao powder & chaga powder (if using), to the blender jug.

    The blender jug filled with both wet and dry ingredients.

    Add the milk, vanilla and ice cubes. Then blend on high speed for 1 minute.

    Pouring the smoothie in to a glass.

    Pour and enjoy!

    Recipe variations

    • Cinnamon - You can add ¼ teaspoon cinnamon to your smoothie for a tasty twist.
    • Nut butter - Peanut butter and chocolate are the ultimate combo, try adding 1 tablespoon, tasting, and adding more if desired. Alternatively you can add almond butter. You could also add peanut butter in the form of protein powder - just make sure you check the ingredients first to ensure it's child friendly.
    • Chaga mushroom powder - I'm a big advocate for adding mushroom and superfood powders to our diet where possible. In fact I rarely make this black bean smoothie without adding a tablespoon of chaga mushroom powder. Alternative superfood powders would be maca or lacuma powder. Both are incredibly delicious.
    • White beans - If you don't have black beans, try adding in white beans such as cannellini beans.
    • Greek Yogurt - You can add a couple of tablespoons of Greek yogurt to the smoothie for extra creaminess and protein. Just be sure to choose a vegan one if you want to keep this dairy free.

    We hope you love this black beans smoothie as much as we do! We highly recommend you also try our Fudgy Black Bean Brownie recipe, for another sweet and fun way to use black beans!

    Storage

    You can store this smoothie in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Alternatively a great way to to use up any leftovers is to pour it in to ice-cream molds. If you freeze any, just make sure it's eaten within a month.

    Top tip

    Don't skip the ice cubes - Blending ingredients in a high speed blender, on high speed as per the recipe, can warm the contents of the jug. Adding ice-cubes keeps this smoothie ice-cold and delicious.

    FAQ

    When to introduce black beans to a baby?

    Babies can start eating black beans at the same time they begin solid foods, which can be anytime from 6 months. Each of our children were ready to start eating solid foods once they are able to sit up by themselves, and have a few teeth. Ezra started eating solids at 7 months, Indie at 6 months, and Trixie closer to 8 months.

    Are black beans healthy for you?

    Black beans are full of fiber, protein, minerals and antioxidants. Making them a great food to be included in your families diet.
    Minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, copper and zinc, all contribute to building, and maintaining, strong bones and teeth.

    Are black beans good for protein?

    Black beans have approximately 15 grams of protein per cup. Making them a great source of protein.
    One serving of our black bean smoothie has 12g of protein! Considering that children need between 13g and 34g per day, that's quite a well packed smoothie.

    Other recipes you might like

    Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

    • An overhead view of a jar of flaxseed pudding, topped with fresh blueberries, chopped kiwi and chopped pecans,
      Easy fruity flaxseed pudding
    • A rice cake, topped with peanut butter, melted chocolate and flaky sea salt.
      Chocolate and peanut butter rice cake
    • An overhead view of the whole batch of bars, on white parchment paper.
      Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars
    • A babies hand reaching out to grab a single muffin.
      Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana and Lentil Muffins

    Recipe

    Pouring the smoothie in to a glass.

    Healthy Chocolate Brownie Black Bean Smoothie

    A deliciously creamy, healthy & protein packed breakfast for the whole family.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: Chocolate, Vegan
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 306kcal
    Author: Yasmin

    Equipment

    • High Speed Blender Vitamix, magimix, ninja.
    • Colander or Sieve for draining and rising the blackbeans.

    Ingredients

    • 1 tin Unsalted Black Beans
    • 2 medium Bananas
    • 6 Medjool Dates
    • ¼ cup Cacao Powder
    • 2 tbsps Hemp Seeds
    • 1 tbsps Chaga Mushroom powder optional
    • ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
    • 400 ml Cold Water
    • 2 cups Ice Cubes
    US Customary - Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Drain and rinse your black beans.
      1 tin Unsalted Black Beans
    • Remove the stones from the dates.
      6 Medjool Dates
    • Add the drained and rinsed black beans to your jug, along with the bananas, pitted dates, hemp seeds, cacao powder & chaga powder (if using).
      1 tin Unsalted Black Beans, 2 medium Bananas, ¼ cup Cacao Powder, 2 tbsps Hemp Seeds, 1 tbsps Chaga Mushroom powder, ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract, 6 Medjool Dates
    • Add the water and ice cubes, then blend for 1 minute on high speed.
      400 ml Cold Water, 2 cups Ice Cubes
    • Pour in to cups or beakers and enjoy.

    Notes

    Don't skip the ice cubes - blending ingredients in a high speed blender, on high speed as per the recipe, can warm the contents of the jug. Adding ice-cubes keeps this smoothie ice-cold and delicious.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 306kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 421mg | Potassium: 871mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 135IU | Vitamin B1: 0.2mg | Vitamin B2: 0.2mg | Vitamin B3: 2mg | Vitamin B5: 1mg | Vitamin B6: 0.4mg | Vitamin C: 8mg | Vitamin E: 0.1mg | Vitamin K: 1µg | Calcium: 87mg | Copper: 1mg | Folate: 84µg | Iron: 6mg | Manganese: 1mg | Magnesium: 102mg | Phosphorus: 274mg | Selenium: 3µg | Zinc: 1mg

    More Breakfast

    • A stack of gluten free pancakes, drizzled with cashew cream, maple syrup and topped with sliced nectarine, fresh blueberries and chopped walnuts.
      Easy, Fluffy, Banana Pancakes
    • A bowl of baked oats, topped with extra fresh berries, coconut yoghurt, pumpkin seeds and maple syrup.
      Healthy Baked Oats with Berries
    • Chia and flaxseed pudding in a jar with spoon, on a white background.
      Easy Chia and Flaxseed Pudding
    • Side angle of a white bowl filled with the baked hash browns, and a black bowl filled with chive dip. One has brown is being dipped 1/3 of the way in to the chive dip.
      Oven Baked Hash Browns

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Claire

      April 26, 2023 at 11:16 pm

      5 stars
      My kids really liked this, thanks for the recipe.

      Reply

    Let us know what you think Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Browse a Category

    • Cakes and Muffins
    • Cookies
    • Brownies
    • Breakfast

    Welcome to my blog Raising on Plants!
    I'm Mummy to 3
    under 5... so I'm a little busy.
    If you’re a fan of cooking, baking and eating some healthy-ish food – you came to the right place.
    Here you will find delicious, plant focused, vegan & vegetarian recipes to help you nourish your family.

    Learn more about me

    Yasmin and her son walking down the street, handing hand.

    Healthy Dessert Recipes

    • Six chocolate coated banana lollies topped with sprinkles and flaked almonds.
      Frozen Banana Lollies - Easy, Healthy & Vegan
    • A pile of vegan date brownies.
      The best fudgy vegan date brownies - Gluten free
    • An over head shot of a slice of lemon blackberry cake on a plate. The plate is sat on a pink napkin, with a fork sat next to it.
      Lemon and Blackberry Cake
    • 9 vegan caramel slices cut in to squares, on a white sheet of greaseproof paper. Two slices have been turned on their side to show the layers within - the base, caramel filling, and chocolate topping.
      Vegan Caramel Slices

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    • About Me
    • Subscribe
    • Search by Ingredient
    • Contact Us
    • Cookie Policy

    Copyright © 2020 Raising on Plants

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    Cookie SettingsAccept
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT