updated post, orig pub: 4/26/09
This recipe is for a straight up, dessert-tasting, vegan Chocolate Milkshake. But I promise, this tall, frosty, creamy concoction is absolutely good for you.....
Chocolate Shake.
Every time I make this shake I have to remind myself, while I'm sipping it, that it is not dessert. That it is packed with plants and zero refined sugar. It tastes that authentic to the 'real thing.' You can keep this a basic Chocolate Shake or you can finish the blending process by adding in some chocolate chunks or chips for a Double Chocolate Shake flavor and texture.
Ingredients in this smoothie:
- Walnuts (almond or peanut butter, or another nut could be subbed!)
- Non-dairy milk
- Cacao powder, unsweetened
- Medjool Dates
- Bananas
- Sea salt
Ingredients: Closer Look
Bananas. The key to making sure your shake is super thick and rich is those frozen bananas. They will add body. You could use fresh bananas, but the texture will be just silky and creamy, rather than frosty.
Dates. The Medjool dates not only add sweetness and fiber, but they also add sticky sweet texture that helps to thicken up the texture of the shake.
Salt. I always add a pinch of salt to my chocolate shakes - and my chocolate chip cookies too! I love the sharp accent of salt that makes chocolate feel brighter and brings out all the sweetness even more.
Chocolate Milkshake Secret Ingredient.
If you are long time reader of my blog, you probably know that I love one silly secret ingredient to my frosty shakes. Frozen Watermelon! It really creates an ice cream like texture to a blend. And YES it totally works with chocolate. If you want to add frozen watermelon to this smoothie, omit one half banana and sub with a few large cubes of frozen melon. Think that sounds crazy? Well then you HAVE to try it! I play around a lot with frozen melon in 365 Vegan Smoothies as well as recipes like this. And this.
Healthy Chocolate Milkshake
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups soy milk
- 2 Medjool Dates, pitted
- 2 ½ bananas, frozen
- ¼ cup walnuts, raw - or sub another nut
- 2-4 tablespoon cacao powder
- pinch sea salt
- handful chocolate chunks or chips, optional
Instructions
- Add everything to a high speed blender and blend from low to high until smooth, creamy and frosty. If you want to make it a double chocolate shake, add a few chocolate chips or chunks for the last thirty seconds of blending to get a chocolate chip flavor. Garnish with chocolate if desired.
Equipment
- blender
nutrition estimate | per serving
And if it's fruit flavors you crave, check out my Rainbow-Colored Smoothies recipe post.
Original Post follows...
Your Chocolate Shake Craving: Satisfied.
Walking by NYC'S Sundaes and Cones ice cream shoppe in the East Village, a line out the door on the first ninety degree day of spring, my husband asked, "I wonder if they have soy flavors. That looks good." He gawked at a customer's frosty chocolate shake. I gave him a squint, "You know, I make a really good vegan double chocolate chip shake. Dark chocolate chips!" His eyes perked up. His hot day chocolate shake craving was about to be appeased.
Frosty. Cold. Classic. Vegan. Soy shake making can be tricky! You can't just blend soy cream and milk. Having made more than a few soy shake's in my lifetime, I have a few tips and tricks up my sleeve...
Double Chocolate Chip Shake - ice cream version
circa 2009 - vegan, serves 2-3
½ pint chocolate ice cream, vegan
1 cup soy milk
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoon dark chocolate chunks
½ cup ice
1 frozen banana
2 teaspoon peanut or almond butter
2 tablespoon cocoa
¼ teaspoon sea salt
optional:1 teaspoon cayenne-Mexican Chocolate flavor!
To Make:
Blend + Serve!
Pour into a frosted shake glass and add a straw or long spoon.
Caryn Leschen says
Hi Kathi,
Amazingly, I do almost the exact same recipe, but in my case it's to reduce the sugar (I'm hypoglycemic) and calories and keep the shake natural while getting my daily hit of chocolate. I often have my shake for lunch. I want to post it on my blog, but I was wondering if you might not mind my using your picture...it's great pic and I will credit it and link to your site. Good for you for being vegan! I am trying to cut my sugar intake to about 1/'3 of what it was. Thank you. Aunt Violet
LeAnne says
This truly is a thing of BEAUTY! Oh man, I would do anything for just a TASTE!
business and marketing says
wow, iam so pahhy for discorve your site....its' very nice one, i add it in my favorite list andu are very good at cooking hehehhe
DJ Karma says
That looks SO good!! Thanks for sharing your blending techniques!
Anonymous says
Uhhh can you say food porn?
C says
OMG. Looks so good Kath, make me one and fed-ex it, OK?
Dana says
After a hot day outside I saw this post and it made me crave a chocolate shake. And I'm going to add two frozen bananas like you said could be done so that it has some fruit in it. Great idea for a healthy option.