Rich and Creamy Dark Chocolate Smoothie, and Smoothie Week Begins!

If you have not noticed, I have been on a bit of a banana binge lately. I used them in my almond butter banana cake a long while back, but then almost forgot about them until recently. They are tasty little devils, and so very versatile. I love how inexpensive bananas are, and how even the conventionally grown ones are low in pesticides. (The thick outer skin protects the fruit from most of the spray, so bananas are one of the safest fruits to buy non-organic.) I also love the way that I can incorporate them into various recipes, from pancakes to ice cream. (I have been into frozen foods lately, too – blame the weather and my increasing girth, which makes it increasingly difficult to cool down.) I have taken to chopping bananas into four or five chunks and freezing them, so that they are ready to toss into a cold and refreshing smoothie.

I am loving the cool refreshment of smoothies so much lately that I am going to dedicate an entire week to smoothie recipes. The deep dark chocolate creation that I am sharing today is one of my favorites. It is full of healthy fat from the avocado and coconut milk, antioxidants from the cocoa powder, and incredible nutrition from the egg yolk. It is also very low in sweeteners. I suggest two teaspoons of honey in this recipe, but if you have a good, sweet, over-ripe banana, you could skip the honey altogether – I sometimes do. The result is a creamy and decadent dark chocolate treat that is great for cooling down on a summer day. And unlike conventional ice cream treats, it will not leave you with a sugar crash.

1 banana, chopped in chunks and frozen
½ avocado
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp honey
3/4 cup coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk

Simply add the ingredients into your blender in the above order and blend until smooth.

I am sharing this recipe at Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Mangia Monday, Mouthwatering Monday, Menu Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Delectable Tuesday, Traditional Tuesday, Made From Scratch Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday at 33 Shades of Green, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday Party, Sweet Tooth Friday, Foodie Friday, and the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop.