Prunes have entered the chat, folks! I am finally ready to share this vegan chocolate smoothie. The base is pretty classic: frozen banana, non-dairy milk, yogurt, almond butter. But the add-ins are what make it so filling and satisfying. As one reader put it: “Delicious and filling. Tastes like a chocolate milkshake.” If you are mindful about ingredients, smoothies can be decadent and satisfying. A creamy homemade nut milk makes the base even better if you have time to spare.
My Favorite Vegan Protein Powde for Smoothies
I recommend boosting this smoothie with Sprout Living’s Epic Protein powder in the Chocolate Maca flavour! Not overly sweet, mixes in silky smooth, and no weird ingredients. Use my code: thefirstmess for 20% off!
I actually love the tangy sweet flavor of prunes and they blend in completely. Nobody will know they are there unless you tell them. Beyond sweetness, they add thickness and a tangy dimension that keeps the whole smoothie balanced rather than cloying. The end result has a lot going on in the best possible way.
Chia, flax, rolled oats, and wheat bran are my standard smoothie add-ins for satiation. The oats and wheat bran also make the smoothie noticeably creamier and the wheat bran has a nutty flavor that works beautifully with the cocoa and almond butter. Adding ingredients from the cereal aisle to your smoothies is an underrated move.
I keep the almond butter intentionally low here, just 2 teaspoons! The smoothie is already quite rich between the banana, yogurt, and cocoa, so a little goes a long way. The additions of vanilla and salt really do round out and amp up the flavor of the whole blend. Do not skip them! If you cannot stand banana in your smoothies, substitute cooked frozen sweet potato like I do in my chocolate sweet potato smoothie.
Vegan Chocolate Smoothie with Prunes & Flax
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- ¼ cup plain vegan yogurt
- 2 teaspoons almond butter
- 1 frozen banana
- 2-3 prunes
- 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
- 2 tablespoons rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon wheat bran
- 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon flax seeds
- 1 teaspoon psyllium husk OR inulin, optional (see notes)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup ice, optional
Equipment
- Blender
Notes
- This smoothie is delicious with a handful of berries also!
- Psyllium husk is a fiber supplement often used as a binder in grain-free baking. Inulin is a prebiotic powder with a mild sweet flavor. Both are optional but add staying power to the smoothie. Sprout Living makes a great inulin powder.
Instructions
- In an upright blender, combine the almond milk, vegan yogurt, almond butter, frozen banana, prunes, vegan chocolate protein powder, oats, wheat bran, cocoa powder, chia seeds, flax seeds, psyllium husks (or inulin), salt, vanilla, and ice (if using). Blend this mixture on high until completely smooth, about 1 full minute. Enjoy immediately!
This smoothie is so luscious and wholesome. I asked Laura for advice about how to take out the protein powder and she recommended increasing the prunes and cocoa powder. It worked great. I assume the original recipe would have been a little sweeter but I prefer things less sweet anyway so it was perfect. Will definitely make it again.
I’ve made a bunch of your lunch and dinner recipes, but never found it necessary to follow a recipe for a smoothie. However, I LOVE this smoothie and have prepped jars of the dry mix in my fridge for easy smoothie-making. Delicious and versatile!
Your smoothies never disappoint! I had all the ingredients except for chocolate protein powder – subbed in what I had and threw in a little extra chocolate and some cocoa nibs for good measure. Absolutely delicious. Love how creative and thoughtful you are with the smoothie recipes (and all recipes, generally). Thanks!
One of your best smoothies!!! It’s a satisfaction bomb.
I haven’t made this so cannot really rate it but I do have a question. Do you provide the nutrition information? I am interested but wondering about the sugar content….seems like it could be fairly high.
Thank you!
Hi there! I don’t really provide nutrition information with any of my recipes because it’s not the focus of my content here 99% of the time. In this particular case I have run it through a nutrition app because of the focus on fiber. The smoothie does have roughly 27 grams of sugar total. You could lower this by substituting the banana for frozen cauliflower rice, really paying attention to the label on your vegan yogurt, and eliminating the prunes, but then the fiber count goes down by about 4-5 grams.
-L
Delicious and filling. Taste like a chocolate milkshake. Thanks for another great recipe, Laura.
This was so so delicious. Felt like a dessert treat but with the prunes and the flax it’s super healthy too! Yum. And so customizable as long as the basic ingredients stay the same. Delicious. Printed and stuck on my frig so I can repeat again and again!
It really is so customizable! So glad that you enjoyed it, Kamini. Thanks for leaving this comment and review! :)
-L
Excellent filling brekky.
I followed and made slight changes for what I had in the pantry- oat milk for almond, 1/2 frozen banana + frozen leaf pieces, Dates for prunes, mixed seeds & nuts for psyllium. Delicious.
Thank you
I love that you made the recipe work for you, Marilla! Thanks for taking the time to leave this note and a review.
-L
more info please about the white stuff at the bottom of yours—and how you did the side and top drizzle that makes it so pretty!
I’d assume the white atthe bottom is yogurt and the drizzle on the side is almond butter. It’s usually done by drizzling the butter into the empty glass while spinning the glass in your hand. Then you pour in the smoothie. Similar thing to the top but you can spread it around using a tooth pick or wooden/metal stick to get that beautiful twirl.
Love the recipe and appealing presentation.
Hi el and Shaen!
Yep, it’s just a couple spoonfuls of the vegan yogurt on the bottom of the glass. Then I gently turn the glass slightly to the side and tap the bottom to distribute it around. The almond butter is drizzled as I rotate the glass. You can catch a glimpse of how I do it in this Reel that I posted to Instagram!: https://www.instagram.com/p/C5l8JHOuc5M/
-L