“Healthy Chocolate Breakfast Smoothie with Banana, Almond Milk & Cereal Crunch”
Healthy Chocolate Breakfast Smoothie with Banana, Almond Milk & Cereal Crunch
Kick off your morning with this healthy chocolate banana smoothie! It’s a simple mix of almond milk and Ghirardelli cocoa, topped with a crunchy blend of Cheerios and Grape-Nuts. It’s seriously delicious, super energizing, and has become my go-to breakfast five days a week!
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
To the Vitamix add:
- 1 each Banana
- 1/4 Cup Grape Nuts Flakes Cereal
- 1/4 cup Cheerios
- 2 tbsp Anthony's Organic Culinary Grade Cocoa Powder
- 1 tbsp Ghirardelli Double Dark Chocolate Premium Hot Cocoa
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 16 oz Unsweetened Almond Milk
Mixing
- Blend on "2" or "3" until the blending sounds smooth.
Nutrition
Notes
Pro-Tips for Your Breakfast Smoothie
- The Crunch Factor: Using a blend of Cheerios and Grape-Nuts gives it a great texture, but if you're looking for a smoother drink, you can always omit the Cheerios for a cleaner consistency.
- Flavor Swaps: While Ghirardelli is a classic, don't be afraid to experiment with the cacao. Swapping in Viva Naturals or Callebaut Extra Brute is an easy way to shift the flavor profile from sweet to deeply rich.
- A Fiber Boost: To make this even more filling, try stirring in two teaspoons of psyllium husks. It’s an easy way to up your fiber intake without changing the chocolatey taste.
- Texture Control: For a frostier, thicker smoothie, use a frozen banana instead of a fresh one. It makes the almond milk and cocoa blend up like a healthy milkshake.
Takeaways
- This is a 5-minute, no-cook breakfast smoothie with 310 calories, 11.4g of fiber, and 7.5g of protein per 16oz serving.
- The base is unsweetened almond milk blended with two types of cocoa — Ghirardelli Double Dark Hot Cocoa and Anthony's Organic Culinary Grade Cocoa Powder — plus a ripe banana and cinnamon.
- The cereal crunch (Cheerios + Grape-Nuts Flakes) is blended in, not sprinkled on top — it adds fiber and texture, not just decoration.
- Using a greener (less ripe) banana reduces the sugar content without changing the chocolate flavor profile.
- A frozen banana swapped for fresh thickens the smoothie to a milkshake-like consistency.
- Adding two teaspoons of psyllium husks boosts fiber without altering the taste.
The recipe is dairy-free, requires no cooking, and scales easily — the Vitamix blends it smooth on speed 2 or 3.
