Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie with Banana and Dates

This Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie is naturally sweetened with Medjool dates. It’s thick and creamy to satisfy your sweet tooth while providing key nutrients to start your day or refuel after a workout. 

I’m so excited to finally make one of my favorite smoothie recipes an official post on the blog! The sweet bananas pair so well with peanut butter and chocolate, which is such a classic flavor combo to begin with. 

If you have a bit of a sweet tooth in the morning, this chocolate peanut butter smoothie recipe will be a great addition to your regular breakfast rotation!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie Ingredients

• Milk. Go with your personal preference here, but I opt for whole milk in my smoothies. See below for alternative options I recommend. 
• Banana
• Medjool dates (pitted)
• Peanut butter
• Unsweetened cocoa powder
• Hemp hearts (AKA, hemp seeds)
• Vanilla extract 
• Ice cubes

Street Smart Nutrition Tip: Learn more about milk and dairy nutrition with my “Dive Into Dairy” series! I also covered the topic of A2 milk in this post, which might offer an alternative if you’ve struggled with digestion issues that aren’t caused by lactose intolerance. 

The key ingredient for this smoothie is the Medjool dates. They are so rich and caramelly, which adds natural sweetness to your chocolate peanut butter smoothie.

And even though dates add sweetness like added sugars or other sweeteners, they don’t impact blood sugar as much. For this reason, dates can be a good option for people with diabetes or pre-diabetes who still want to enjoy sweet flavors in their smoothies. 

No special prep is needed as long as the dates are pitted. If your dates seem a bit firm or dry, soak them in warm or hot water for a couple of minutes before blending. 

Swaps and Substitutions

There are many ways to customize your chocolate peanut butter smoothie. 

For example, you can start with a frozen banana instead of fresh banana. This eliminates the need to add ice. Your smoothie will still be nice and chilled, plus the chocolate flavor won’t be diluted or thinned out.

​Note that as written, this recipe contains a couple of common allergens (dairy and peanuts). But don’t worry, it’s quick and simple to make it food allergy-friendly!

• For a dairy-free smoothie: Swap the milk for your favorite dairy-free milk alternative. I recommend soy milk for the extra nutrition (mainly, protein). But you can also use almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk. If you’re worried about the lower protein content, you can also add your favorite protein powder.
• For a peanut-free smoothie: Swap the peanut butter for cashew butter, almond butter, or another type of nut or seed butter. You’ll still get a thick, creamy texture with these options.

And just because I featured hemp hearts in this chocolate smoothie recipe doesn’t mean you’re locked into using them, too!

Try chia seeds or ground flax seeds, which also provide some healthy fats, fiber, and plant-based protein. Since you’re only using a small amount, this likely doesn’t add up to a significant difference, so don’t feel like you need to go out and buy a new ingredient just to follow this recipe. Use what you already have in your pantry or skip it altogether. 

How to Make a Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie

Making a smoothie is usually as easy as piling some simple ingredients into a blender and letting it do all the work for you. And, well…this one is no different!

I have a high-speed blender, and my favorite thing is how it blends everything to the same ultra-smooth consistency every time. This smoothie tastes more like a chocolate milkshake from an ice cream shop! But if you don’t have one, a personal blender (like a nutribullet) or regular blender also gets the job done. 

For this Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie with Banana and Dates, just add all ingredients to the bowl of the blender. Start on a low speed to pulse the blades a few times to get it going. Then, the only thing you need to do is power it up and let the blender do its thing!

The final result should be thick and creamy, thanks to the combo of dates, banana, and peanut butter. But if you want a super thick smoothie, just use a little bit less milk or add a few extra ice cubes. This works well if you’d rather serve this as a smoothie bowl instead of from a glass. 

You can sprinkle a little extra cocoa powder or hemp hearts on top. But this step is optional. Enjoy as a quick breakfast, sweet snack, or post-workout recovery smoothie!

Storage and Meal Prep Tips

​This Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie recipe is written for two servings. If you want a single serving, just cut the amount listed for each ingredient in half. 

But I think if you’re hauling out the blender (and are going to have to clean it afterward anyways) you might as well make a big batch. You can store smoothies in the freezer and get a jump start next time. Here’s how I do it!

1. Grab a clean ice cube tray. I really like the molded silicone ones because it’s so easy to pop the frozen smoothie cubes out once they freeze solid.
2. Carefully pour your blended smoothie in, making sure not to overflow the tray.
3. Place it in a flat spot of your freezer for at least four hours to make sure it’s fully frozen. Pop the frozen smoothie cubes out of the tray and transfer them to a freezer bag or airtight container. 
4. When you’re ready to make your next smoothie, just drop in a few of the smoothie cubes. Splash some milk in to help the blades get going, and enjoy!

In a pinch, you can also skip the blender the second time around. A few of my clients are nurses, working night shifts or odd hours. One of them taught me this trick, where she would fill an insulated mug with the smoothie cubes. A few hours later, when she took her scheduled break, it was still chilled but thawed enough to sip through a straw. 

Even if you’re not sticking to a schedule like this, I think it can be a great way to simplify your routine.

I hope you enjoy this Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie! Check out some of my other delicious smoothie recipes if you’re looking for even more inspiration in the morning:

• High Protein Green Smoothie (no banana)
• High Protein Peaches and Cream Smoothie
• Spiced Pomegranate Smoothie
• Blueberry Cardamom Coconut Smoothie with Oats

And as always, thanks for stopping by the Street Smart Nutrition blog. Cheers to more fearlessly nourishing meals!