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I’ve transformed the classic chocolate and peanut butter combo into a healthy, nutrient-rich smoothie with just four simple ingredients. Perfect for a wholesome breakfast, quick snack, or pre-workout boost, this creamy chocolate peanut butter smoothie recipe delivers long-lasting energy—and it might just replace your afternoon coffee! This is also on my list of top smoothies for kids since it is an easy win. It makes a great snack or dessert option.
Blend this for a natural energy boost or a great post workout recovery smoothie.
Ingredients You’ll Need
It’s super easy to make a “good” chocolate smoothie, but making it “good for you” takes a few simple tweaks and tastes amazing, too.
- Bananas (frozen): A frozen banana adds a cold creamy texture to your smoothie. Ripe bananas have natural sweetness, so you don’t need any refined sugars.
- Peanut butter: Delivers rich, nutty flavor and a boost of protein. Look for natural peanut butter with no added sugar or hydrogenated oils. You can swap with any other nut butter you like such as cashew or almond butter.
- Raw cacao powder: Provides a deep chocolate taste with antioxidant benefits. Look for raw cacao powder in the baking aisle or health food section of most grocery stores. I like picking mine up at Trader Joe’s or Thrive Market to save money.
- Oat milk (or plant milk): A creamy, dairy-free base that ties all the flavors together. Choose unsweetened oat milk to avoid unnecessary added sugars, and check the label for simple, wholesome ingredients. Or, make your own if you’re feeling adventurous!
- Ground cinnamon (optional): Adds a warm, subtly spicy flavor that enhances the chocolate and peanut butter combination. Plus, it offers anti-inflammatory properties and a touch of sweetness without adding extra sugar.
What’s the healthiest peaNut butter?
Look at the ingredient label and make sure it’s just peanuts (no need for extra oils or sweeteners). You can always make your own homemade nut butter in a high-speed blender as well. I don’t recommend using peanut powder, like PB1, since it contains additional sweeteners.
How to Make a Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie
- Place your frozen ripe banana, cacao powder, peanut butter, and oat milk in a blender.
- Combine until smooth and creamy.
- Scrape down the sides of the blender if the peanut butter sticks and add extra oat milk if the smoothie is too thick.
- Pour into a glass and enjoy and garnish with cinnamon if desired.
How to Boost the protein
If I’m blending this healthy chocolate peanut butter smoothie for breakfast, I like to add additional protein by throwing in a serving of homemade protein powder, or a plant-based protein powder of your choice.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie Health Benefits
Don’t let the decadent flavor fool you—this chocolate peanut butter smoothie isn’t just a treat, it’s packed with ingredients that may nourish your body and fuel your day. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits!
peanut Butter
Peanuts get a bad rap. Yes: 1% of the United States population has a peanut or tree nut allergy. Yes: peanuts are actually a fungus and not a nut. But hear me out: peanuts also have a whole host of nutrition!
Peanuts contain 7 grams of protein in two tablespoons, along with good amounts of magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, niacin and vitamin B6. Add in a scoop or two to your next smoothie and enjoy the boost! It contributes both protein and healthy fat in the chocolate peanut butter smoothie below. The natural oil in a peanut is about as heart healthy as olive oil. Peanut butter can also help regulate blood sugar and may reduce the risk of breast disease.
Raw Cacao Powder
Raw cacao powder is one of those ingredients that feels like a treat but may actually be doing your body a favor. It’s made by cold-pressing unroasted cacao beans, which helps it keep more of its natural nutrients compared to cocoa powder. Thanks to its antioxidants (hello, flavonoids!), it may support heart health, help ease inflammation, and even give your brain a little boost.
It’s also a great source of magnesium, which might help with muscle function, relaxation, and energy production—perfect for a busy day. Plus, cacao contains theobromine, which could give you a gentle pick-me-up and even brighten your mood a bit.
Adding raw cacao to your smoothie is such a simple way to elevate the flavor and sneak in some extra goodness. It’s like having dessert for breakfast, but better for you!
Common Questions
Peanut butter can be a nutritious addition to your smoothie! While peanuts are technically a legume and not a nut, they’re packed with protein, healthy fats, and essential nutrients like magnesium, zinc, and vitamin B6. If you’re not allergic, peanut butter may help with managing blood sugar, supporting heart health, and keeping you feeling full longer. Just opt for natural peanut butter with no added sugars or oils for the healthiest option!
Chocolate and peanut butter make a smoothie feel like a treat, but they can also be surprisingly healthy! Raw cacao powder adds antioxidants, and natural peanut butter brings protein and healthy fats. Together, they create a delicious, nutrient-packed blend you can feel good about!
Absolutely! Adding raw cacao powder to your smoothie infuses it with rich chocolate flavor and a boost of antioxidants. Typically, 1-2 tablespoons per serving works well. Since ‘cacao’ is less sweet than ‘cocoa’, consider balancing it with natural sweeteners like ripe bananas or dates. Experimenting with cacao can transform your smoothie into a delicious, nutrient-packed treat!
More Chocolate Smoothie Recipes
If you’ve got a craving then I bet I’ve got a chocolate smoothie for you. These are all deliciously healthy and actually taste good. Pick one and get blending!
Don’t forget to let me know how you like this chocolate peanut butter smoothie below with your rating + review. It’s filling, yummy and gives a natural energy boost.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie
Ingredients
- 2 bananas frozen
- 1 Tbsp peanut butter
- 2 Tbsp cacao powder
- 1 cup oat milk or another plant milk
- ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon optional
- 1 serving homemade protein powder optional
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender.
- Blend until creamy.
- Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon, if desired.
Equipment
Video
Notes
- Peanut Butter allergy? No problem! Swap in almond butter or sunflower butter instead.
- Oat milk gives this peanut butter and chocolate shake extra creaminess, yet you can swap it with cashew, almond, coconut, or another plant milk.
- Use unsweetened cacao or cocoa powder; either works fine!
- Using homemade protein powder will give you 10 extra grams of protein, turning this smoothie into a complete meal.
- Bananas give this smoothie creaminess + sweetness, yet you can swap it out with avocado + maple syrup, avocado + date or cauliflower + maple syrup.
This was really sweet! It tasted like dessert. I love chocolate and I love banana and peanut butter, but I felt like I was a college student having a milkshake for breakfast haha. It had me missing the spinach and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.
Not my favorite, but I don’t think it was necessarily the smoothie’s fault. I don’t care for the chocolate and peanut butter combo unless it is in peanut butter cup form…weird, I know. I think what I am learning here is that I might not be a fan of strong nutty flavor in smoothies.
How can anything with chocolate and peanut butter be bad. Yum
I swapped out one of the bananas for 1/2 an avocado to lower the sugar a bit. I’m sure it would have tasted better with the extra banana, but it was still a good smoothie and one I will probably make again.
This was good but the chocolate was a little bitter for me. My fault though, I tried using only 1 banana and some cauliflower instead. I love the peanut butter taste. Next time I make it, I’ll follow it exactly as written.
The smoothie was nice and rich without being overly sweet. It was almost like a soft serve and I’ll definitely be adding this to the rotation
OMG!!! This is so good! It’s a bit thick like chocolate peanut butter ice cream, but it is so flavorful and delicious!!! This might be my favorite!!
Had to make this with almond butter instead of peanut butter as that is what I have in the house and did not want to buy peanut butter just for this. This tastes like a decadent dessert and I had half of it for lunch and the rest as dessert after a very light dinner. What a great, healthy way to satisfy a chocolate craving!
Substituted Cauliflower for one of the bananas , and peanut butter powder for the PB …both to cut down on calories. Delicious!
Mmmmmm, it’s like dessert! Keep this one nice and thick because it’s like having a delicious milkshake. I find the variou plant milks and nut butters to be interchangeable, so don’t be afraid to use what you have or make substitutions. Of course there’s differences, but to my palette, not enough to significantly change the taste. My version with almond butter and almond milk was delicious
This smoothie is a delicious blend of favorite foods. Another new favorite
So!…I haven’t ever had peanut butter in a smoothie because my son has and still is allergic to peanuts, but…he is now out on his own, so I finally bought some to try today.
Yum! Reminded me of Reeses Peanut Butter Cups…which I love!
It taste like dessert:)
Delicious, filling, very creamy and smooth. In the future, I hope to try this one with other nut butters and nut milks. I will also try adding cinnamon.
Tastes like a dessert. This smoothie is my kids favorite so far.
This was like having a milkshake for breakfast! I used half cold-brew, half almond milk, and substituted cauliflower for some of the banana to cut down on the sugar. I also added about 1/4 avocado for extra creaminess. Yum!
So delicious! It’s a keeper.