This weight loss smoothie recipe will help your boost your metabolism using plant-based whole foods.
The #1 question I get at Simple Green Smoothies is...
Will a smoothie help me lose weight?
There are TONS of smoothies and shakes out there claiming to do this, but forget the labels and ads… and think about what's gonna work for YOU.
When it comes to a weight loss smoothie, it’s gotta hit 3 things for me to call it a winner:
- It must be affordable to continue doing this every single day.
- It has to deliver the results it promises: boost my metabolism, keep me full and not hangry, actually nourish my body, etc).
- It's gotta taste great (and not be loaded with tons of sugars, artificial flavors or “fake sugars” to trick your tastebuds and ravage your cravings). I want to crave this day after day and feel better when I have it!
The recipe I'm sharing here helped me lose 7 pounds when I was a young exhausted mom of 2 under 4…with no energy and a few post baby (by a few generous years) extra pounds I needed to lose. They say "you've gotta exercise to lose the weight", but when you’re too tired to do that— you’ve gotta try something else. And this is the secret sauce to jump start my energy levels and my weight loss journey.
Homemade metabolism boost shake
Today, I want to share a weight loss smoothie that I've been using as a breakfast meal replacement smoothie. And yes, it's a green smoothie because these are the BEST way I've found to lose weight naturally AND feel great while doing it.
Unlike most “weight loss smoothies” (which require expensive powders, artificial ingredients and taste chalky and nasty… and leave you hungry) this one is the complete opposite. It truly tastes good and is good for you. You can drink they smoothie every morning for breakfast, which is a great way to set a healthy routine for your day.
I've also had this for lunch as a meal replacement smoothie too. Some days I just don't have time to make lunch and a quick smoothie is the way to go. Other days, I'll sip this down while doing dishes, driving the kids to practice, running errands, after a long trail run, you name it— the beauty of a smoothie is you can "eat and run."
Top weight loss foods to blend
If leaning up if your goal, the ingredients you use in your smoothie can work against you... or for you. I'm gonna break down the ones I used in this smoothie to help you see WHY I used them to hit my summer body goals: turn my fat into muscle and have the energy to workout.
Spinach: Full of phytonutrients and fiber to minimize any blood sugar spikes from the natural sugars in the smoothie.
Almond milk: Contains a little bit of protein and promotes a creamy smoothie base.
Banana: Adds a little natural sweetness to give you an energy boost.
Almond butter: Curbs your appetite and helps your digestive system
Cacao powder: Boosts your energy levels and metabolism
Hemp hearts: Have twice as much protein as chia seeds.
Cinnamon: helps regulate your blood glucose levels. The last thing you want from your smoothie is a sugar rush, which can give you quick energy and then have you crash real hard.
Cayenne pepper: Helps curb your appetite and boost you metabolism naturally.
Chocolate Weight Loss Smoothie
Rate this Recipe Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
- 1 cup spinach
- ½ banana
- 2 tablespoon cacao powder
- 2 tablespoon almond butter
- 1 tablespoon hemp hearts
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Add leafy greens and liquid to blender, blending until all chunks are gone.
- Add in remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
Video
Notes
- If you prefer your smoothies extra cold, feel free to pour smoothie over a glass of ice.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to enjoy.
Wendy Rowdy
Great recipe! Really didn't think I would like the cayenne, but it has a great taste! Can you tell how well they taste if made before hand? How does it take if it was frozen? I am thinking about making more than one since thr recipe calls for 1/2 a banana - so making more than 1 at a time and freezing it or saving it for the next day. Thanks!
Simple Green Smoothies
Hi Wendy,
That's a really great question! My recommendation for smoothie prep is to make smoothie packs.
So, rather than blend the smoothies and then freeze (you can lose some of the amazing plant-based nutrients and benefits), I would put your smoothie ingredients (minus the liquid base and pantry items) into a freezer bag, mason jar or other air-tight storage container of your choice and stick those packs in your freezer.
Then, whenever you're ready for them, dump it into your blend, add the liquid base and blend away!
Still saves you lots of time and the leftover smoothie ingredients won't go to waste!
If you'd like, we have a whole article about prepping smoothies that you can check out ---> How to Meal Prep Smoothies
Cheyenne
Will it give me the same results if I don't do spinach and the cayenne pepper?
Simple Green Smoothies
Cheyenne, that's a great question. While the spinach is full of phytonutrients and fiber to minimize any blood sugar spikes from the natural sugars in the smoothie you can also get some of the same benefits from other greens such as kale, arugula, swiss chard, romaine lettuce, beet greens, carrot tops, collard greens, or celery to name a few. As for the cayenne pepper it helps curb your appetite and boost you metabolism naturally. Some swaps you could try would be matcha powder, chia seeds, or even avocado.
Cindy Frye
I have diverticulitis and have to be careful eating things that have seeds. What can I exchange for the hemp hearts?
Simple Green Smoothies
Hey Cindy,
That's a great question! Lots of the suggested substitutions for hemp hearts are other seeds, so I def wouldn't recommend that to you. You could absolutely omit the hemp hearts in this recipe. I bet it would still be every bit as delicious! Maybe add a different nut butter to add a little extra nutty flavor - my second favorite nut better is sunflower seed butter or Sun Butter (brand).
Pete the cat
Gross and watery.
Roz
I’d love to try these but they all have almond butter or almond milk in them and I’m highly allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, cashews ect. I know I can replace the almond milk with oat but what can I use to replace the almond butter that would have the same effect and mix well into the smoothie I’m not much of a cooker but I’m trying to get healthier and loose weight
Taye
mashed avocado, mashed banana, Greek yogurt, or unsalted butter
Kim
You might try sun butter.
Simple Green Smoothies
1,000% YES! Great suggestion, Kim! Sunbutter is incredible! Great recommendation.
Natalie Hughes
Hi I really REALLY do not like banana, how can I replace these in my drinks.
Monika Burmann
My daughter is 51 and she is struggling to lose weight.she hates the feeling of hunger pains her weight is now again 200 and her height is 5.6.
She has her own business and does not have much time for hourly workout outs.she also has bad knees and just had Bunyan surgery done. She is so disgusted with her weight.I am trying to help her,this way,by doing research. THANK YOU SO VERY FROM FRO. MY WHOLE ❤. sincerely Monika Burmann
Brihony
Hi I’m in Australian just wondering if I can use hemp powder and what would you use to sweeten choc weight loss smoothie.
Sheryn
Delicious! I did not expect this to taste so good, it was nicely filling too - perfect for lunch 🙂
I didn't have any hemp hearts though so I swapped with chia seeds, is that ok nutrition-wise? I think it made my shake a bit lumpy as it soaked over night, but that's ok.
Thank you for this great recipe!
Les MacDill
My wife and I discovered this recipe while determining what we could do with a massive amount of organic hemp hearts what was mistakenly shipped to me (it was supposed to be erythritol). I am a Type 2 diabetic, so I have to be very careful of what I consume in the way of carbs and sugar. That said, we both really liked this smoothie! It has everything we could want and need for a breakfast or midday treat. I don't typically want either, but now we just whip up a batch and put it in the refrigerator. Problem solved.
THANK YOU!
Simple Green Smoothies
So awesome Les!!! Way to be resourceful with that accidental shipment. 🙂
Amanda Stead
Hi, I have a thyroid condition and am often told to avoid spinach and other goitrogens as they can interfere with the production of thyroid hornomes. I know that cooking goitrogens removes the issue but would this work as well in this type of smoothie or can you suggest an alternative? I would feel uneasy about eating them every day. Thank you
Simple Green Smoothies
Hey Amanda - you can swap greens any time. We use spinach quite a bit just because it's mild and easier for everyone to get used to when first rawkin green smoothies. Check out our article Ultimate Guide to Leafy Greens for great swap ideas for your greens. And def check-in with your doc to be sure the ingredients are best for your thyroid. 🙂
Kim Sluyk
Hi! I just made this for the first time. It's good! I prefer it colder, so think I will add ice next time. I had it for dinner. I don't normally have smoothies for dinner, but we had lunch out and I wanted to do something lighter. Is this smoothie better for you in the morning? I just did your 7 day cleanse and have been checking out your other smoothie recipes. I am considering doing this recipe and the fat burning smoothie, 2 smoothies a day for weight loss - 1 for B, 1 for L. Is that a good plan? Does it matter which one I do for which? Thank you!
Simple Green Smoothies
Hey Kim! You can def add ice but you could also freeze your bananas and spinach and that would make your smoothie creamy and cold. 🙂
Because this smoothie contains cayenne pepper, which gives your metabolism a kick, I think I'd drink it in the morning. But, you really can drink it any time during the day. Many folks drink a smoothie for breakfast as well as one for lunch, that's actually what we do during our 7-day summer and winter reset cleanses. And it doesn't matter which smoothies you drink, as long as you're drinking one! We have so many, it really depends on what you're looking to get out of your smoothie. We have smoothies that are anti-inflammatory, cleansing, and packed with antioxidants. Take a look around our recipe page for those and more.
Hope you enjoyed our 7-day challenge. We'll be doing a 10-day smoothie challenge starting on June 15 and our summer 7-day reset starts July 6. You should join us for those!
Mayra Rios
I don’t have almond butter can i substitute with something else? I have chia seeds and not the hemp hearts so I will be try that out. For the meantime that you reply I will try without the almond butter. Hope to get a response from you soon thank you.
Simple Green Smoothies
Hey Mayra! You can sub with another nut butter if you have some. Or, you can use one serving of protein powder instead of nut butter. We have a brand new and awesome powder called Protein Smoothie Boost that a lot of people are loving! Here's a link for more info: https://shop.simplegreensmoothies.com/pages/protein-smoothie-boost
Lakia Womack
I stumbled across this recipe and I decided to give it a try but my gosh the cinnamon and cayenne was too much for me. I may have been a little heavy handed because it’s spicy. I don’t taste any sweetness at all but I’m going to chug it anyway.
Simple Green Smoothies
Hey Lakia! Just the smallest amounts of cinnamon and (especially) cayenne will work great in this smoothie! Def give it another try with less of those, and I think you'll like it more. Also, using a banana with brown spots will give it a little bit more sweetness. 🙂
Stephanie K
Hi,
Is is possible to make this smoothie without banana? Does the smoothie still have the same benefits or do I have to substitute it with something else?
Simple Green Smoothies
Hey Stephanie! If you prefer to not use banana in your smoothie, you could use avocado (for the creaminess) and a few medjool dates (for the sweetness). You could also use mango (both creamy + sweet) but that option will contain more natural sugars. 🙂
Mike V.
I just made this smoothie today for the first time and the taste of cinnamon was a bit too much. I noticed that you say 1 Tsp of cinnamon but in the video u used 1/4 Tsp. Also i doubled the recipe so i can drink one the following morning, i dont know if me doubling the recipe just gave me a strong cinnamon flavor.
Simple Green Smoothies
Hi Mike! This recipe does call for 1 tsp. of cinnamon but if that's too strong for you, def try 1/4 or 1/2 tsp. and see if you like that better. I do think that if you made the smoothie ahead of time and put it in the fridge, that could be the reason. The longer a spice like cinnamon sits in a green smoothie, the stronger the cinnamon taste is going to be. Try making the smoothie ahead of time with all the ingredients except the cinnamon and then add that right before you drink it and see if that makes a difference.
Dieta
Love it....weight loss including chocolate....my husband is hooked....lol
Simple Green Smoothies
Isn't this one good?! And you feel like you're eating dessert! 🙂
Joy Spencer
The first time I made this, it tasted awful! I don’t know what I did wrong. I now have it every morning and love it.
Who knew how delicious almond butter is compared to peanut butter! Loving this recipe!
Simple Green Smoothies
I agree, Joy. Once I tasted almond butter, I never wanted to go back to peanut butter!
Joy
I tried this today, it’s not as delicious as it sounds, I like the idea of the warm almond milk..I’m also hoping for the metabolism boost so I’m going to give it another try tomorrow. Thank you for the recipe!
deborah
This is in my regular rotation now. I am going to prep a lot of bags. It has a lot of my favorites and who doesn't like chocolate and bananas together?
Prerana Pathak
Thank you so much for posting this recipe! This sounds super easy and doable. Im wondering what the serving size is?
Simple Green Smoothies
This recipe yields 2 cups or about 16 ounces, which is one serving of smoothie deliciousness!
unknown
how much calories are in a serving?
Simple Green Smoothies
We don't have calories listed for this one but you could use something like My Fitness Pal to help you figure that out. 🙂
LEILA
Right now, November in I prefer warm smoothies. I don't feel like cold when its cold outside. So I use warm almond milk and let my vitamix run a little longer. Yummy and warm
Simple Green Smoothies
That sounds so delicious! I am the same way I love drinking warm things during the cold months 🙂
Janice
Would it be ok to swap out the hemp hearts for flaxseeds? I have never used hemp hearts before, what is the difference, benefit -wise, between the two?
Simple Green Smoothies
Hey Janice,
You can totally swap the seeds if you would prefer that. The difference is flaxseeds have a lot more omega 3 fatty acid in them then hemp hearts and hemp hearts have a lot more protein in them then flaxseeds.
Hope that helps!
Lacey
Can chocolate protein powder be a subsitute for cacao powder?
Simple Green Smoothies
Hey Lacey,
If you prefer the chocolate protein powder then you can definitely add that as a substitute!!
Acacia Butcher
So if I do that do I leave out the hemp seeds?
Jen Hansard
Yeah, that's what I would suggest.
Acacia Butcher
And it would it affect weight loss?
Joanna Underhill
Try as I might, I just do not love cinnamon. I’ve made this smoothie and it’s ok but I know I’d really enjoy it without the cinnamon. Any recommendations for a substitute with similar benefits?
Simple Green Smoothies
Hey Joanna,
You can swap the cinnamon for nutmeg if you prefer that!
Tricia
Would this recipe be considered a single serving or is it two? Thank you!
Simple Green Smoothies
Hey Tricia,
This recipe is for one serving!
Deborah
My new Breakfast Smoothie, just so delicious. Wish there was more!
Thank you.
Simple Green Smoothies
It really is so delicious!!! SO glad that you love it Deborah!!
Roxy Fredrickson
This might be my new favorite! Yum!
Simple Green Smoothies
Love that Roxy!!!
Patty
I'm not a fan of chocolate in the morning. What is a good replacement for the cacao powder? Vanilla protein powder?
thanks
Lisa Dugery
So yummy! I will add this to my plan!
Yas
heya Jen!
there are no hemp hearts where I live. what other protein rich alternative is out there?
Simple Green Smoothies
You could use chia seeds instead!
Jana
I've made some smoothies similar to this one but I will try this one tomorrow. I don't have any almond milk however. I rarely buy nut milks and usually use coconut water in my smoothies, but I will get some coconut milk in the carton for this. I've never been a fan of store made almond milk.
I need something to kick start my weight loss again. I am walking more but not seeing any results from that.
I'll give this a go tomorrow!
thanks Jen!!
Jana
Simple Green Smoothies
Hey Jana,
I have a feeling you will really enjoy this recipe!!
Ronnie
Great tasting and another recipe for keeps...
Simple Green Smoothies
Thanks for the great feedback, Ronnie!!
Christina
I need to make a trip to the store tomorrow and get me some cacao powder so I can make this. I have made several of your smoothie recipes and love them. I am sure I will love this one also.
Simple Green Smoothies
We know you are going to love this recipe! Enjoy!!!!
Beverly Doucette
I didn't get to make this yet, but I will starting tomorrow. I can tell from the ingredient list - cacao! - that it will become a go-to smoothie for me.
Laura White
Definitely fulfilled any chocolate need! The cayenne pepper was different but not bad. Overall I would make it again but not sure about drinking it every day.
Hannah Rudnick
So yummy and easy! I’ve been so dejected trying to get healthy and lose weight until I found this site! Thank you so much!!
Lori J Lauscher
I love this smoothie after a workout. The protein helps in recovery as well as curbs the appetite! No almond milk? Use a different nut milk. No spinach? Kale or chard work well, too. Yum.
Julie
Healthy and satisfying!
Clare Skinner
This ones nice and the bonus is that I already had the ingredients
suzanne vienneau
I am going to try this one tomorrow am. Looks tasty!
Thanks for the great recipes
Julianne
I so need to make this for my morning breakfast! Sounds delish!
Teri
Great chocolate smoothie, especially over ice to cut the chalkiness. This is a nice alternative from tropical. Every morning I look forward to a Simple Green Smoothie. Thank you so much!
Simple Green Smoothies
So happy you loved this recipe. We are always looking for different varieties with our smoothie recipes 🙂
Angie Medbery
After all the years that I have been following you, I haven’t seen this recipe for some reason and I am so excited to try tomorrow morning!! Thank you for sharing this yummy looking breakfast!
Simple Green Smoothies
We hope you enjoy it, Angie!!!
SHEILA BETH LANGLAIS
Excellent Smoothie...... great flavor and healthy ingredients. This smoothie it keeps me satisfied. A few hours after I drink the metabolism tea for a morning refresher, I make this smoothie. I love it. Thank you so much Jen!!! 100% recommend this!
Simple Green Smoothies
Thank you, Sheila!!
Andy
This was my first smoothie right after coming off Simple 7 and I think I’m going to stick to this one this whole week to see how it effects my body composition. So far it looks like a winner and definitely more of a meal replacement than the Simple 7 recipes. Although as a very active guy, I’m been very impressed how long I’ve stayed full on the green smoothies before needing another meal. We are moving in a couple weeks so the cupboard is a little bare and I had to make a couple substitutions this time around. Overall though, I am really enjoying the program and looking forward to picking up the app, upping the servings and incorporating into our family’s breakfasts. Thanks for all the hard work you put into trial testing for us! I’m noticing a real difference!
Simple Green Smoothies
Hey Andy,
That is great to hear that you are staying full on our recipes even though you are so active. I have a feeling you are really going to love this recipe. Good luck for this week!
Wendy Car
This was my first time trying hemp hearts. I love having another source of protein in my toolkit!
Lady
Love these meal replacement smoothies! They really help when you are on the go, they make me feel good about my choice are delicious and nutritious!
Simple Green Smoothies
So happy that you love these recipes!
Kathy Overstreet
Love this smoothie - so luscious tasting!!!
Darlene
I have not tried this one yet. I usually have my smoothies for lunch with a piece of fruit or veggies, and I might have nuts. Work can be stressful. Having my smoothie then helps me not to grab unhealthy things at work. I even pass up donuts.
Elizabeth J
I loved this recipe. I had it for lunch and was surprised how full I stayed. I even walked passed the Oreo. I will definitely make this again.
Simple Green Smoothies
Yay!! That is so awesome that you walked right by the oreos!!!
Daphne C
Just what I needed before starting my summer reset. I really love the viewpoint of the video as well. Thanks Jen for another great smoothie.
Simple Green Smoothies
Thank you for your feedback Daphne! We are so happy that you enjoyed this video!
Karen
I've been making a chocolate smoothie very similar to this but I'm excited to try the cayenne in it. Also, thanks for telling us the benefits of all the different ingredients!
Simple Green Smoothies
We hope you love it Karen!
Laura
I have copied all 3 recipes and plan to implement them to see if I can lose another 12 lbs. This Chocolate Smoothie sounds wonderful (except maybe for the cayenne pepper, but I'm willing to try)
Simple Green Smoothies
Yay!! I have a feeling you will love it. Feel free to add in less of the cayenne pepper if you are not sure of how you will like it. It gives it a little kick and I personally love that part about it 🙂
Ashlyn
Delicious! I didn’t put much cayenne since I don’t do hot well and I had to use chai seed since I didn’t have hemp hearts. However, I plan to find some and try again.
Simple Green Smoothies
Way to make it work for you! It's okay to add in less if you cannot handle how hot it is. You should be able to find hemp seeds at your local grocery stores. I get mine at Walmart.
Sam
Super yummy. Will be a regular breakfast for sure.
Stephanie
This was really good. I love that it’s super easy and fast to make, which is perfect for mornings since I’m running around getting four kids ready for school. Used chia seeds since I didn’t have hemp hearts but plan on getting those on my next shopping trip.
Janelle
Due to allergies I used wow butter and coconut milk and it was still very tasty
Sherry
I really wanted to love this smoothie but...... for some unknown reason, chocolate in a smoothie is just not for me. I tried only half of the cacao powder called for. It's just not for me. 🙁
Melissa Gilleland
Love this smoothie! Definitely hits a sweet spot for me!
JoAnna Koller
Love this idea! Smoothies are the only way my picky kids will get veggies in, so the tastier, the better!!
Simple Green Smoothies
My kids love these too!! I am so thankful for these delicious recipes!
Susanna
This is delicious! The video states 2Tbsp almond butter but the recipe says 1Tbsp. Can you clarify? Thank you!!!
Simple Green Smoothies
Hey Susanna,
Thanks for letting us know about that. I have updated the recipe on the blog because it should be 2 tbsp of almond butter.
Amand
Chocolate + weight loss - YES PLEASE!!
Jan Morton
I made it without the cayenne pepper (as I am allergic to all peppers....I know bummer!). Is there another herb/spice that could be added that would serve the same function? Thanks!
Simple Green Smoothies
The only other substitute we have for cayenne pepper is paprika and you wouldn't be able to consume that either. If you leave the cayenne pepper out your body will still benefit a lot from this tea.
Dani
Copying down these ingredients and will hit the store this weekend. Can't wait! The list of items that are good for weight loss is super helpful too. Question.... Is cacao basically just cocoa?
Jen Hansard
I'm usually not much of a chocolate lover, but I love how I can adjust it in this recipe based on what I like. It's a nice change up from my usually tropical smoothies.
Jennifer A
Chocolate and weight loss in the same title...how can you go wrong with that? After reading the ingredient list, I was drinking this smoothie within 10 minutes of the recipe arriving in my inbox. I blended it with ice to make it cold and LOVED it! Thanks, Jen, for another healthy and yummy recipe to add to my collection!
Simple Green Smoothies
Yay!!! Love that you made this recipe right away. It really is so yummy!!!
Dawn
What is the calorie count on this?
Heidi
What are hemp hearts and where can I purchase them?
Simple Green Smoothies
Hey Heidi,
Hemp hearts are seeds that are full of protein! You can purchase these at most of your grocery stores. I personally get mine at Walmart.
Hope that helps!
Elle
Green smoothies help me keep my weight in check! This one is a winner! I added ice to make it colder and thicker.
Simple Green Smoothies
We are so happy that you love this recipe!!