When my sweet tooth hits I want to eat something right away. But I also know if I fill up on cookies I’ll be shaky and hangry in no time. Instead, I like to whip up a smoothie that can both satisfy my sweet tooth and give me lasting energy without the crash. Enter this Mint Chocolate Smoothie.

mint chocolate protein shake in a glass jar surrounded by avocado, mint leaves and cacao powder.

Dessert smoothies bring up the sweetness level in a smoothie, yet do it in a strategic way. They use the power of natural sugar in fruit like bananas so you still get the fiber. Plus, by adding a natural energy ingredient like cacao powder (which contains natural caffeine), you’ve got an energy booster in a cup!

Don’t let the spinach in this keep you from blending the ultimate minty dessert smoothie today.

Table of Contents
  1. Mint Chocolate Smoothie Ingredients
  2. Easy Ingredient Swaps
  3. How to Make a Minty Chocolate Dessert Smoothie
  4. Mint Chocolate Smoothie FAQs
  5. More Dessert Smoothie Recipes
  6. Mint Chocolate Smoothie Recipe

Mint Chocolate Smoothie Ingredients

Even my dessert-like smoothies use whole food, plant-based ingredients. I love getting creative with food and figuring out just the right combos of unique ingredients to bring the flavor and texture I want.

  • Almond milk: I use almond milk since it’s widely available in most grocery stores today.
  • Spinach: This superpower green is full of protein, vitamins and minerals that will naturally energize you.
  • Mint leaves: A little mint goes a long way! Plus herbs like mint naturally help your body detox.
  • Banana: A creamy, naturally sweetened way to add thickness and lightly sweeten your smoothie.
  • Avocado: My fav way to add healthy fat to smoothies. Add them in fresh or frozen!
  • Medjool dates: I love the way this fruit adds sweetness to a smoothie as well as fiber.
  • Cacao powder: A chocolate-lovers dream ingredient! 1 tablespoon will turn any creation into a chocolate-y heaven.

Easy Ingredient Swaps

Before running off to the store for some new-to-you ingredients, check your kitchen! You may have some easy swaps on hand that will work great in this treat. 100% unsweetened cocoa powder can be used in place of cacao powder with little to no flavor change.

No need to use almond milk if you’ve got another kind of dairy-free milk on hand. Cashew milk or oat milk would work great in this recipe. While fresh mint leaves really elevate the flavor in this mint shake, mint extract can be used in a pinch.

photo of a chocolate protein shake surrounded by fresh, whole ingredients

How to Make a Minty Chocolate Dessert Smoothie

Since this smoothie has leafy greens, I like to use my two-blend method for the smoothest finish possible. First, blend the spinach, mint leaves and almond milk until smooth. Make sure no leafy chunks remain (the gaps between your teeth will thank you!).

Second, add the remaining ingredients and blend again until smooth. This gives your blender the chance to really break down the leaves before blending everything else and is really a no-fail way to avoid leafy smoothie chunks.

Pro Tip: Dates are rather sticky, and can be tricky to blend completely. I like to add them in the 2nd step and slowly get my blender speed to medium. Leave it blending on medium until you don’t hear the dates whipping around in chunks, then turn it up to high to finish off the blend.

Blending a Mint Chocolate Protein Shake

If you want to get the most out of this chocolate creation then add a plant-based protein powder to turn this into the ultimate mint chocolate protein shake. Most of us don’t need bodybuilder amounts of protein and the other weird ingredients in many commercial protein powders, so stick to a plant-based protein powder like my protein powder recipe for a super clean, super fine powder.

It will boost this mint chocolate smoothie by 10g of protein and add in healthy fat and fiber to help your body get full and stay full.

energizing mint chocolate smoothie topped with fresh mint and cacao nibs with a green straw.

Mint Chocolate Smoothie FAQs

How do you make a healthy mint chip smoothie?

I use spinach, fresh mint, almond milk, banana, avocado and cacao powder to make my chocolate mint smoothie. These ingredients might sound a bit odd together yet once blended, they create the perfect shake-like texture and rich chocolate flavor you’re looking for.

How do you make a cocoa smoothie?

Use cacao or cocoa powder for that chocolate flavor you desire. 1-2 tablespoons per serving is more than enough. Use plant-based milk instead of water as the liquid base to keep the creamy-nutty combo you want in a chocolate smoothie. Then add in ingredients like banana and avocado to thicken the smoothie to perfection.

Are chocolate smoothies good for you?

They can be! My mint chocolate smoothie is full of whole food, plant-based ingredients that deliver the sweetness, chocolate flavor and creaminess you want yet without any weird junk in them. And bonus, it’s super easy to blend!

More Dessert Smoothie Recipes

Love when a smoothie can double as a dessert? So do I! Save these recipes for your next dessert night or to use as a great afternoon energy boost:

Love this recipe? Please leave a rating in the recipe card below & if you loved it, leave a comment further down. Thanks for visiting!

photo of a mint chocolate smoothie in a glass jar with a paper straw topped with fresh mint and cacao nibs
5 from 13 votes

Mint Chocolate Smoothie

The combination of cacao powder and fresh mint leaves will give you that chocolate mint flavor you've been craving, but instead of packing in the fat and calories, you'll be packing in nutrients from spinach and avocados! It's really a win-win. When the Girl Scout cravings hit, reach for this smoothie instead.
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
Author: Jen Hansard
Course: Smoothie
Cuisine: Plant-Based
Serves: 1

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Blend spinach, mint and almond milk until smooth.
  • Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Use at least one frozen fruit to make the smoothie cold. Bananas are easy to freeze and toss into any smoothie.
  • Add plant-based protein powder like homemade protein powder to quickly turn this into a protein-packed shake. 
  • Swap cacao powder with 100% unsweetened cocoa powder.
  • Swap almond milk with the plant milk of your choice. 

Nutrition

Calories: 378kcal, Carbohydrates: 74g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Sodium: 352mg, Potassium: 1266mg, Fiber: 14g, Sugar: 47g, Vitamin A: 2808IU, Vitamin C: 25mg, Calcium: 399mg, Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe? Show me!Mention @SimpleGreenSmoothies or tag #SimpleGreenSmoothies!

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I really love this smoothie! Yummy chocolatey goodness and mint! You can’t go wrong. I made it with foraging spoils from my garden–plantain, clover, sorrel and of course, mint! Delicious!

    1. Hi Cherry! You are so right, the mint and chocolate are perfect. It’s even better that you can forage for some of the ingredients. Amazing!

  2. 5 stars
    I grow my own mint in a strawberry planter outside. Right now everything is frost bitten but as soon as it starts growing again you can be sure that I’ll be using very fresh leaves.

  3. Sounds great but what can I substitute for banana (allergy) Thanks, would love to make this!

    1. Hey Carol – I would add swap an extra half of an avocado for the banana. So, your recipe would have 3/4 of an avocado. I would maybe add in an additional date, to replace the sweetness from the banana, too. So, 3 dates.

      Your modified recipe would look like this:
      Mint Chocolate Smoothie –
      1 cups almond milk unsweetened
      3/4 cup spinach
      1/4 cup mint leaves fresh
      3/4 avocado
      3 medjool dates
      1 tbsp cacao powder
      cacao nibs optional

  4. 5 stars
    This is very similar to a smoothie we “reverse engineered” from a vegan smoothie/salad/wrap place in Maui.

    Try swapping the spinach for kale, and adding a few TBS of both unsalted macadamia nuts (or raw almonds), and cacao nibs at the very end, and then just “buzz” your blender briefly. The resulting tiny, chewable pieces of chocolate + nuts will satisfy, not only your Thin Mint craving, but a McFlurry/Blizzard hankering, as well!!!

  5. 5 stars
    I just ordered some cacao nibs after trying them at a local smoothie shop, can’t wait to try them in this!