Hot Chocolate Smoothie Recipe

A delicious Hot Chocolate Smoothie Recipe to enjoy this winter and how cocoa powder is good for you.

For many of us in midlife getting a healthy breakfast in can be difficult. Mornings are difficult to get everyone ready and out the door in a timely manner. Yet it is still important to make sure that we are getting a healthy breakfast in, so we aren’t relying on sugary carbs to help us get through the morning until lunch. Yet, when the weather is cooler it can be tough to drink a cold smoothie in the morning. This smoothie recipe provides you with a quick and healthy breakfast option while providing you with a nice warming drink.  
This is a sure win and my kids loved it as well.  So, grab a mug along with the ingredients below for this delicious warming smoothie.

Hot Chocolate Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 cup heated almond milk
1/2 cup cauliflower (to help bind to extra estrogen)
1/2 banana
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/8 tsp salt
Optional: 1/2 scoop collagen powder

Blend all together in a high-speed blender till smooth.

​Enjoy!

It is OK to just have a smoothie for breakfast:

Smoothies are a great option for a healthy breakfast as they provide you with important phytonutrients that you may not get from eating the standard American breakfast. As long as you ensure that your smoothies contain some sort of protein (protein powders, nuts or seeds, yogurt), healthy fats (avocado, nut butter, seeds or nuts), and fiber (vegetables or fruit); than they are a great option for a complete breakfast.

Benefits of drinking cocoa powder:

When we think of cocoa powder we tend to think about hot chocolate and the sugary powder cocoa, but cocoa powder without the added sugar has many benefits for our midlife body.

1. It contains polyphenols and flavanols which decrease inflammation in the body (just make sure to purchase the non-alkalized versions-not the one I have in the video) and increase brain function.
2. Contains theobromine which also reduces inflammation and can help to protect from heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
3. May improve mood, due to the flavanols and conversion of tryptophane but the more important reason I feel is who doesn’t like to enjoy a yummy chocolatey drink? Sitting down to enjoy a warm hot chocolate smoothie tends to help my mood and would assume it will help yours as well. 🙂
4. High in magnesium which can help with sweet cravings as many times when you are craving sweets it is due to being deficient in magnesium. By adding cocoa, you are quenching the craving while also getting an effective amount of magnesium into the diet.

When looking for cocoa powder make sure to get one that does not contain sugar, is minimally processed, non-alkalized, and sustainably grown. I like a few of the ones from Thrive Market (this is an affiliate link, where you will receive 40% off your first order).

Feel free to let me know in the comments if you tried the recipe and what you thought.

Other blog posts you may enjoy:

Healthy Breakfast on the Go

Vegetables in your Smoothie

Ideas for your Morning Routine