If you love deep dark chocolate, you will absolutely love this Cocoa Oat Almond Shake! It goes down so smooth and it’s so good for you!! There is no added sugar–the sweetness comes from the ripe frozen banana and the medjool date, but interestingly, you don’t really taste either. It just tastes decadently chocolaty rich and creamy! Of course, that richness has nothing to do with cream and has everything to do with the hidden black lentils (*canned is fine—click here for a brand I like) and old fashioned rolled oats. The result is just power nutrition–protein, fiber, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants that will fill your tummy (and your kids–YES!!) –what better way to say I love you!
Little Tips: Make sure you peel banana BEFORE you put it in a tupperware in the freezer! I like to have a whole bunch ready to go for this shake, but no worries if you forget to have some ready to go, you can always use a fresh unfrozen ripe banana and just add ice (about 1 cup) to the shake and process until smooth. Also, I prefer to use black beluga lentils but any type of lentils will do, and again, I like to have some ready to go in a tupperware in the fridge!
- 1 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
- 1 frozen peeled banana
- 1 Tbsp unsweetened organic cocoa
- ⅓ cup old fashioned rolled oats (dry)
- 2 Tbsp cooked or canned lentils*, rinsed and drained
- 1 medjool date (pitted)
- Add all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth and creamy--about 30 seconds
I like to have an open-mouth jar filled with rolled oats ready to go on my counter! Note even the little 1/3 cup scoop is in there to save time on a busy school morning…every little bit helps!!! 🙂
Catherine Katz says
January 20, 2018 at 8:55 amHAHAHAH Martine, je viens seulement aujourd’hui de lire votre gentil commentaire rigolo! Vous êtes adorable!! 🙂
Melanie says
April 9, 2017 at 7:07 pmI have loved this recipe since Catherine first put it on her blog! Such a healthy “protein shake”. I make it for my boys, (grown) but I make it more for myself! Love it, and love the addition of lentils! Thank you, Catherine.
Catherine Katz says
January 20, 2018 at 8:51 amAW Melanie, I only now am seeing your sweet comment! I am sorry I missed it! Thank you so much, I love that you love it so much! 🙂
Iris says
April 9, 2017 at 12:59 pmMy son loves this smoothie so much that I am afraid his is overdoing. He wants it in the morning and then again at night. I thought that after a couple of weeks he would have gotten tired of it, but no he is still going strong. Thank God for his workouts. Thanks again Catherine.
Iris says
October 10, 2016 at 3:57 pmAnother great recipe. I just made this smoothie and I am feeling happy. I felt like I just had a chocolate bar. Can’t wait to try it on my husband and my nine year old for breakfast tomorrow morning. I am sure that they are going to love it. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Catherine Katz says
October 11, 2016 at 10:34 amYAY Iris!! I am so happy to hear it!! Let me know if your husband and child love it just as much as you do! 🙂
John Breeden says
September 28, 2016 at 3:39 pmOh! well then, I’m making plans for baking Apple Almond Raisin cookies. A good reward will be in store after this coming weekend activities which are fully booked with Board meetings. 🙂
Love raisins in cookies, and just finished eating a big, cool, crisp Honey Crisp apple from the Okanagan Valley in BC. So, the transition to making this recipe couldn’t be more natural. Haha!
Spreading the cheer, Catherine. Will post a review too.
Catherine Katz says
October 1, 2016 at 3:11 pmYAY Thank you John!!! Board meetings definitely need a reward so I am so glad I could provide it!! 🙂
martine says
September 14, 2016 at 1:03 pmbonsoir, ça y est je viens de faire votre smoothie! dé li cous ; outrageously delicious!! je pense l’avoir fait en 2minutes et parfois, si une envie outrageuse se présentait soudainement à moi de manger sucré , je sais maintenant ce que je ferai ! très belle initiative et alternative! merci beaucoup ! martine de France
Catherine Katz says
September 14, 2016 at 7:06 pmMerci Martine!!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Corinda says
September 12, 2016 at 11:55 amYum!!! I can’t wait to make this!
Catherine Katz says
September 12, 2016 at 12:04 pmMy Corinda, you are go-ing to LOOOVE it (to be enunciated in a very staccato manner, accompanied by a brisk flick of the head, to emphasize my excitement about it!!! HAHAHAHA!!! 🙂 I love you-Mom
martine says
September 12, 2016 at 9:44 amles bananes attendent gentiment de se congéler mais ensuite …elles passent à la casserole! ah!ah! merci pour cette recette inattendue as usual!
Catherine Katz says
September 12, 2016 at 10:28 amViiiiiiite, il me tarde Matine!!!! 🙂
Barbara says
September 10, 2016 at 10:27 pmCatherine,
You just gave me something I desperately needed. A healthy breakfast for the child who is always running late. Thank you. Can wait to try this
Anna Muller says
September 11, 2016 at 7:34 amAnother great recipe from Catherine. Like Barbara, I’m sure my daughter will be happy to have his idea for her son’s a.m. nutrition (he too is a B person). Thank you, Catherine.
Catherine Katz says
September 11, 2016 at 10:34 amHAHAHA Anna!! Precisely why I created this breakfast! It’s perfect for my teenage son running out the door in the morning and HE LOVES IT!!! I can’t wait to hear about your daughter loving it too!! 🙂
Catherine Katz says
September 11, 2016 at 10:32 amYES!!! Barbara!! I know EXACTLY the feeling!! Make sure to have plenty of frozen bananas ready to go in the freezer (again, make sure they are peeler BEFORE you freeze them!), your canned lentils ready to go in a tupperware in the fridge (I also always have a big jar of rolled oats ready to go with a scoop on my counter) and it’s a matter of seconds to put it all together! PERFECT for your child running out the door!! 🙂
John Breeden says
September 10, 2016 at 4:14 pmHey Catherine! Thanks for the suggestion. I went to the store with a mission, starting with the end in mind, which for a parent with a young family and busy life is a real added benefit. (The habit of aimless wonderings in grocery stores when dinners need to be prepared and no ideas about what to cook isn’t optimal.) So from the start, receiving a suggestion like this one is really helpful. Thanks again.
I cooked the lentils and blended the ingredients into a smoothee. In my eagerness and rush, I discovered how to improve my efforts for the next time. Using a frozen banana as recommended is important. Especially when first impressions count. Smoothees are great too when served chilled. So note to self for next time.
My son liked it!! This equates to a big check because he hates lentils and will eat oats only if they come from a processed and packaged source. There are big smiles here and koodos to Cuisinicity for it’s innovations and depth of understanding nutrition and nutrition related challenges.
I read this article this morning about lifestyle and health: http://news.health.com/2016/03/23/less-than-3-percent-of-americans-live-a-healthy-lifestyle/
Raising health conscious children is challenging.
Catherine Katz says
September 10, 2016 at 5:17 pmI love your determination John! Your kids are very lucky (after all, you did earn the cuisinicity stealth Dad award!!). I love that the kids still liked it–BIG smiles is what we aim for! 🙂 🙂
YES the frozen banana is crucial because it really imparts both its creaminess and the ice cold smoothie texture, but also because when frozen solid, it doesn’t really give out as much of a banana flavor and lets the dark chocolate predominate as it should! One of my daughters can’t stand the texture of a ripe fresh banana because it is too mushy but I have the feeling that she will LOVE this smoothie, it’s that subtle when the banana is frozen (I can’t wait for her to try it HAHA!!). Just make sure to peel the banana BEFORE you put it in the freezer in a tupperware, otherwise, you will find it impossible to peel once frozen!!
The article is indeed disheartening but we cannot give up the fight as the prize of years to life and life to years for our children is so worth it, and again, one doesn’t have to “suffer” through it, as you know we can love the food that will love us back and that’s half the battle!
John Breeden says
September 10, 2016 at 5:44 pmHaha! My hand was halfway to the freezer when remembering to peel the bananas…. It gives me confidence to go to Cuisinicity’s cooking videos and start learning more. And thanks for the wonderful feedback!
Catherine Katz says
September 11, 2016 at 10:35 amSO FUNNY, John!!!! 🙂
John Breeden says
September 11, 2016 at 2:09 pmWith a stash of cooked lentils in the fridge and frozen peeled bananas in the freezer, I was ready for this morning.
My daughter hates my smoothies because they are often too thick – but liked this one and drank it all.
Yes, success!
🙂 🙂
Catherine Katz says
September 11, 2016 at 2:40 pmYAY!! SUCCESS!!! LOVE that kind of feedback!! 🙂
John Breeden says
September 16, 2016 at 6:31 pmMore good news, Catherine.
Since we spoke last, the kids have asked for this shake every morning this week. 🙂
Catherine Katz says
September 16, 2016 at 8:09 pmJohn, that’s wonderful!! Thank you so much for letting me know! This comes after I just got the worst review I have ever gotten just now about my Apple Almond raisin cookies so it made it less painful for me (it really hit me hard, this person did not mince his words!), so thank you John for making me feel better!!! 🙂
martine says
September 10, 2016 at 10:22 ambonjour ! Votre fils boit ça avec concentration, pas de place pour autre chose , tellement ça a l’air bon! eh bien , moi aussi je vais essayer bientôt…. the new way to learn how to concentrate itself ? …drink cocoa oat almon shake, this it! yeeeh! martine de France improving her English!!