How to Make Dessert Smoothies for a Healthy Sweet

Think of smoothies and I bet you think about breakfast. But that isn’t the only option when it comes to adding smoothies into your diet – and a great one is to have a smoothie or a smoothie bowl as a dessert. The key? Make a dessert smoothie that is a little sweeter for the perfect healthy sweet course.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases and sometimes recommend products from other sellers at no extra cost to you. For more details see my disclosure policy and privacy policy.

Let me guess – you don’t always feel like making a smoothie for breakfast or even if you do, drinking it is another thing. I get that, sometimes I want breakfast to be easy or even a sweet tooth treat (like say, pain au chocolat) and a smoothie doesn’t interest me. But I know I still need to get that goodness in somewhere. Having a dessert for breakfast in the form of a smoothie can be the perfect solution but you do want to tweak the classic smoothie recipe just a little.

How to make a dessert smoothie recipe

Making a dessert smoothie is the same as making any other smoothie – the difference is that you change some of the ingredients a little to make a slightly sweeter version of the drink.

One of the most popular ways to make a dessert smoothie is with chocolate. Yes, there may be a little more sugar in them and they may be a little less healthy but by adding other ingredients, you can still get plenty of nutrients but the taste will be more along the lines of a dessert than a breakfast.

Another great option for a dessert smoothie is to make a smoothie bowl. These are usually a little thicker than normal smoothie drinks and are eaten with a spoon. You can also transform a range of smoothie bowl recipes into a dessert-style dish with a few of these tips.

Add cocoa powder

Unsweetened cocoa powder is an easy way to give a smoothie bowl a dessert twist and is also great for thickening a recipe. You can use carob powder if you want to go for a caffeine-free option – this is ideal if you tend to have dessert a bit late. But cocoa powder definitely has the best taste. If you feel it needs a little sweetening, use something like maple syrup or even dark chocolate if your chocolate cravings demand it!

Add cacao nibs and coconut

Cacao nibs and coconut can be added to any smoothie bowl to make it a bit sweeter plus it looks brilliant. Cocoa nibs are small pieces with a strong, sweet flavour and you could also use chocolate chips in the same way. Shredded coconut adds more flavour too.

Add hazelnuts or hazelnut spread

For a really simple smoothie bowl idea, try using cocoa powder, hazelnuts, bananas and ice. You can add some Greek yoghurt if you like things creamier or to thin the mixture a little. You can also add sliced hazelnuts to any mixture or even use a hazelnut spread in the blend. Something similar might work with cashew nuts or cashew butter in some recipes.

Don’t forget peanut butter

Peanut butter is a brilliant ingredient for smoothies if you choose an organic or natural version – others tend to have loads of additives and quite a bit of salt in them. You can add it with ingredients such as chocolate, yoghurt and top with granola as well as a whole range of fruit ingredients.

How to make a chocolate smoothie

Here’s an example of a chocolate peppermint smoothie:

½ large frozen banana
2 large ice cubes
½ cup non-dairy milk of choice such as coconut milk
½ scoop Chocolate flavored whey protein powder
1 tbsp cocoa powder
¼ tsp of sea salt
⅛ tsp pure peppermint extract
toppings: homemade whipping cream and chocolate chips/flakes

dessert smoothie - two glasses of chocolate smoothie with mint leaves and straws

Add everything apart from your toppings to the blender and give it a good blitz. Add to a tall glass like a sundae and add your toppings then grab a spoon or straw and tuck in.