Raw Cacao Blueberry Smoothie. Where have you been my whole life?
I am not sure why it took me so long to combine blueberry and cacao in a smoothie because it is a magical flavor combination.
Have you tried it?
Okay, this is pretty much the world’s easiest blueberry smoothie recipe but let’s break down how it is made.
Ingredients & What you need to make Cacao Blueberry Smoothie
- Non-dairy milk: The milk is the base for this blueberry smoothie recipe, and you can use whatever milk you prefer. I have used coconut and oat milk so far.
- Frozen Blueberries: The blueberries are the main substance of this cacao smoothie providing lots of flavor, nutrients and texture. I usually use frozen but fresh is always an option too. Feel free to adjust the amount to your liking.
- Cacao Powder: The other hero of this blueberry smoothie recipe. Cacao is an unprocessed, mineral and antioxidant rich alternative to cocoa powder. It is one of my favorite things to add to my smoothies because it provides so much flavor and gives me a boost of energy.
- Cacao nibs are actually pieces of cocoa beans that have been fermented and then crushed into small pieces. They have a really rich chocolate flavor and also give a great crunch to desserts or smoothies. They are also high in many minerals and antioxidants.
- Chia Seeds: Provide an extra boost of nutrients since they contain omega-3 fatty acids but they also thicken the smoothie some.
- Vanilla Extract: This is optional. Especially if you happen to have a vanilla flavored milk but I like the way the vanilla flavor pairs with the cacao and blueberry.
- Protein: Typically, I will include some collagen protein in my cacao blueberry smoothies. I like to use THIS one from Vital Proteins or this Collagen Fuel from Primal Kitchen. Feel free to leave it our or use your favorite protein.
What is Cacao Powder and How is it different from Cocoa Powder?
Cacao is referring to the raw powder form of the cocoa bean. The cocoa beans are usually fermented, dried and then ground into a powder when making raw cacao.
When making cocoa powder they usually roast the beans at a high temperature before grinding. This alters the flavor and also reduced some of the nutrients found in cocoa beans.
How to Make Smoothie Substitutions
When making substitutes for smoothies I would recommend keeping with the same “family” of ingredients. For example
- Blueberry Substitute = Strawberry, Blackberry or Raspberry
- Cacao Substitute = Cocoa Powder
- Cacao Nib Substitute = Pecan, almonds, Walnuts etc (think crunch)
- Chia Seed Substitute = Flaxseed meal, Sesame seed, Pumpkin seed..
- You can easily double the recipe if you want the smoothie to serve more people.
There are endless options but just a few ideas on how to determine a substitute when making this raw cacao blueberry smoothie.
Looking for More Smoothie Recipes? Check THESE Out
Chocolate Peanut Butter Kale Shake
Print
Raw Cacao and Blueberry Smoothie
- Prep Time: 5
- Total Time: 5
- Yield: 1 smoothie 1x
- Category: Snack
- Method: Blender
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
A delicious plant-based smoothie packed with blueberries and cacao. Simple, healthy and delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 cup non-dairy milk (I used oat milk)
- 3/4 cup frozen blueberries
- 1 Tbsp raw cacao powder
- 1 Tbsp cacao nibs
- 1 Tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 scoops protein (optional)
- 5–6 cubes of ice
Instructions
Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
Keywords: Blueberry smoothie, raw cacao blueberry smoothie, cacao blueberry smoothie, smoothie recipe with blueberry and cacao.
Tim says
Looks delicious.
Rosa Trevino says
break down of nutrition facts would be great, thanks
Jessi's Kitchen says
I don’t plan to add nutrition facts to my page anytime soon but you could probably plug the recipe in to My Fitness Pal or another app like that to track your personal nutritional needs.
Traci Larson says
Your recipe was divine!… I used coconut milk out of the can. Do you use coconut milk from the can or in the carton? which would be the better choice? thank you for your response.
Jessi's Kitchen says
I typically use coconut milk from the can. I like the flavor and texture better.