Chocolate Cherry Smoothie – Black Forest Protein Shake

Switch up your smoothie game with this chocolate cherry smoothie. You’ll love the black forest flavors in this protein shake – it tastes as good as dessert! 

If you look closely, you can see some of this chocolate cherry smoothie on my kitchen ceiling.

I try to do most of my recipe development, cooking, and photography on Saturdays when Ben is home to help with the kids. On one of those Saturdays, I was working on a number of recipes. We had an evening event and I thought to myself, I can get one more recipe done quickly. It’s a protein shake and it won’t take me too long. Piece of cake, right? I’m an experienced smoothie maker…seriously, as proof, check out this list of 50 plus juice and smoothie recipes.

So, still in my workout clothes, I decided to go for it. One more thing crossed off the never-ending to-do list. Into the blender went the cherries, the protein powder, the spinach, Greek yogurt, and water.

It was a little thick, so I took the lid off my Vitamix and started pushing the mixture down with the stir stick or whatever that thing is called.

Hey guys, there’s a reason you use that stick thing with the lid on. It’s so it doesn’t hit the spinning blade.

DUH.

But, I wasn’t thinking and CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH.

The next thing I knew, my hair, my clothes, my floor, my cabinets and my entire kitchen were covered in chocolate, partially pureed cherries, and pieces of hard black plastic.

Not my finest moment, to say the least. So at this point, not only do I need to clean up this disaster, I also have to redo the recipe. Super fun way to end a day of work, but nonetheless, I bring you a delicious, plastic shard free, chocolate cherry smoothie.

With spinach. You guys know I put spinach in everything.

The smoothie, without the plastic shards, is perfect for summer. Sometimes in summer, it’s hard to keep your nutrition game strong. Schedules are wacky, everyone is outside 24/7, you’re hopping from one place to the next, and things are just plain busy. The great thing about this cherry chocolate smoothie is that it can be a breakfast, a snack, a post-workout refresher, or even a meal replacement! Not to mention the fact that it’s refreshing and perfect for those scorching summer days.

I used Chocolate Protein Powder Nutritional Booster from Rachel Cooks partner Bob’s Red Mill — you might recognize it from the chocolate coconut energy balls or my chocolate protein pancakes (SO good!). It’s a really great protein powder because it is plant-based and contains probiotics and chia seeds. Plus it’s gluten-free and vegan!

I hope you guys love this smoothie, and I think you should maybe even just drizzle a little chocolate on top. You deserve it.

More great protein shakes like this chocolate cherry smoothie:

• Mocha Protein Shake Recipe
• Peach, Banana, Honey and Cottage Cheese Smoothie
• Peach Pie Protein Shake from Wishes and Dishes
• Pina Colada Protein Shake from Oh Sweet Basil

Verdict: Good, without the plastic.
Husband’s take: I don’t think I shared after that ordeal was over.
Changes I would make: None are necessary.
Difficulty: Easy! Well, it should be. If you’re not me.

 

Check out more delicious healthy recipes, snag coupons and find stores near you at BobsRedMill.com! You can get a coupon for $3 off the nutritional boosters here!

Disclosure: I’ve partnered with Bob’s Red Mill as a brand ambassador to bring you this post and chocolate cherry smoothie. They compensated me for my time but all opinions are, as always, my own. If you opened my cupboards and fridge, you’d find a wealth of Bob’s Red Mill products that I purchased myself. Thanks for supporting Rachel Cooks by reading about brands I use and love!