Healthy Chocolate Banana Milkshake

Growing up, my dad had a lot of talents, but cooking wasn’t necessarily on that list. He was certainly creative since he refused to follow a recipe, but his creativity usually resulted in some odd type of stew, consisting of ground beef and whatever vegetables and canned soup he could find. It worked, but definitely didn’t inspire me to go for seconds (or even firsts sometimes).

However, after dinner, Dad would whip up chocolate milkshakes that made up for whatever his makeshift meal lacked. He’d throw vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, milk, and his secret ingredient—bananas—into a blender and run it until it was the perfect old-fashioned consistency. Sometimes, he’d even make two blenders full and we’d all sit around, drinking the milkshakes as fast as we could until the brain freeze hit us.

Over the years, I’ve continued to crave that taste from my childhood and became determined to make a healthier version to share with my kids. And thankfully, this was one of the easiest recipe edits ever. This chocolate banana milkshake only takes 3 ingredients: cacao powder, bananas, and milk.

1. Bananas
   Bananas are the star of our chocolate banana milkshake. In addition to the obvious banana flavor, they also stand in as the ice cream and natural sweetness for these shakes. This recipe calls for frozen bananas to get the right ice cream-like texture. I always buy a huge bunch of bananas, knowing that I’ll throw a few in the freezer for smoothies or shakes. If you like things on the sweet side, let your bananas sit on the counter until they start to get a few brown spots before peeling and freezing. The riper the banana, the sweeter it is as the natural sugars develop during the ripening process.
2. Cacao powder
   Instead of chocolate syrup, this recipe simply calls for cacao powder to give it a huge chocolate punch. Similar to cocoa powder, cacao powder is less processed and has more nutritional value. In a pinch, feel free to use 100% cocoa powder. Some cocoa powders have added sugars and other ingredients, so just make to check the label.
3. Milk
   Milk is needed to blend everything together to get a smooth, creamy chocolate banana milkshake. To keep the flavor as close to my dad’s version as possible, I tend to use 2% dairy milk. However, I’ve tried it with almond milk and it turns out great. Use whatever type of milk you prefer, but try to keep it to one with a neutral flavor.

While I would never turn down the classic version from my dad, I love making this healthier version for my kids. Their silly grins come out when they know chocolate banana milkshakes are for dessert and it brings back memories of my dad’s excitement every time. Childhood memories are the best, especially when they involve milkshakes for dessert.

Healthy Chocolate Banana Milkshake

Course: Dessert, SnackCuisine: American

Servings

1

Prep time

2

minutes

Cooking timeminutes

Calorieskcal

Total time

2

minutes

A clean version of a my dad's chocolate banana milkshake. With just 3 ingredients, this milkshakes comes together in 2 minutes and is just as good as the original.

Ingredients

• 1 banana frozen

• 3/4 cup milk 2% or nondairy

• 1 TBSP cacao powder

• 1 tsp honey OR maple syrup optional

Directions

• Put all ingredient in a blender and blend until smooth (~1 minute).
• Pour into a glass and enjoy immediately.

Notes

• The honey or maple syrup is optional to fit your sweetness liking. I’d recommend letting your bananas sit on the counter until they start to get a few brown spots before freezing them. This allows the natural sugars to develop and makes the milkshake sweet enough without the added sweetness.