Smoothies are a favorite of mine when it comes to a snack, good ‘on the go’ breakfast or healthy dessert! I don’t order them out much, because it seems like many places have way too many unnecessary ingredients in their smoothies and what is suppose to be healthy goes the other way quickly! One place that is pretty good is Starbucks; I get strawberry smoothies there from time to time and like the fact they are made with four simple ingredients! The best option though… make your own at home! Smoothies are so simple to make and knowing exactly what’s in your meal or snack is always a positive! I recently started buying almond butter and didn’t realize how yummy this stuff is…on bread, with apples, on celery and now in a smoothie! It’s better than peanut butter with a number of great health benefits! So when I came across a recipe for a chocolate banana smoothie using peanut butter or almond butter, I had to try it out! It was definitely a success and something I’ll make again!

This version simply has almond milk, a banana, almond butter and ice. I think I’ll try adding some oats when I make it for breakfast! Again, this can be made using any kind of nut butter really and any flavor of milk. Check out the recipe below for a quick, delicious and nutritious smoothie! Enjoy!

Chocolate Almond Butter Banana Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dark chocolate almond milk
• 1 frozen banana (peel and slice before freezing)
• 2 tablespoons almond butter
• 2-3 ice cubes

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Add more ice cubes for a thicker smoothie.
2. Pour into glass and enjoy! makes one serving.

As always, thanks for reading!