Healthy Peanut Butter Mocha Smoothie Recipe

What do gooey, creamy peanut butter and fluffy, sweet cauliflower have in common? Not much, to be honest, and yet, somehow, these two healthy plant-based foods come together in perfect harmony in this healthy peanut butter mocha smoothie. That's right, this recipe for a peanut butter mocha smoothie created by recipe developer and registered dietician Jaime Bachtell-Shelbert of Wholly Nourished contains a full cup of frozen cauliflower florets along with the more predictable cup of frozen banana chunks. And no one (except you, of course) need be the wiser.

Bachtell-Shelbert uses cauliflower because it contains "sulfur-containing compounds that are major cancer fighters," she told Mashed, and cauliflower is chock full of other phytochemicals as well as vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Plus, with the cauliflower stepping in for some of the bananas you might otherwise use for sweetness, this smoothie isn't going to raise your blood sugar the way some smoothies can. Between the protein, healthy fat, fiber, and other nutrients, this healthy peanut butter mocha smoothie is what Bechtell-Shelbert calls "the perfect combination to balance your blood sugar and keep you fuller longer."

For this healthy peanut butter mocha smoothie, you'll need to have a pint of unsweetened almond milk, a package of frozen cauliflower florets — enough for one heaping cupful — and two bananas, which you will need to break into chunks and freeze at least one hour before making your smoothie. You'll also need two tablespoons of cacao powder, two teaspoons of either cold brew coffee granules or instant coffee granules, two tablespoons of peanut butter, and two tablespoons of chocolate syrup. 

For the peanut butter, Bachtell-Shelbert recommends using the natural kind, so if there's oil on top, you'll want to slowly stir that in first with a long spoon or butter knife. Regarding the chocolate syrup, Bachtell-Shelbert explains that two tablespoons add just the right amount of sweetness to balance the bitterness of the cacao powder, which, by the way, is filled with antioxidants and magnesium.

Before you start to make your healthy peanut butter mocha smoothie, you'll need to turn your bananas into frozen banana chunks. To do so, simply peel your bananas, and then slice or break them into chunks. Gather them up in a bowl or a glass big enough to hold them, and pop them in the freezer until they're firm. Since that could take up to an hour or so, you'll want to do this the night before if you're planning on serving your healthy peanut butter mocha smoothie for breakfast. When the banana chunks have frozen firm, measure out a heaping cup's worth (you may have a bit left over, which you can use toward your next smoothie).

Get out a high-speed blender — one with a container/jar that's large enough to hold at least a quart's worth of ingredients. First, toss in your bananas. Follow with a heaping cup of frozen cauliflower florets. Then pour in the almond milk. Give the blender a quick whir. Then measure out the peanut butter (you'll need both a measuring spoon and a spoon to scoop the peanut butter out of the measuring spoon), and add it along with the cacao, coffee granules, and chocolate syrup. 

Blend at high speed until smooth. Serve and enjoy immediately.