Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie Bowl

This chocolate peanut butter smoothie bowl is rich, creamy, and so easy to make! The simple recipe is vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, and soy-free. It requires just 4 ingredients, including banana, peanut butter, cocoa, and almond milk. It’s healthy enough to be a breakfast smoothie, but it tastes like an indulgent dessert! This dessert smoothie bowl will satisfy your sweet tooth and curb all chocolate cravings.

When it comes to sweets, is there any better combination than chocolate and peanut butter? Personally, I cannot name a duo that I love more than this one. There’s a reason I’ve shared so many recipes using these two flavors, including my Homemade Peanut Butter Cups and No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars. So, naturally, this smoothie bowl recipe is one of my forever favorites. It’s rich, creamy, dreamy, and all around delicious. It tastes like a Reese’s peanut butter cup in smoothie bowl form!

The chocolatey, peanut buttery base is reminiscent of soft serve ice cream. Since it’s made with frozen bananas, the texture is super thick and capable of holding various toppings. You can keep it light and simple with fresh fruit on top, or have fun with all sorts of ingredients – like granola, dark chocolate chips, coconut flakes, and roasted peanuts.

This chocolate peanut butter smoothie bowl is:

• Vegan, dairy-free, plant-based, soy-free, and gluten-free
• A quick and easy 5-minute recipe
• Made with only 4 ingredients
• Customizable with several options for mix-ins and toppings
• Kid-approved and non-vegan approved
• Best enjoyed as a breakfast smoothie or a healthy dessert smoothie!

Ingredients in this peanut butter chocolate banana smoothie bowl

This 4 ingredient smoothie recipe requires bananas, peanut butter, cocoa powder, and your choice of milk. You can also include medjool dates and a dash of vanilla extract, if desired. Don’t forget to enjoy the bowl with various toppings, too!

• Bananas: Frozen overripe bananas give this smoothie bowl its thick and creamy consistency. Scroll down for tips on how to freeze bananas.
• Peanut butter: Use creamy or crunchy peanut butter. Peanut butter is a healthy smoothie booster, providing magnesium, zinc, vitamin B6, and some plant-based protein.
• Cocoa powder: The rich chocolate flavor comes from cocoa powder. You can also use cacao powder or carob powder. All three options will give your smoothie a chocolatey flavor.
• Non-dairy milk: Any non-dairy milk can be used for this dairy-free smoothie bowl, such as almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk. If you are not following a vegan diet, feel free to use traditional milk.
• Medjool dates: If you would like a sweeter dessert-style smoothie bowl, I recommend adding 1 or 2 pitted medjool dates. Alternatively, you can add 1 tablespoon of liquid sweetener, like maple syrup, agave nectar, coconut nectar, or honey.
• Vanilla extract: A small dash of vanilla extract is optional, but it does make a difference.
• Toppings: Don’t forget the toppings! Choose your favorites and enjoy it with a spoon.

How to make this dessert smoothie bowl

For the full ingredients list and step-by-step instructions, scroll down to view the recipe card below.

First, combine the frozen bananas, peanut butter, cocoa powder, dates (optional), vanilla extract (optional), and non-dairy milk in a blender.

Next, blend the ingredients until smooth, thick, and creamy. After, transfer the chocolate peanut butter smoothie to a bowl. Add the toppings of your choosing. Enjoy!

How to freeze bananas for a smoothie

Frozen overripe bananas are a key ingredient for thick and creamy smoothie bowls. If you are a smoothie lover, I recommend keeping a few bananas in the freezer at all times. That way, you’ll have frozen bananas ready to go whenever a smoothie craving hits!

1. Wait for the bananas to become slightly overripe. Overripe bananas have yellow peels with brown specks/spots all over them.
2. Peel the bananas, then transfer them to a sealed bag or container.
3. Store bananas in the freezer for up to 2 months.

How to make a smoothie thicker

Having trouble creating a super thick and creamy smoothie bowl? Here are my top 3 tips for perfecting the consistency.

Frozen fruit: As mentioned above, frozen bananas are the trick to achieving a thick consistency. When it comes to smoothie bowls, I always recommend using frozen fruit instead of fresh fruit.

Minimal liquid: It is important to use the smallest amount of liquid possible. You should use just enough to get the blades moving. More liquid creates a thinner/runnier smoothie while less liquid creates a thicker consistency. If you add too much liquid, the final result will be a traditional drinkable smoothie. Instead, we are aiming for a texture that is similar to soft serve ice cream.

Tamper: I highly recommend using a Vitamix blender or any blender with a tamper. A tamper lets you push the ingredients into the blades while blending, reducing the need for any liquid at all. This guarantees a thick, creamy texture.

Best add-ins for smoothies

Looking to boost your chocolate peanut butter smoothie bowl with extra nutrients? Choose from the following options:

• Protein powder: Make it a chocolate protein smoothie bowl by adding your favorite chocolate plant-based protein. Alternatively, you can use another flavored protein.
• Spinach: Toss in a handful of fresh spinach. I promise you cannot even taste the flavor.
• Seeds: Add a tablespoon of chia seeds, ground flaxseed, or hemp seeds for a boost of nutrients and healthy fats, like omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
• Maca powder: Maca has a nutty flavor which makes it a delicious addition to this recipe. It’s highly nutritious, containing vitamin C, copper, iron, and potassium. It has also been shown to offer hormone-balancing benefits.
• Cinnamon: Add a pinch of this healthy spice for its anti-inflammatory properties and warm flavor.

Best smoothie bowl toppings for this recipe

There are endless options when it comes to toppings for smoothie bowls. For this particular recipe, you can keep it light and simple or go all out with a dessert-style bowl. Alternatively, choose a combination of both (my favorite!).

• Light and simple: strawberries, blueberries, coconut flakes, shredded coconut, granola, almonds, peanuts, cashews, hemp seeds, chia seeds, or coconut yogurt
• Dessert style: chocolate chips, cacao nibs, peanut butter, chocolate syrup, caramel syrup, sprinkles, agave nectar, date syrup, coconut whip, dark chocolate, peanut butter cups, or nutella/hazelnut butter

More smoothie bowl recipes with peanut butter

• Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie Bowl
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothie Bowl

More healthy smoothie recipes

• Chocolate Cherry Smoothie Bowl
• Raspberry Mango Smoothie Bowl
• Blueberry Banana Smoothie Bowl
• Strawberry Lemonade Smoothie Bowl
• Raspberry Orange Smoothie Bowl
• Green Mango Smoothie Bowl

If you try this Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie Bowl, please let me know your thoughts by leaving a rating and comment below! Ready for more? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Instagram and YouTube!

Print

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use, trust, and love!