Now, I had heard many times that you could easily make a sugar-free "milk" shake that was deliciuos, but as a former ice cream addict, I wasn't buying it.  I grabbed my chocolate "milk" and set out to make a healthier sounding smoothie.  To my own surprise, with nothing more than a frozen banana, some of this unsweetened almond milk, and a good dose of almond butter, an insanely indulgent beverage emerged.  Seriously, it had a definite milkshake vibe.  I was in heaven....for all of 30 seconds, when my spoon was scraping the bottom of my suddenly empty glass. 

I was surprised by how un-chocolaty the whole experience was, with the almond and banana taking center stage, nonetheless, I think the chocolate essence added a nice indulgent touch.

Aside from the sugars in the banana (I did use a ripe one), not an ounce of sugar could be found in the entire drink, yet it tasted fabulously sweet and creamy.  Okay, I added ice for a thicker frosty like shake, but it appeared quite creamy before I did this, so I can only assume.  So here is a rough approximation of my creation:

• 2/3 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk (Almond Breeze)
• 1 small, ripe, frozen banana
• 2 tablespoons almond butter (I loooove the creamy raw almond butter from trader joe's)
• 1 tablespoon flax seeds (I can never resist throwing these in)
• 5 sizable ice cubes (optional)

Add all to a blender, except the ice, and blend until smooth.  If desired, add one cube at a time (I use that little opening in the top so that the motor keeps running) until your perfect consistency is reached. 

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