Cheerful Cherry Chocolate Chip Shake

Amazing with fresh or frozen cherries, this simple, healthy cherry chocolate chip shake is spiked with one of my favorite new ingredients, bitter-sweet chocolate chips from Pascha Organic Chocolate.

I use their 85% chocolate chips (purple bag in the picture below) for that bitter-sweet contrast, but they also offer 55% semi-sweet and 100% unsweetened (for you purist and paleo chocoholics!). All are made in a top allergen-free facility, non-GMO verified, gluten-free, and certified organic, vegan, and fair trade.

But you are probably thinking, “Who would want to eat big chocolate chips in a shake or smoothie?” Of course, you can stick to enjoying these flavors in solid snacks like these delicious Chocolate Covered Cherry Protein Bites. But there is a tasty little trick for enjoying chocolate “chip” smoothies, too. Simply add the chips after your shake is prepared, pulse the blender a few times to break them into shards and distribute throughout – and voila! An indulgent treat that offers the vibe of chocolate chip ice cream in a nutritious, thick, breakfast-worthy smoothie.

And though this cherry chocolate chip shake is amazing with fresh cherries, the season for this brilliant stone fruit is rather short. Feel free to sub frozen cherries if needed, but as noted in the recipe, you may need to let your fruit defrost a touch before blending, or use a fresh banana.

Special Diet Notes: Cherry Chocolate Chip Shake

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, optionally nut-free, optionally peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, vegetarian, and optionally paleo. In fact, this cherry chocolate chip shake is generally top food allergy-friendly!

I’m sharing this recipe on Shirley’s awesome Gluten-Free Wednesdays at Gluten Free Easily, Allergy-Free Wednesdays at Adrienne’s great blog, Whole New Mom, and the Weekend Social at Bake at Midnite.

Dairy-Free Cherry Chocolate Chip Shake

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

 

For a top allergen-free treat, use coconut milk beverage or rice milk, sunflower seed butter or a "safe" dairy-free protein powder (i.e. rice or hemp), or omit the add-in.

Author: Alisa Fleming, founder of GoDairyFree.org

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup stemmed and pitted fresh cherries*
• 1 medium banana, broken into chunks and frozen
• ¼ cup unsweetened, plain or vanilla dairy-free milk alternative (I used cashew milk)
• ½ tablespoon cashew, almond, or sunflower seed butter or dairy-free protein powder (optional)
• 2-3 drops vanilla or vanilla cherry stevia, or desired sweetener to taste
• 1 tablespoon dairy-free dark chocolate chips (I used Pascha Organic 85% Cacao Chocolate Chips; use 55% for semi-sweet, or 100% unsweetened for paleo)

Instructions

1. Place the cherries, banana, milk alternative and nut/seed butter or protein powder (if using) in a blender, and process until smooth and creamy.
2. Taste test, and blend in stevia or desired sweetener, to taste.
3. Add chocolate chips and pulse a few times with the blender, just to break them up and distribute.
4. Serve with a spoon!

Notes

Frozen Cherries: If using frozen cherries, you will want to partially defrost the banana, use a fresh banana, or increase the liquid (to get things moving!) and sweetener, to taste.

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