You get all of your favorite flavors from a banana split with this chocolate strawberry banana smoothie recipe! The rich chocolate flavor and sweet strawberries make this healthy smoothie feel more like a decadent dessert. Meanwhile, the frozen bananas provide creaminess and sweetness to this strawberry banana chocolate smoothie with no added sugar. Best of all, this shake only takes 5 ingredients and 5 minutes to make!
Try this chocolate banana strawberry smoothie when you need a little cocoa in your life. You get to satisfy your chocolate cravings AND get a healthy snack with no refined sugar. Sweet!
Well, actually, this is only an added sugar free strawberry banana smoothie if you want it to be. I’m leaving the option to add a little maple syrup if you need things a little sweeter.
Or you can use sugar-free syrup to make it sweeter but without the added sugar. It’s up to you.
Healthy smoothies are one of my favorite ways to enjoy fruit as a dessert. If you add a little whipped cream and jimmies, this banana strawberry chocolate smoothie looks like a sundae or decadent milkshake. I think both the healthy food people and the junk food people are going to be wowed by this drink.
So, grab your favorite milk, some frozen fruits, and let’s make my strawberry banana and chocolate smoothie recipe! You’re going to love how delicious this is!
Jump to:
- 📋 Calories, Net Carbs, Protein
- ⭐ Benefits
- 🍌 How to Make Chocolate Strawberry Smoothie without Bananas
- 🧁 Smoothie Toppings
- 🍽 Equipment
- 🔪 How to Make Chocolate Strawberry Banana Smoothie
- 🌡️ Leftovers
- 💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
- FAQs
- 👩🏻🍳 Other Added Sugar Free Smoothies
- The Disclaimer…
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
📋 Calories, Net Carbs, Protein
One strawberry banana chocolate smoothie has 166 calories, 28.6 grams net carbs, and 5.7 grams protein. This is for a vegan smoothie using unsweetened soymilk, maple syrup, and no toppings. Using sugar-free syrup subtracts about 25 calories and 7 grams net carbs per serving.
⭐ Benefits
Why make chocolate strawberry banana smoothies? Here are a few nutrition reasons (and other reasons) you’ll like this recipe:
- Versatile: This smoothie works for breakfast or dessert or a post-workout drink. It works as a meal component or snack pretty much whenever you want it!
- Low calorie chocolate strawberry smoothie: This smoothie only has about 150 calories per serving (depending on how you make it). However, you’re getting 6.3 grams of filling fiber.
- Hydration: The fruits and dairy in this smoothie provide fluid to help keep you hydrated. So refreshing!
- Calcium and protein: The dairy milk or calcium-fortified soymilk in this smoothie provide protein and calcium. You're also getting other nutritious essentials, such as vitamin C.
- No added sugar: If you use sugar-free maple syrup or skip the syrup, this is a no sugar smoothie (no added sugar). The fruit and milk used in this smoothie are whole foods containing natural sugars only.
- Special diets: This smoothie recipe is gluten free, vegetarian, and plant based. There are tips for making it vegan in the FAQ section.
- Easy: You only need 4 or 5 simple ingredients to make a strawberry banana chocolate smoothie. You might have them all in the house right now!
- Fast: Fruit smoothies can be made in under 5 minutes. How’s that for near-instant gratification?
- Delicious: This is a good smoothie recipe for kids, because it resembles a tasty milkshake! It’s a treat all ages can appreciate.
🥘 Ingredients
To make a strawberry banana chocolate smoothie, you need:
- Frozen overripe banana
- Frozen strawberries
- Dark cocoa powder (or cacao powder)
- 2% milk (or calcium-fortified soymilk)
I often make this smoothie with just the above ingredients, as I don’t like things overly sweet. However, you could also add a little maple syrup or sugar-free maple syrup if you wish.
Sliced fresh strawberries are nice to have for decoration. I like to press them to the inside of the clear glasses before pouring the smoothie in.
🍌 How to Make Chocolate Strawberry Smoothie without Bananas
A lot of smoothie recipes with sugar added use overripe frozen bananas for natural sweetness. However, there are a lot of other dairy and fruit combos you can use to make things sweet instead. Here are some sources of natural sugar, with no added sugars (added sugars i.e., white sugar, honey, maple syrup, etc.):
- Pureed Medjool dates
- Watermelon
- Overripe mango
- Unsweetened applesauce
- Ripe pineapple (great for a tropical smoothie!)
- Dairy milk (milk will add more sweetness to your smoothies compared to unsweetened plain yogurt)
You could also add chocolate milk or chocolate protein powder (for a protein shake). However, both of these commonly contain added sugar.
Underripe fruit and low sugar fruit are not good substitutes for bananas in smoothies. This can make it tricky to make keto smoothie recipes.
I often use stevia extract powder in my keto smoothies. Stevia leaf extract is a zero-calorie, natural sugar substitute that is appropriate for low-carb and keto diets. You could also use stevia extract in any other smoothie recipe that you felt wasn’t quite sweet enough.
The benefit of using stevia versus bananas to sweeten smoothies is that the stevia does not add flavor. However, stevia also doesn’t add creaminess like blended frozen fruit or dairy does. To get creaminess in smoothies without the carbs, try blending in frozen avocado or nut butter.
🧁 Smoothie Toppings
There are lots of ways to top smoothies! As you can see in the photos, I topped our strawberry chocolate smoothies with whipped cream and sprinkles. It made this healthy fruit smoothie feel like dessert!
Here are a few other ways to top a smoothie:
- Cacao nibs for a strawberry cacao smoothie
- Chia seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds for healthy fat
- A drizzle of peanut butter, almond butter, or another nut butter
- Chocolate chips with no sugar added (use Lily’s baking chips)
- Maraschino cherry
🍽 Equipment
To make this chocolate banana strawberry smoothie, you need a food processor or a high-powered blender. Basically, you need something strong enough to completely puree the frozen berries and banana.
A good knife useful for chopping the frozen strawberries into smaller pieces if they are large. I also like to have large-width straws (the straws used for bubble tea AKA boba straws). This smoothie is a bit too thick to drink using a regular straw.
🔪 How to Make Chocolate Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Let’s learn how to make strawberry banana chocolate smoothies! If your bananas and strawberries are in large pieces, chop them smaller. This will make blending them a little easier.
Put the milk in a food processor. Add the strawberries, banana, cocoa powder, and syrup (if using). Blend until completely smooth and creamy. Serve immediately.
To create the decorative effect that I did with the berries pressed inside the glasses, prep the fruit first. Cut fresh strawberries thin and press them inside of the glasses using a chopstick. Gently pour the smoothie into the middle of the glasses, trying not to disturb the berries.
Now all you need to do is add smoothie toppings (if you wish) and a straw. So good!
🌡️ Leftovers
Leftover smoothie can be refrigerated for 1-2 days, but it will become thinner and more liquid-y. A better option is to use your smoothie leftovers to make homemade popsicles. Simply pour the smoothie into silicone popsicle molds, put the sticks in, and freeze for 8-12 hours (or longer).
💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
This is a level 2 recipe (transition or weight maintenance). There are a lot of ways to make smoothies lower in calories or higher in calories. One of the easiest ways to modify the energy level of this recipe is to change the milk used. Use skim milk or unsweetened soy milk for a lighter recipe or whole milk for a higher calorie smoothie.
Another thing you can do for a low calorie smoothie is skip the maple syrup. You can either omit it entirely or substitute with a sugar-free sweetener.
I find the ripe banana is sweet enough where I don’t usually need to add more sweetener. (However, I know some people prefer to make smoothies sweeter, so I’m offering the option.)
To make a higher calorie smoothie, pile on the toppings. You can choose more nutritious options, such as an almond butter drizzle and chopped cacao nibs. Alternatively, you can make it a dessert smoothie with whipped topping and sprinkles.
I usually don’t add toppings to this smoothie when I’m making it for myself. That said, the toppings definitely make this simple smoothie look more enticing. If you’re trying to encourage a picky eater to eat more fruit, dressing up your homemade fruit smoothies may be the way to go.
(Well... it may work, or they may eat the whipped cream and skip the actual smoothie! Haha But you won’t know for sure unless you try. 😊 )
FAQs
How to make vegan chocolate strawberry smoothie?
To make this chocolate strawberry banana smoothie vegan, you need to substitute the dairy milk for plant milk. A lot of people like oat milk and almond milk, but I recommend soy milk, as it usually contains more protein. You’ll also need to use vegan whipped topping if you want whipped cream on top.
To make a chocolate banana strawberry smoothie bowl, blend your smoothie and pour it into bowls instead of glasses. (Drop the milk down to 1 cup if you want it to be really thick and easier to eat with a spoon.) Don’t forget to add some sliced fruit and other toppings! They’re an integral part of any good smoothie bowl.
I actually have lots of favorite healthy smoothie combinations! I think my favorite depends on what sorts of fruit and flavors I’m craving. Here’s a yummy peanut butter strawberry banana smoothie I like that has a similar vibe to this recipe.
Is a homemade banana and strawberry smoothie healthy? If your homemade strawberry banana smoothie is made with whole fruits, unsweetened dairy, and no sugar added, it’s likely a nutritious choice. That said, bananas are not a good fit for those using a very low carb diet (keto) for weight loss or blood sugar control in diabetes.
The ingredients in McDonalds Strawberry Banana Smoothie are: strawberry banana fruit base, ice, and lowfat smoothie yogurt. It sounds pretty healthy, but you’re getting 39 grams of sugar and only 2 grams protein in a small smoothie.
👩🏻🍳 Other Added Sugar Free Smoothies
Need some other sugar-free smoothie recipes? Try these smoothies with no sugar added:
- Banana Mango Strawberry Smoothie
- Keto Blueberry Smoothie
- Apple Strawberry Smoothie
- Keto Berry Smoothie
- Peach Pineapple Smoothie
- Banana Watermelon Smoothie
There’s a bit of everything above! Low carb and keto-friendly smoothies, some high-volume and low-calorie smoothies, as well as a vegan smoothie. Keeping your freezer full of frozen fruits makes it easy to create a lot of different fruit combinations for smoothies. Enjoy!
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The Disclaimer…
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.
For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats no sugar post. Let's get cooking!
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 frozen banana, broken into chunks (over ripe banana)
- 1½ tablespoons dark cocoa powder (or cacao powder)
- 1 cup chopped frozen strawberries
- 1½ cups milk (dairy milk or soy milk)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or sugar free syrup, optional)
Instructions
- Chop the bananas and strawberries into large pieces (if necessary).
- Put the milk in a food processor or high-speed blender. Add the strawberries, banana, cocoa powder, and syrup (if using). Blend until completely smooth and creamy. Serve immediately.
- Pour into glasses. Add any smoothie toppings you wish and a wide straw. Drink up!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe has been updated from 2020 to include new photos, a new recipe video, and a slight recipe tweak. Enjoy!
Terrified Amateur says
Nice finale, Summer! After a memorable week of fruit in all its glorious variety, I wasn't quite expecting chocolate to frost the last chapter (last for now, at least).
When I first started cooking, I was astounded (pleasantly) to learn cocoa powder had no fat. Thus, flavor and character without as many health issues as I would've imagined weighed them.
I reckon your creation accomplishes the exact same thing. A soda fountain chocolate shake without so hefty a price, in more ways that one. In that spirit, do you think adding a little malted milk powder might open an interesting facet?
Summer Yule says
The cocoa powder is only 10 calories per tablespoon and dark cocoa powder provides a little iron too. It's a great way to add a little chocolate flavor to dishes while keeping things on the lighter end. I don't have a lot of experience using malted milk powder in dishes, but I bet it would work well here! If you try it, please let me know how it goes!