The best chocolate and strawberry smoothie you’ll ever make.
Ready for a sweet treat that’s great for your cravings and your waistline? Look no further than my chocolate covered strawberries protein smoothie.
It’s packed with nutrients and antioxidants and just what your sweet tooth ordered. (And you don’t even have to wait until Valentine’s Day to enjoy this super dreamy treat.)
There are a lot of chocolate-strawberry smoothies out there. But not all smoothies are made equally when it comes to delivering a solid dose of both micro and macronutrients.
To be honest, I’ve seen a lot smoothie recipes that are packed with sugar and simple carbohydrates that (while they may taste good and utilize some fruit) will leave you feeling empty and hungry again in a couple hours.
This strawberry chocolate smoothie is smooth, straightforward and has a dreamy soft-serve ice cream texture. But what sets it apart from other smoothie recipes out there?
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Jump ahead to:
What Makes this Strawberry Chocolate Smoothie Healthy
This chocolate covered strawberries smoothie has a few fabulous things going for it nutritionally.
- A full serving of fruits
- Positive source of vitamins and minerals
- A substantial dose of protein
- Gut-healthy probiotics
- Inflammation reducing antioxidants
- Powerful fatty acids that boost brain health and energy
- Promotes weight loss
Let’s take a look as a few of the are a few secret (well, not really that secret) ingredients that help make this smoothie so nutrient-dense.
Strawberries
Strawberries are a nutrient-dense fruit and an excellent source of hydration, fiber, vitamins and minerals. They’re a particularly positive source of vitamins C, B9, manganese and potassium.
Cacao Powder
In my article on how to eat chocolate every day for big benefits, we learned how cacao (chocolate in it’s most pure form) is actually a crazy-beneficial super food.
One serving of cacao is an excellent source of:
- Magnesium
- Iron
- Copper
- Zinc
- Antioxidants (more than Goji or Acai berries)
- Phenylethylamine (the feel good “love drug”)
Incorporating cacao products (like powder or nibs) is a great way to reap the benefits (and of course, the yummy flavor) pure chocolate has to offer.
MCT Oil
MCT stands for medium-chain triglyceride. These are a type of medium-length chains of fats called triglycerides that most often come from coconut oil (although the oil itself doesn’t taste like coconuts). MCT’s are easy for the body to digest and process and have a lot to offer.
MCT oil is linked to a lot of fabulous health benefits that include:
- Weight loss promotion
- Positive for heart health
- Immediate boost of energy (particularly for the brain)
- Reducing lactic acid build up in active individuals
- Fighting yeast and bacteria growth
- May help manage conditions like epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, and autism
MCT oil is a positive source of fat and a fantastic addition in this chocolate covered strawberries smoothie.
Why You Should be Adding Protein in Your Smoothies
As a personal trainer, any smoothie I’m making is going to be a protein smoothie. There are three big nutritional reasons why I’m a firm believer you should be adding protein into your smoothies:
1. During digestion, your body actually expends more energy (aka burns more calories) while breaking down protein. This increased caloric expenditure is fabulous for supporting weight loss and metabolism health. Who wouldn’t want to burn some extra calories without even having to break a sweat, right?
2. Protein also helps support muscle growth and recovery. And if some of your health goals include weight or fat loss, you want to increase overall muscle mass in your body. Muscle mass is more calorically efficient than fat, meaning the more muscle mass an individual has, the more calories their metabolism will burn at rest throughout the day.
3. Protein helps keep you full longer. This can help you stay satisfied longer and banish those pesky cravings between meals
What Kind of Protein Powder Should I Use in Smoothies?
A quality protein powder can make or break the difference in this apple pie protein smoothie. I try to aim for a low-carb, high-protein powder that’s easy on the taste buds and the digestive system.
Here are a few protein powder brands (two dairy and two non-dairy based) that I’ve tried and would recommend for smoothie recipes.
High-Quality Whey Protein
Gluten-free and soy-free, SFH Pure Whey Protein Powder is made of grass-fed whey that is that is 100% GMO and artificial ingredient-free. As someone who is dairy-sensitive, I’ve tried and enjoyed a variety of flavors of this whey protein powder without any issues and give it a solid thumbs up. Whey protein also tends to deliver a greater concentration of protein per serving.
High-Quality Vegan Protein
SFH also produced a line of high-quality plant-based protein powder. This protein is powdered by pea protein, mushrooms, fiber, healthy fats, and MCTs. It’s gluten-free, soy-free and also carries no added sugars or artificial flavors.
Most vegan protein powders carry a less concentrated dose of protein per serving (20 grams of protein vs 31 in their pure whey powder), but I find it’s easy to balance this by using a scoop and a half of vegan protein to achieve a higher dose of protein per serving.
Tasty and Budget-Friendly Whey
Quest Nutrition Protein Powder
Quest Protein powders are gluten-free, soy-free, high-protein and low-carb. Their protein is smooth, delicious and won’t break the bank.
Tasty and Budget-friendly Vegan
New Vega Protein & Greens 
Click here to buy on Amazon
It can be challenging to find a vegan protein powder that’s low-carb, high-protein and doesn’t taste like cardboard. I tested quite a few of them during my vegan dieting experiment and Vega was actually my favorite. It’s completely dairy, soy and GMO-free and easy on the taste buds.
How to Get Soft Serve Smoothie Consistency
The key to a great smoothie consistency is using a frozen element. If you want that creamy, craveable, soft serve ice cream kind of texture, it has to be made with frozen fruit or a frozen element. This chocolate covered strawberries protein smoothie uses frozen strawberries to achieve that texture consistency.
Recipe for Chocolate Covered Strawberries Smoothie
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 Scoop chocolate protein powder
- 1 Tablespoon cacao powder
- 1 Cup frozen strawberries
- 1/2 Cup zero sugar vanilla Greek yogurt (I like Oikos triple zero yogurt)
- 1/2 Tablespoon organic MCT oil
- 1 Cup unsweetened, low-fat coconut milk
- Optional: A dollop of Reddiwip coconut whipped cream
DIRECTIONS:
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend well and enjoy!
ADDITIONS & SUBSTITUTIONS:
- Almond whipped cream or dairy whipped cream be used in place of the coconut whipped cream.
- You can swap the coconut milk for any other type of nut, oat or dairy milk.
- You can substitute the MCT oil with coconut oil or any kind of nut butter for your healthy fat.
- I used Quest protein powder in this recipe, but any quality protein powder will do.
- When making substitutions, just keep in mind that your macro count may slightly vary from this specific recipe. If you’re counting macros, just make sure to adjust the recipe macros in a macro calculator based on the ingredients you use.
NOTE ON FAT:
A lot of people are afraid to eat fat. But guess what? Your body needs an appropriate amount of fat to thrive. I like including a healthy source of fat in my protein smoothies. The amount of fat in this recipe is quite modest for a single meal. You can choose to include or omit it, but I do hope that you are incorporating healthy sources of fat in your diet throughout the week.
MACROS:
- Calories: 416
- Carbs: 24g
- Fat: 14g
- Protein: 31g
Related Smoothie Recipes and Articles:
- Apple Pie Protein Smoothie
- Pina Colada Smoothie
- Orange Creamsicle Smoothie
- The Incredible Green Protein Smoothie
- 3 Healthy Protein Smoothies for Fall
- 3 Healthy Holiday Protein Smoothies
All writing and recipe images copyright © 2020 Rachel Elise Weems Woods
Rebecca Trumbull says
Um. I had no idea they made almond whipped cream! What a great substitution idea. I am down for any kind of fruit smoothie.
ReeseWoods says
They do! And coconut whipped cream! They have both at our local grocery store!
Nina says
This looks and sounds so incredibly delicious! I LOVE Vega protein powder too, it’s probably my favorite ones out on the market.
ReeseWoods says
It’s one of the better vegan proteins I’ve tried, that’s for sure!
Christie says
I love when you share smoothie recipes!! Can’t wait to try this tomorrow!
ReeseWoods says
Thank you!