Want a great low carb smoothie that doesn’t skimp on flavour? This dairy-free Chocolate Avocado Smoothie recipe makes a delicious filling snack or recovery drink.
You know what’s so great about smoothies? They can really be anything you want them to be. They can be breakfast, they can be a snack, they even be lunch or dinner or dessert. They can be jam-packed full of nutritious ingredients or they can be something of a sweet treat. They can fit into virtually any diet or lifestyle; they can be low carb, sugar-free, dairy-free, nut-free, vegan…or none of those things. They can be a pre-workout energy snack or a post-workout recovery drink. They can be so thick you need to eat them with a spoon, or thin enough to slurp easily through a straw. And the flavor possibilities are virtually endless. Simply put, you get out of your smoothie what you put into it. So it’s no wonder that everybody has their own favorite way of making smoothies.
For my part, I love creating low carb, low sugar smoothie recipes. They should be thick and satisfying, with plenty of energy and healthy fat but without extraneous carbs. That might seem like a tall order when so many smoothies are made with high sugar fruits and dairy. But I have a few tricks up my sleeve. For one, I skip the dairy-based milk and stick with the creamy low carb unsweetened Cashewmilk from Silk. At only 1 g of carbs per cup, I can afford to pour it into my blender with abandon. Then I skip the typical banana and add some avocado instead, which helps thicken the smoothie delightfully. Got kids who don’t like the green stuff? There’s an easy fix for that, and it’s called cocoa powder! Want to get a little more protein in there? Add your favorite chocolate or vanilla protein powder.
For this recipe, I went the chocolate route. I have two kids who willingly eat avocado but one who turns up his ever-so-adorable nose at it still. We’re working on that, but in the meantime, I can hide a little in his smoothies and he will never be the wiser. At least, not for a while yet. I also tossed in some frozen raspberries for an anti-oxidant boost and a little raspberry extract to play up that sweet berry flavor with no added carbs. This was a hit with the kids but I have to say, I kept most of it for myself. It was thick and smooth and deliciously cream. Silk cashewmilk makes a fabulous base for your dairy-free smoothies!
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- 1 1/4 cup Silk Cashew Milk
- 1/2 avocado
- 1/3 cup frozen raspberries
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- Swerve Sweetener to taste (I used 1 tbsp powdered Swerve Sweetener)
- 1/8 tsp raspberry extract
-
You know the drill. Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. For a thinner smoothie, add another 1/4 cup cashew milk.
Serves 2. Each serving has 10.65 g of carbs and 5.81 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 4.84 g. Food energy: 133kcal Total fat: 9.50g Calories from fat: 85 Cholesterol: -- Carbohydrate: 10.65g Total dietary fiber: 5.81g Protein: 2.16g Sodium: 105mg
This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.
janet says
That looks delicious, I have smoothies for breakfast a lot in the summertime, so cool and easy!
I love avocados, we used to visit friends in California that had a avocado and citrus farm, I remember very fondly the Avocado,Bacon and Onion sandwiches. Yum!
Jenny says
Thank you for this recipe! It looks wonderful. My question is this, so many recipes call for 1/2 an avocado. On a given day when you make this recipe, what do you do with the other half? We all know that avocados don’t keep well once they are cut open. If I make a smoothie with 1/2 an avocado and drink it, I’m not going to want to eat the rest of that avocado for a while… so… what do you do with your other half? Thanks! 🙂
Carolyn says
Actually, avocados will keep for a few days in your fridge, wrapped up tightly, if you leave the pit in there. So use the first half that doesn’t have the pit and then wrap up the pit with the second half and use it a day or two later. It may brown just slightly, but less so when it still has the pit attached.
Jenny says
Thank you, great tip and good to know. I’ll definitely be doing that.
Naki says
couldn’t one just make twice as much and freeze the secondary portion?
Or I suppose the more practical bit might be pureeing the avocado (with or without a tablespoon or so of lemon juice… though it does help keep it a bit) and placing it in an air tight container in the fridge, or even just a ziplock baggie for the freezer..
there’s a variety of uses for pureed avocado, but simple enough is just adding a couple tablespoons of sour cream (even tofutti) for an easy to go spread.
Dea varner says
I learned this trick from watching The Kitchn on TV… cut up a chunk of raw onion and place in an airtight container with your remaining unused avocado. The onion will oxidize and prevent the avocado from turning brown… for awhile.. eventually it does brown but I found the avocado stays fresher than just wrapping it, putting lemon juice on it or leaving the pit in.
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl says
I love avocados in smoothies!!! Can I come have a glass?
Amelia @ Eating Made Easy says
This combines so many of my favorite flavors, and any smoothie with avocado in it is sure to be a hit at my house — soooo creamy!
Carolyn says
Thanks, Amelia!
Alida says
Avocado in smoothies yields such an amazing texture. The flavor combination you created is so delicious…and love that cashewmilk!
Aggie says
I have one child out of 3 that won’t touch an avocado, but he would love this smoothie (would have no idea!). I just picked up some of that cashew milk for first time, we loved it! This looks so delicious!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
Oh my gosh I’m all over this. Chocolate and avocado are a favorite pairing! Pinned!
Carolyn says
Thanks, Dorothy!
Susan says
Just sitting down after completing 3 ADIDAF recipes, in 90 minutes at that. Once I pull the Cherry Chocolate Biscottis out for their rest, I am going to make this smoothie!
Carolyn, you know I’m a fan. The Mascarpone Mousse is next on my list with my own OR berries.
Lisa Hatten says
Which brand of raspberry extract do you recommend? Reviews online vary widely for all the brands I looked at on amazon. Also, is there a source you use for some of these specialty products to save a few bucks off retail prices?
Carolyn says
Hi Lisa. I have the one from Olive Nation and they used to have it available on Amazon but I can’t find it anymore there. And unfortunately, I don’t have a magical source for this one. It can be pricy but I find I use flavourings a lot, and they last a long time too.
Charlotte says
This was amazing. Homemade cashew milk (yum) and didn’t use the extract. How do I say “yum”. Oh….and did you notice….past tense!!!!! It was here, but now, it is gone!!! Thank you for a wonderful recipe!!!!
Gina | Running to the Kitchen says
I finally just bought my first carton of the cashewmilk. So far, it’s just been used in coffee but I’m dying to give it a try in smoothies! I’m with you, I much prefer non-dairy milk in smoothies and adding avocado or nut butter to them for the fat content. Much more satisfying to me!
dee dee says
Again, you are a genius. I made this for breakfast this morning. I didn’t have any cashew milk, so I used 1/4 cup of heavy cream mixed with 3/4 cup water. I can’t find raspberry extract anywhere, though, so I leave that out, too. it would probably have a much better flavor with it. I am guessing the extract is to boost the taste and reduce the carbs and sugars from the berries? Maybe I can figure out how to make my own extract from my raspberries.
Lizzy says
Why do these twits say ‘OMG that looks wonderful!’
Why don’t they make it first,then give an informed comment?
The stupidity of the general public!
Carolyn says
I’m sorry, but I have a lot of readers and friends who like to support me and get every excited to try my recipes. I think a comment saying so is perfectly apropos in this case. It’s also wonderful to receive real feedback but it’s great to hear that people WANT to try the recipe, even before they do.
Valeria Dombiak-Woelfel says
could I possibly exchange the cashew milk for coconut milk?
Carolyn says
Sure, that would be fine.
Kathleen says
Would the same be possible substituting almond milk for the cashew milk?
Thank you so much in advance 🙂
Carolyn says
Yes any nut milk will do.