
Learn how to make this luscious and decadent chocolate cherry smoothie for breakfast in a high-powered blender. Cacao powder and frozen cherries are a delicious and classic flavor combination that we boost with almond butter and vanilla extract. Fresh strawberries and raspberries plus a tiny squeeze of lemon juice add the perfect acidic pop of fruity essence. To make this extra satisfying, I add vegan protein powder, vegan yogurt, flax seeds, and chia seeds. Thisย wholesome vegan smoothieย is just the thing for folks that like a little sweet, cool, and creamy indulgence in the morning, similar to my chocolate sweet potato smoothie!




I love when a breakfast smoothie has a rich, almost milkshake-like taste to it! Iโve been working on this one for the last couple of months, always tweaking just a little bit. I really look forward to blending it up in the morning! This vegan smoothie is loaded with fruit, chia and flax seeds, and almond butter. It also truly tastes like a dessert to me.
I get the big bag of frozen and pitted sweet cherries at my local Costco warehouse because itโs a great deal. I always mix fresh and frozen fruit in a smoothie to get the flavor balance right. In this one, we have a mix of fresh strawberries and raspberries to really โwake upโ the frozen cherriesโ flavor. The hefty amount of frozen cherries helps to thicken the smoothie as well, making this recipe totally banana-free. Iโve noticed that folks respond really well to banana-free options, so Iโm always happy to work on them.
I hope that you get a chance to add this one into your rotation! I seriously jump out of bed every morning thinking about it haha.
The best vegan protein powder
Smooth, chocolaty, and not too sweet. Sprout Livingโs Chocolate Maca protein powder is my go-to for this smoothie. You can get 20% off your entire Sprout Living order with my code: thefirstmess





Seriously Luscious Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

Ingredients
- ยพ cup non-dairy milk
- ยผ cup non-dairy yogurt (plain or vanilla)
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons cacao powder
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon flax seeds
- ยผ teaspoon sea salt
- ยผ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ยผ cup fresh raspberries
- 4-5 fresh strawberries
- โ cup frozen sweet cherries
- squeeze fresh lemon juice, optional
Equipment
Notes
- A tiny squeeze of lemon really makes the flavors pop here, but itโs not 100% necessary. I often have a lemon half hanging around in my fridge, so I typically opt to include it.
- My favorite non-dairy yogurt is by Yoggu! I used the vanilla here.
- To get the swirl effect on the glass, I just placed a dollop of the yogurt on the bottom of the glass and tapped it on the counter to distribute. Then I drizzled a bit of Cherry Laneโs tart cherry juice concentrate. This is obviously an extremely optional step!
- I like the balance of acidity with fresh strawberries and raspberries here. I know it seems fussy, but the freshness does really highlight the frozen cherry sweetness and overall flavor.ย
Instructions
- In an upright blender, combine the non-dairy milk, non-dairy yogurt, almond butter, chocolate protein powder, cacao powder, chia seeds, flax seeds, salt, vanilla, raspberries, strawberries, frozen cherries, and lemon juice (if using). Blend on high until completely smooth. Enjoy right away!


Amazing! Absolutely delicious!
Chocolate and cherries are the best and so is this smoothie. A nice change from smoothies full of bananas and spinach.
Ummmmm. Holy WOW this is delicious. Iโm usually โwhy bother with smoothie recipes, just wing itโ kinda girl โ but I am so glad I made this. Perfect as written. So creamy! Great depth of flavor! Iโm drinking this for breakfast, but it tastes indulgent enough to serve my after dinner sweet tooth too!
Feels super indulgent and luscious, but is packed with super star ingredients. Absolutely loved this one โ making it on repeat!
Laura, youโve done it again. I already make your Spring Thaw smoothie at least once per week, now this smoothie is in my weekly rotation. You are brilliant! Thank you!
You always hit it out of the park with your smoothie recipes, Laura! I made this one three times in the past week. The acidity and sourness from the lemon and vegan yoghurt works so well with the sweetness from the berries and chocolate. I didnโt have any chocolate protein powder, so I added a bit more cacao powder to up the chocolate flavour.
Hi Laura:
I am more apt to have frozen berries on hand. Will that affect the flavour balance as you mentioned?
Looks delicious! Love your recipes Laura :)
Can you tell me where your glasses are from โ what brand they are?
Hi Brenda!
These are actually souvenir glasses from Disney World! They have Mickey and Minnie on the opposite (non-camera facing) side haha :)
-L
So good! Thanks for taking the time to craft consistent perfection for us!
This looks wonderful! Do you know approximately how much protein powder is in 1 scoop of protein? Iโd like to substitute my current powder (which has a 1/2 c scoop) but donโt want to mess up the proportions. Thanks!
I just made this with 26 grams of protein powder (the internet says 25 to 30 in a typical scoop) and it worked out great!
Hi Anna!
Excellent question. My scoop holds 3 tablespoons. Hope that helps!
-L