Quinoa smoothie, a simple and filling smoothie made with superfood whole grains.
Quinoa is an excellent source of complex carbs, fiber, and plant protein, making a much healthier alternative to protein powder.
*Scroll past the recipe to find useful recipe tips and the benefits of this smoothie if you want to.*
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Easy Quinoa Smoothie
Indulge in this weight loss chocolate quinoa smoothie – a guilt-free blend of nutrient-packed ingredients for a delicious, satisfying, and healthy treat!
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
Ingredients
- 1/2 large avocado (peeled and pitted)
- 1/2 cup frozen banana slices
- 3 tbsp uncooked quinoa
- 1 tbsp of maple syrup
- 1 tbsp of cocoa powder
- 1 small scoop of protein powder
- 1 cup vanilla almond milk
Instructions
- Boil/steam the uncooked quinoa, then cool and drain the water.
- Add all the ingredients to a high-speed blender starting with the avocado and quinoa, followed by the other ingredients.
- Blend for 3-4 minutes until smooth.
- Pour into a cup and enjoy!
Notes
*For smoothie benefits, recipe notes, and more, scroll down!
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes
- Category: Smoothie
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 smoothie
- Calories: 571
- Sugar: 38.2g
- Fat: 20.3g
- Carbohydrates: 72g
- Fiber: 13.2g
- Protein: 30.4g
Benefits Of Quinoa Smoothie
The smoothie contains minimal ingredients, but provides lots of benefits.
Here’s an overview of the benefits of this quinoa vegan shake:
- Nutrient-Rich: It’s packed with essential nutrients from the avocado, quinoa, and cocoa powder.
- Rich In Healthy Fats: The avocado contributes healthy monounsaturated fats, which are good for heart health.
- Protein Boost: Quinoa adds a protein boost, aiding in muscle repair and keeping you feeling full.
- Antioxidant Power: Cocoa powder is rich in antioxidants, promoting overall health and well-being.
- It’s Dairy-Free & Vegan: The drink is suitable for those with lactose intolerance or following a vegan diet.
- Fiber-Rich: The combination of ingredients offers a good dose of dietary fiber, supporting digestive health.
- Promotes Satiety: The healthy fats and protein content contribute to a satisfying and filling drink, which can help with weight-loss.
- Rich In Micronutrients: Provides various vitamins and minerals like vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium from the ingredients.
If you enjoy this smoothie, I also recommend that you try my pea smoothie and my tahini chocolate smoothie recipe!
What Does This Quinoa Smoothie Taste Like?
You are probably wondering the same thing I did when I was first developing this chocolate quinoa smoothie recipe.
No, this smoothie does not taste like quinoa, quite the opposite; it’s very hard to tell there is quinoa in the smoothie!
The smoothie tastes creamy with a hint of nuttiness from the quinoa.
It’s also sweet thanks to the maple syrup and banana and has a yummy chocolate kick from the cocoa powder used in the recipe.
Each sip is like a simple joy – smooth and tasty, with creamy, nutty, sweet, and chocolatey vibes all coming together.
Optional Variations Of This Smoothie Recipe
There are some variations of this smoothie that you can make, but these are optional.
After making this recipe several times, I wanted to test some other variations.
Here are the tested options that work well:
- If you are in a rush and don’t have time to cool cooked quinoa, you can use uncooked quinoa. Sprouted quinoa is the best.
- If you don’t like chocolate, you can add a tablespoon of nut butter instead of cocoa powder.
- If you don’t like avocado, use more fruit. For example a cup of bananas instead of 1/2 cup.
- For a more fruity smoothie, add 1/2 cup of frozen berries of choice. You will just need to adjust the liquid by adding more.