Mexican Cacao Smoothie... aka the best "healthy" chocolate shake ever

I have been meaning to share this amazing smoothie with you for a very long time.  It fits right in with my philosophy of cooking with whole, not fractured or processed foods as it features raw chocolate.  I got this recipe from a friend and colleague who is a Health Practitioner back in DC.  She introduced me to the wonderful world of the cacao bean.

This smoothie is chocolaty and delicious, but also gives me a lot of energy.  If you get an afternoon slump, then this could be a fun way to give you a little boost instead of grabbing a candy bar or triple latte.  Cacao beans or nibs are the bean that chocolate is made from, but still in its raw and whole nature.  Cacao beans have been called brain food, a mood enhancer and are as old as the Aztecs.

This recipe is dairy and refined sugar free.  It is quite flexible so you can substitute milks and sweeteners with what you have in the house. This recipe serves two, or one really big glass.  It is best made in a Vitamix but another high powered blender will work.

Mexican Cacao Smoothie
(adapted from forkbytes.com, used by permission)

Ingredients:

1 cup plain hazelnut milk (almond, hemp or soy milk are ok, but hazelnut is best)

3 tablespoons cacao nibs

2 tablespoons agave nectar

pinch sea salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla paste

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 medium frozen banana

10 ice cubes

Combine nut milk, cacao, agave, sea salt, vanilla, cinnamon and banana in a blender and process until completely smooth (I blend for 2 minutes to get the cacao as smooth as possible). Taste and adjust ingredients if you want it more sweet, or more cinnamon, etc.  You get the idea.  Add ice cubes and blend again until smooth and frosty (about 30 seconds). Pour into glasses and enjoy immediately.

*The one ingredient I left out of the picture above is the vanilla. There are always a couple bottles of vanilla extract in my house as I bake a lot and don't want to run out. Lately though, I have fallen in love with vanilla bean paste.

This paste is from Singing Dog and just recently showed up on the shelves at my local Whole Foods. It has really good flavor and a thick, gooey texture. It already has some sugar in it, so just be aware when you use it, but I haven't found that it is enough to change the sweetness of the products I have used it in.

I also just learned that Singing Dog vanilla extract (not pictured) is made with corn-based alcohol and has been certified safe for Celiacs.  I have not really worried about the possible gluten from the alcohol in baking extracts, but this does make me love their products even more.