I’m back in Michigan, where I live, after an amazing weekend in Vermont. As much as I truly love my life here with my family, my heart definitely has a little wanderlust. I love to explore new places, hike unfamiliar trails and eat at local restaurants in cities not my own. My dear girlfriend from college and I met in Burlington to do exactly these things.

Even though I love indulging at new restaurants (and Burlington, VT really has some amazing local places!), after I’ve eaten out a few meals in a row I’m always craving simple goodness. This smoothie meets the need. I particularly love it after a workout, since it boasts more than 10 grams of protein, but it’s perfect anytime. Not only is it a great smoothie to add to your collection, it will use some of those hemp seeds I asked you to buy for the Seedy Granola Bars! Win-win. This serves one, but you could easily double it.

Cacao-Banana-Hemp Smoothie

1 large, frozen banana
2 TBSP cacao powder
2 TBSP almond butter
1 TBSP hemp seeds
1 TBSP coconut oil
1 date, pitted
1 tsp vanilla
almond milk

Put your cacao powder, almond butter, hemp seeds, coconut oil, pitted date and vanilla in the bottom of the blender. A quick note about the date – if it’s on the newer side, and soft, it will be fine as is. If it’s starting to feel even slightly tough, soak it in warm water for 5 – 10 minutes before you put it in the blender. If you don’t have dates on hand, you could add a little drizzle of agave syrup to sweeten it. A note about the cacao powder, which is different than cocoa powder – you may need to purchase this at your local healthfood store, or online.

If possible, cut your banana into a couple of pieces before adding it on top. You’ll notice the almond milk does not have a specific measurement, and this is intentional. You can make this into a thicker smoothie, using just a little milk, or it can make it the consistency of chocolate milk if you use more. Start with a small pour, and turn your blender on low to get things moving, gradually increasing the speed. You can always add more milk, and you can add an ice cube or two if you’d like it to be colder. Make it sometime this week and let me know what you think!