chocolate-banana smoothie... and popsicles too!

Let me preface this post by admitting that today's afternoon snack came from a complete and utter desire for chocolate. Had we been well-stocked on the Ciao Bella ice cream sandwich front, I might very well have grabbed one of those and indulged under a tree in the yard. But, we're out (and of key limes ones too- oh, the disappointment). So, I had to whip up something craving-worthy with whatever we had on hand... and it ended up being both fabulous and healthy. Double bonus!

Chocolate-Banana Smoothie

(makes 6 smoothies or 8 Bellyfull popsicles + 4 smoothies)

3-5 ripe bananas (to taste)

3 cups water (or 2C water + 1 C ice)

1/2 cup (or more) raw cocoa

1/4 cup hemp seeds

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/4 cup ground flax

1/4 cup raw cacao nibs (totally optional, see notes)

raw honey, to taste (optional, to sweeten)

Blend everything until smooth. Enjoy as a sweet smoothie, or freeze in popsicle molds for a healthy frozen treat.

A few notes:

• I have given you ranges of amounts for the bananas, raw cocoa, and honey... some people like more banana taste, some like the chocolate taste, some like it sweeter. I used 4 small bananas + 1/2 cup of raw cocoa and 1/4 cup of cacao nibs + 1 teaspoon raw honey. I am sure my kids would have liked it sweeter, but I loved it this way. And, not given them option to make it sweeter, no one said boo....
• I used cacao nibs because I had them on hand, and am trying to work through some pantry items... but those are totally optional. If I didn't have them, I would have just used 3/4 cup of raw cacao powder to get the chocolate taste I wanted.
• I purchased all of the ingredients you see above at our local Whole Foods Market. It's going to seem outrageously expensive if you go out and purchase all of these items at once to make this smoothie. Keep in mind, a little goes a long way. I add flax, chia and/or hemp seeds to smoothies often.... in the 1-2 Tablespoon range. So, these pantry items are still an investment, but a good one. 
• Wondering about the ingredients? Hemp, flax, chia and cacao together provide an impressive nutritional profile of healthy omega fats, protein, antioxidants and fiber. So enjoy!