Frozen Hot Chocolate Smoothie

Last Updated on August 17, 2024 by Christin Gillespie

A healthy and vegan hot chocolate twist, this recipe is one that you don’t want to miss. This Frozen Hot Chocolate Smoothie recipe is naturally sweetened with medjool dates, packed with cacao plant protein, and garnished with fluffy coconut whipped cream. Sip on it cold or hot and enjoy all the flavors of Christmas, without the sugar crash.

Who doesn’t love hot chocolate? I know I sure do! Especially when Christmas is only a couple days away. Therefore, as a cacao-aholic, I just had to create a hot chocolate smoothie recipe.

I don’t think anything screams the holiday season more than hot chocolate. While a piping hut mug of hot chocolate is delicious in itself, I love transforming it into a Frozen Hot Chocolate Smoothie. 

However, this isn’t like you’re typical frozen hot chocolate. This one is sweetened with medjool dates, loaded with protein, and features a packet of Four Sigmatic’s Organic Cacao Mix to spice things up. Oh and most importantly it’s topped with fluffy coconut whipped cream – essential for every hot chocolate recipe!

Even though this is a frozen hot chocolate recipe, you can certainly enjoy it warm, cold, or even room temperature during the winter months. Just subtract the ice cubes, blend, and pour into a mug to devour. Just don’t forget the homemade coconut whipped cream!

So wake up or wind down with this Frozen Hot Chocolate Smoothie, either way you will feel the benefits jingle all the way! I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself.

Why You’ll Love This Hot Chocolate Smoothie

• Perfect Protein Smoothie: Whether you’re making it for breakfast, in the evening, or somewhere in between, this Frozen Hot Chocolate Smoothie will have you fully satisfied, as it is packed with 20 grams of plant protein.
• Rich, Creamy, & Dairy Free: While there is no dairy in this hot chocolate smoothie recipe, it still embodies the decadent flavor that we all love in hot chocolate.
• Customizable: Enjoy it hot or cold, this date-sweetened hot chocolate will be a win.

Hot Cacao Health Benefits & Nutrition 

It wouldn’t be hot chocolate without a hot cacao mix. If you have yet to sip on Four Sigmatic’s Organic Cacao Mix, you’re in for a real Christmas treat. It’s not like the typical, store-bought hot chocolate packets, as this one is basically hot cacao made healthy. Crafted with good-for-you ingredients, while being paired with reishi, creates a calming blend to support stress & overall well-being. Through incorporating this specific hot cacao packet in this smoothie, some of the incredible benefits include: 

• Relief of Mild Stress & Promote Relaxation: Thanks to the adaptogen of reishi, Four Sgimatic’s Hot Cacao, helps you adapt to those everyday stressors.
• Mental Clarity: The adaptogenic blend helps keep your mind calm, to feel more centered throughout your day.
• Sustainable Sourced to Achieve All the Benefits: You don’t need to worry about anything funky in your mushrooms with Four Sigmatic. It’s certified organic, as well as tested for mycotoxins, molds, and pesticides.
• Tastes Good: Just because it’s loaded with mushrooms, doesn’t mean the taste has to be compromised. It’s super delicious.

Ingredients

• Organic Unsweetened Oat Milk: Any non-dairy milk works in this recipe, but I love oat milk. Just be sure to use trusted brands – I like MALK Organics or Three Trees.
• Four Sigmatic’s Organic Cacao Mix: The star of this date-sweetened hot chocolate! I love adding Four Sigmatic’s Organic Cacao Mix packet to this smoothie because it’s creamy, uncaffeinated, and spicy-sweet. Oh & my favorite part is that this organic cacao mix is made with good-for-you ingredients and it’s paired with reishi, which creates a calming blend to support stress & overall well-being. It’s the perfect addition for this hot chocolate smoothie.
• Organic Cacao Plant Protein: Adding a scoop of protein powder helps to keep you full and satisfied longer. I love Four Sigmatic’s Creamy Cacao Plant Protein for this recipe. It’s ​​made with real unrefined cacao with no grains, gums or fillers. Oh & it’s super delicious. Nevertheless, if you have yet to try Four Sigmatic’s Creamy Cacao Plant Protein, add your favorite chocolate plant protein.
• Organic Chia Seeds: Organic chia seeds add omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, selenium, phosphorus, calcium, etc. + it helps thicken this medjool date-sweetened hot chocolate.
• Sea Salt: A healthy pinch of sea salt is rich in a ton of minerals and beautifully enhances the flavor of this date-sweetened hot chocolate.
• Medjool Dates: It only takes a couple of dates to sweeten up this hot chocolate. I recommend buying pitted dates, that way you don’t have to remove the pits yourself. Oh, & my favorite brand of dates is Joolie’s!
• Ice Cubes: A handful of ice cubes is essential to turn this hot chocolate frozen.

How To Make

• Blend the Liquids & Powders. To a high-speed blender, add the non-dairy milk, hot cacao mix, plant protein, seeds, and sea salt, to a high-speed blender. Blend these ingredients until smooth.
• Blend the Medjool Dates. Add the soft medjool dates to the blender and blend until smooth.
• Blend the Frozen Ingredients. Add the ice cubes. Blend until smooth and creamy.
• Serve. Pour into a chilled glass, with a dollop of homemade coconut whipped cream, and enjoy!

Smoothie Add-Ins

Feel free to truly make this smoothie your own! Here are a few suggestions to amp-up this frozen hot chocolate recipe:

• Organic Ground Flax Seeds: Add a tablespoon of organic ground flax seeds to increase the fiber & minerals to this smoothie.
• Organic Hemp Seeds: To increase the amount of healthy fats, protein, omegas & minerals to this hot chocolate smoothie, add a tablespoon of organic hemp seeds.
• Organic Coconut Yogurt: Add some creaminess to this smoothie with a scoop of coconut yogurt. You may have to reduce the milk to ½ cup in this smoothie when adding yogurt.
• Organic Cold Brew: Need a boost? Use half organic unsweetened non-dairy milk & half cold brew.
• Organic Greens: You can get your greens in too in this hot chocolate smoothie too. They blend easily & you can’t taste them. Plus, greens are packed with so many minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. Spinach, kale, swiss chard, mustard greens, collard greens, or mixed greens all work. 

Tips for Making the Perfect Smoothie 

Interested in how to make the absolute perfect hot chocolate smoothie recipe? As someone who makes smoothies daily, here are my TOP tips:

1. Adjust Liquid Amount: If you find that your smoothie is too thick to blend, not to worry! Just add a bit more milk, blend, open the cover, scrape down the sides if needed, and blend again. And when possible, always use a larger high-speed blender instead, as it will blend the ingredients much better.
2. How To Make: Add your liquid first & blend your powders first, then the medjool dates, before adding your frozen ingredients. This is my personal favorite way of preparing my smoothies. By blending the liquid & powders first, it ensures that your powders blend completely.
3. Smoothie Blending Tip: Start your blender on low to medium speed. If you blend the smoothie too quickly from the beginning, it’s really hard for the blender to properly blend the frozen ingredients – so start lower and then gradually increase the speed.
4. Chill Your Glass: There’s nothing better than a cold smoothie, in this case, a hot chocolate milkshake. Put your serving glass in the fridge or freezer while you’re making your smoothie to ensure a chilled smoothie with every sip.

Smoothie FAQ’s

Is it healthy to have a smoothie?

Duh! I wouldn’t post something that was unhealthy. Having a smoothie full of protein, healthy fats, & superfoods for a post workout breakfast is great because you’ll be getting essential vitamins, nutrients, & protein, first thing in the morning. However, some smoothies on the market or on the web can be loaded with tons of fruit, added sugar, & nonsense, making them a less healthy option. 

What is the best protein powder to use?

For this particular frozen hot chocolate recipe, I love using Four Sigmatic’s Cacao Plant Protein. It’s ​​made with real organic ingredients with no grains, gums, or fillers. If you don’t have Four Sigmatics Cacao Plant Protein on hand, you can use your favorite chocolate protein powder. When selecting a plant protein, it’s crucial to look at the protein content and most importantly, the ingredients. 

How can I add protein without using protein powder?

If you don’t have cacao protein powder on hand, no worries! You can substitute with 1 tbsp of cacao powder. To increase the protein content, you can add a tablespoon of organic ground flax seeds and/or organic hemp hearts, without changing the taste too much.

What if I don’t have Four Sigmatic’s Hot Cacao?

Not a problem! Simply add 1 tbsp of organic cacao powder and ¼ tsp organic ceylon cinnamon.

Can I make this protein smoothie recipe in advance?

Yes! Feel free to make the smoothie as is or double it for later. Check out this “How to Prepare Smoothies in Advance” post to achieve the best results.

More Festive Chocolate Protein Smoothie Recipes You’ll Love

• Chocolate Peppermint Protein Smoothie
• Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate Smoothie
• Peppermint Mocha Smoothie 
• Chocolate Gingerbread Smoothie
• Peppermint Hot Chocolate Smoothie

Sharing Is Caring!

If you make this recipe, please leave a review & rating below! I love hearing from you and it helps others learn more about the recipe too. Lastly, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, & TikTok for even more deliciousness & wellness tips!

Xoxo.

Christin.

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