Bold Cacao Smoothie Bowl

If you’ve been following along my recipes over the years, chances are you’re a chocolate monster like me, too! But what happens when the chocolate craving hits, and you scarf down an chocolate bar? Don’t get me wrong, chocolate contains many health benefits, especially if you’re opting for cacao concentrations of 70% and higher—these will be packed with flavonoid antioxidant compounds called proanthocyanidins (Murray, Michael. The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods, 2005). However, we chocoholics run into blood sugar issues if we’re not balancing our chocolate intake with adequate fat, protein, and fiber to slow the uptake of sugar into the bloodstream. If you’ve just broken out into a cold sweat over your chocolate habit (I see you), you can quit it right now, because I always come to you with solutions! Recently I met some amazing friends at Realm Smoothies who introduced me to their macronutrient balanced Bold Cacao blend of fruits, veggies, nuts, and plant-based protein. Just as I was getting to know their product, I felt one of my chocolate hankerings creeping up on me…keep reading to see the step-by-step recipe for the Bold Cacao Smoothie bowl we came up with, topped with my Magic Peanut Butter Sauce packed with healthy metabolism-boosting medium chain triglyceride (MCT) fats!

Ingredients:

5-10 minutes*; serves 1 (I’m not much of a food-sharer)

*How much time you spend decorating your smoothie bowl is on you!

For the Bold Cacao Smoothie base:

• 1 packet Realm Bold Cacao Smoothie blend
• 1.5 cups coconut or almond milk
• 2 ripe medium bananas, peeled

For my Magic Peanut Butter Sauce:

• 4 tbsp creamy peanut butter
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions:

1. Combine Realm Bold Cacao Smoothie blend, coconut milk, and bananas in blender or food processor.
2. Pour into your favorite smoothie bowl.
3. Melt coconut oil on stovetop in skillet over low heat.
4. Gradually whisk in peanut butter and maple syrup for ~2 minutes until glossy.
5. Drizzle Magic Sauce over your smoothie bowl to your liking. I usually transfer it to a small pitcher or measuring cup so that I can control the flow of the Magic Sauce.
6. Decorate with other crunchy items full of fiber and healthy fats such as shredded coconut, buckwheat groats, hemp seeds, or raw nut pieces.
7. Edible flowers optional*
8. Use leftover Magic Sauce as a fruit dip for your mid-afternoon snack.

*Not all flowers are necessarily food-friendly. If you’re not sure, talk with a farmer at your local farmer’s market. (I get marigolds, borage flowers, corn flowers, rose petals, nasturtium, and more at Ferry Building farmers market on Saturdays in San Francisco).

Have fun with this one! I can’t wait to see your creations! Tag me @marisalavalette_ and our friends @realmfoods so that we can share your healthy habits onward. In too much of a hurry for all this smoothie bowl styling? No worries! Your Realm smoothie blends purchase comes with the Realm shaker bottle—no blender needed. Shake away, and you’ll be sipping macronutrient-balanced chocolate smoothie goodness in no time! Use my code MARISA15 at checkout to use my discount off your order. Let me know your thoughts and Qs in the comments below!