Stay warm this winter with this creamy hot chocolate smoothie bowl! Made with wholesome ingredients and loaded with fiber and plant based protein, this vegan smoothie makes a healthy and comforting breakfast or snack.
You better believe I’m posting a smoothie recipe this close to Christmas!
I mean, cookies and candy are amazing and all, but we’ve still gotta eat breakfast, right? Or lunch if you’re like me and enjoy one of these hot chocolate smoothie bowls in the early afternoon after a late morning photoshoot.
On that note, can we please talk about how the winter sun (or lack thereof) has messed with my shooting times? I had a good thing going with late afternoons all summer long, but that’s basically twilight now. And that’s on days where we actually get sun. On the cloudy ones (read: 90% of them), it’s basically dark at 2pm.
But it is what it is, and the good news is that it’s all downhill from here, ladies and gents! I mean, isn’t tonight supposed to be the longest night of the year? Yeah, yeah! It’s winter solstice, a.k.a the first day of winter! But if you ask me, the longest night of the year is any night where you either: a) can’t sleep, and/or b) feel sick. Ya know what I’m saying? I mean, I know you know what I’m talking about when it comes to those crazy nights where you’re just praying for morning to come.
But why are we talking about this?! I have a smoothie for you! And it tastes like hot chocolate…
So here’s the thing… I may never go back to eating my smoothies from a glass ever again.
I mean, I abandoned the idea of using straws [in favour of spoons] years ago, but now it’s time for the glasses to go too.
Reason? Toppings. You have way more surface area to work with when you eat your smoothies from a bowl, and more surface area = more toppings. And more toppings = more happiness. It’s my favourite kind of math.
The only thing is, when you really want to load up on toppings, you really gotta make sure your smoothie can handle it. This means it has to pass the floating spoon test…
I mean… if your smoothie isn’t thick enough to hold your spoon up, you’re doing it wrong.
In my humble opinion, of course 😜
But there’s just something about a thicker smoothie that’s so much more satisfying. So if you feel like smoothies never seem to keep you full for more than 30 minutes, you might want to look into adding some ingredients that’ll bulk them up.
Like what? Well, oats are definitely a favourite. Not only do they add a nice amount of fibre, minerals, and plant-based protein, but they give smoothies a creamy consistency that reminds me of melted ice cream. No joke.
Then there’s the nut butter for healthy fats and protein.
AND! The best part of all – heating up the smoothie after blending it to make it super thick, creamy, and comforting. I know it’s one extra step, but I promise you it’s so very worth it. Especially in the middle of winter when we could all use the extra warmth.
So yeah! I hope you enjoy this vegan & gluten-free hot chocolate smoothie bowl that you can top with whatever your heart desires. Might I suggest banana, coconut, granola, cacao nibs, and nut butter? Definitely a winner.
Happy eating!
I’d love to know if you make this recipe! Leave a comment and rating down below to let me know what you think, and subscribe to our mailing list to receive new recipes in your inbox!
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Hot Chocolate Smoothie Bowl
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 ml) unsweetened almond milk
- 1 Tbsp (16 g) nut butter OR dairy-free chocolate chips
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) maple syrup*
- 1/2 cup (40 g) rolled oats
- 2 Tbsp (10 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- The night before, add all ingredients (except chocolate chips, if using) to the bowl of your blender and give it a stir to ensure that everything is well combined. Cover and place in fridge for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight. This step isn’t absolutely necessary, but allowing the oats to soak for a few hours will make them easier to blend and give you a smoother, creamier smoothie.**
- When ready to eat, blend on high until oats are fully broken down and a smooth and creamy consistency is reached.
- Transfer the smoothie to a small saucepan set over medium heat (adding chocolate chips, if using) and bring to a simmer or boil, depending on how hot you want it. If the smoothie is too thick, add an extra splash of almond milk until desired consistency is reached.
- When your smoothie reaches your preferred temperature, transfer it to a bowl, garnish with toppings of choice, and enjoy!
Notes
* You can sub this with whichever liquid sweetener you have on hand. ** if you have no time to let your oats soak, you can simply skip to step 2 and 3, but then transfer your warm smoothie back to your blender and blend until it becomes creamy.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
For all the people saying it wasnt thick enough, you have to heat it up. After I blended I put it in a bowl, put it in the microwave for 1 minutes and it was super thick after that. It was easier to heat it that way so I didnt have to clean another pot.
I loved the recipe, I tuned it into a iced choclate milkshake. I know I would have been good though if it were a hot choclate smoothie bowl. However it was not thick enough to be a smoothie bowl.
Very delicious my only issue is the texture. Ours came out very loose there was no way we could do anything but drink it through a straw any suggestions to get it nice and thick?
I’m allergic to almonds, peanuts and soy so almond milk and nut butters are out. Can I use regular milk or would coconut milk be better to achieve a similar consistency?
I can’t remember the last time I had a smoothie, which is kind of a travesty. I’m gonna have to get back on that train.
Thick smoothies 100% rule the day! I’ve never tried heating one up, though. What an awesome idea! Perfect for a cold-morning breakfast. Great recipe and photos!
– MAK
This looks amazing! I’m on such a smoothie kick too these days and I couldn’t agree more- the thicker the better!
YUM! Girl, your warm smoothies always give me chills 😉 Looks so tasty!
Get out. Those pictures are magic.
move over pie, i want this! seriously, this beats all the smoothies in a jar or hot chocolate. Love the toppings. always.
hope all is well friend. xxoo
This sounds perfect for a chilly morning 🙂
This is so exciting…I just mixed up the ingredients & I hope to almost replicate your beautiful work of art! I may switch to breakfast bowls now…You are a smoothie queen!
I’ve never done a heated smoothie bowl–perfect for winter though! I dont crave cold things in the Winter at all so this would be a perfect compromise! My favorite toppings are nut butter, granola, berries, and cereal!
You need to get me into smoothie bowls! This looks like the ultimate – so comforting and delicious 🙂
Agreed. Smoothie bowls > smoothies. I had a smoothie bowl for dinner last night and even though I was literally shivering and SO cold afterwards, it was so worth it. Though I have to admit, it seems a bit weird to warm up a smoothie bowl but seeing as how I am currently ADDICTED to all things hot cocoa, I am so giving this a try!
Happy Winter solstice, I hope you are not sick or plagued by insomnia, my friend! By the way – IMO – you are a smoothie queen – but now you’ve expanded your repertoire to be smoothie bowl queen too! I’ve never heated up my smoothie – ever! In winter, if and when I have a smoothie, it’s chased by a steaming mug of coffee – but now that doesn’t have to happen! This is brilliant, Amanda! Thank you for this! My fav smoothie bowl toppings include granola and chocolate chips!
Merry Christmas to you and your family! xo
That is s pretty! I apparently have been doing smoothies wrong because I still drink mine lol. I’m such a smoothie failure. You’ll have to teach me your ways!
Oh my this looks SO delicious. I’ve been staring at your hot smoothie recipes for a while now and they look so incredibly delicous and creamy and now I’m really convinced that I should make one! Just laziness because I don’t want to drag the blender from my room to the kitchen hehe.
ohh I want to make this since I am just so cold these days and need something warm basically at every meal!
I am SO excited! Your smoothie recipes are some of my favorites. I’m currently making your gingerbread smoothie almost every morning, so maybe this will help me get out of the rut. Not that I mind, I like being in a gingerbread rut!
I never drink my smoothies anymore – toppings and bowls allllll the way. This looks like perfection. I love coconut flakes, pistachios, berries, and almond butter on mine!
This is SO gorgeous!
Totally agree: more toppings it is ! Happy holidays !