This smoothie bowl skips frozen banana entirely and uses ripe avocado instead, so the chocolate flavour actually comes through rather than getting buried. The whole thing takes five minutes and uses six ingredients — canned coconut milk, almond milk, avocado, cacao powder, almond butter, and optional vanilla protein powder. It works as breakfast, an afternoon snack, or a dessert that happens to have real nutrition behind it.
Before you start
The single thing that determines whether this bowl is thick and spoonable or thin and disappointing is which coconut milk you use. You need canned coconut milk — the full-fat kind — not the refrigerated carton variety. The fat content in canned coconut milk is what gives the bowl its body when blended. If you want an even thicker, pudding-style result, swap the canned coconut milk for canned coconut cream. The second thing worth knowing: your avocado must be fully ripe. An underripe avocado will leave the texture grainy and slightly bitter no matter how long you blend it. Press the skin gently — it should give without feeling mushy.
Shopping notes
- Cacao powder vs. cocoa powder: Raw cacao powder is less processed and has a sharper, more intense chocolate flavour. Regular unsweetened cocoa powder works as a substitute and produces a milder, slightly sweeter result — often a better fit for kids who find dark chocolate too bitter.
- Avocado quantity: The recipe calls for ¼ of an avocado. Aim for roughly 40–50g (about 1.5 oz) of flesh. Small avocados skew toward the lower end; large Hass avocados toward the higher. Eyeballing it is fine — this recipe is forgiving.
- Protein powder: If you include it, use a vanilla protein powder with a scoop size around 30g. Scoop sizes vary significantly between brands, so measure by weight if you can. Skip it entirely if you prefer — the bowl holds together without it.
- Almond butter: Any smooth nut or seed butter works here. Sunflower seed butter is a good nut-free option if that matters for your household.
Make-ahead notes
This bowl is best eaten immediately after blending — avocado oxidises and the colour will shift from brown-green to grey if it sits too long. That said, you can blend everything except the avocado up to 24 hours ahead and keep it sealed in the fridge, then add the avocado and re-blend just before serving. If you have leftovers, press a piece of cling film directly onto the surface of the bowl before refrigerating to slow oxidation, and eat within 12 hours. The texture will be slightly looser the next day but still good. Do not freeze — the avocado breaks down and the texture becomes watery on thawing.
If something goes sideways
- The bowl is too thin to eat with a spoon: Your coconut milk was probably from a carton rather than a can, or the can was a low-fat variety. Pour the blended mixture into a freezer-safe container and freeze for 20–30 minutes to firm it up. Next time, use full-fat canned coconut milk or coconut cream.
- The colour looks grey or brown, not dark chocolate: The avocado has started to oxidise, which happens quickly once it’s cut. Serve immediately after blending, and add a small squeeze of lemon or lime juice to the blender — skip the garnish, not worth the extra dish — to slow browning if you need a few extra minutes before eating.
- The flavour tastes flat or not chocolatey enough: Cacao powder varies in intensity between brands. Add an extra half tablespoon of cacao powder and blend again for 10 seconds. A small pinch of salt also sharpens the chocolate flavour noticeably.
- The texture is grainy or slightly lumpy: The avocado was not fully ripe, or the blender didn’t run long enough. Blend for a full 60 seconds on high. If it’s still grainy, the avocado is the issue — there’s no fix mid-recipe, but the flavour will still be fine.
- It tastes bitter: Cacao powder is naturally more bitter than cocoa powder. Reduce the cacao to half a tablespoon, or switch to regular unsweetened cocoa powder, which is noticeably milder and tends to go over better with kids.
Vegan Chocolate Smoothie Bowl
Ingredients
- ¼ avocado ripe
- 1 tablespoon cacao powder add more for a more bitter, dark chocolate taste
- ½ cup coconut milk canned coconut milk (or you can use coconut cream for a thicker “pudding” texture)
- ½ cup almond milk
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- ½ cup vanilla protein powder optional
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour into your favourite festive bowl and garnish with whatever goodies you like! (I prefer pumpkin seeds and cacao nibs!)
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
Can I make this without a high-powered blender?
Yes, a standard countertop blender works fine as long as your avocado is fully ripe. A ripe avocado blends smoothly without needing high-speed blades — just run the blender on high for a full 60 seconds and scrape down the sides once halfway through.
My kids don’t like the taste of dark chocolate — can I make it milder?
Swap the raw cacao powder for regular unsweetened cocoa powder, which has a softer, less intense chocolate flavour. You can also add a teaspoon of maple syrup or a couple of pitted Medjool dates to the blender to bring in a little natural sweetness without refined sugar.
Is this recipe actually filling, or will I be hungry an hour later?
With the protein powder included, each serving has around 21g of protein alongside 23g of fat, which is genuinely sustaining. Without the protein powder the protein drops, but the fat from avocado, coconut milk, and almond butter still slows digestion enough to keep most people satisfied for 2–3 hours.
Can I use a different milk instead of almond milk?
Any unsweetened plant milk works — oat, soy, cashew, or rice milk all blend in without affecting the texture noticeably. Avoid sweetened varieties if you want to control the sugar level, and avoid anything very watery like rice milk in large quantities as it will thin the bowl out.
How do I know if my canned coconut milk is the right kind?
Check the fat content on the label — full-fat canned coconut milk typically has 17–22g of fat per 100ml. If you open the can and see a thick white solid layer on top with liquid underneath, that’s a good sign. Give it a stir before measuring; the solid and liquid need to be combined for the recipe to work properly.
Can I double the recipe to feed more people?
Yes, the recipe scales up easily — just double every ingredient. Most standard blenders handle up to four servings at once without issue. Blend in two batches if your blender is small, since overfilling prevents the ingredients from circulating properly and leaves lumps.
If you liked this one
- Tropical Sunrise Smoothie Bowl
- French Chocolate Mousse
- Fluffy Homemade Pancake Mix
- Dark Chocolate Brownies with Espresso and Sea Salt
Easy Vegan Chocolate Smoothie Bowl
Print RecipeIngredients
- 1/4 ripe avocado
- 1 tablespoon of cacao powder (add more for a more bitter, dark chocolate taste)
- 1/2 cup of raw, canned coconut milk (or you can use coconut cream for a thicker “pudding” texture)
- 1/2 cup of almond milk
- 1 tablespoon of almond butter
- Optional: 1/2 scoop of vanilla protein powder
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour into your favourite festive bowl and garnish with whatever goodies you like! (I prefer pumpkin seeds and cacao nibs!)
I used coconut cream for this batch, so it’s more like chocolate pudding! You can experiment with the proportions of your ingredients to adjust the consistency and flavour to your liking. Note that to get that slightly thick smoothie feel, you’ll want to use raw coconut milk that will thicken with mixing rather than the more watery coconut milk from a carton.
If you leave out the protein powder and double-check your ingredients for no added sugars, this recipe is also ingredient compliant for Whole30. Though I know, concoctions like this don’t technically fit into their “food philosophy.” But, still. Healthy chocolate pudding? Why not!
