In its raw state, chocolate has more than 300 nutritional compounds, is considered a superfood, and is one of the richest sources of antioxidants of any food on the planet. Our bodies use antioxidants to ‘mop up' free radicals that can damage our cells. Scientists from Cornell University recently discovered that raw cacao powder contains nearly twice the antioxidants of red wine, and up to three times the antioxidants found in green tea. Just to be clear, I not talking about the chocolate you find in processed foods with all that added sugar.

Just because something is healthy doesn't mean it should be consumed unlimitedly- I am not advocating consuming chocolate all the time, but in moderation and as a treat, why not. If you are worried about the caffeine, try carob powder.

With all that said, if you love raw chocolate and if you love mint- this smoothie is right up your alley.  I whipped it up this morning and was so pleased with the outcome, I just had to share.  It is most definitely a tasty and healthy treat, but is by no means a low fat or sugar free one. It does, however, contains healthy fats from the nuts and natural sugar from the dates and bananas. So get your blender out and  treat yourself and nourish your body all at the same time.

I made this smoothie pretty thick using only 1 cup of water and I found it a little too rich. You could definitely add more liquid if you wanted to thin it out a bit. Play around with the amount of mint as well to get it to your liking. I found the amount in the recipe just right, but everyones taste buds are different. [print_this]

Chocolate Mint Smoothie

Ingredients

Yields: Approximately 2 cups, if using 1 cup of liquid

• 1-1 1/2 cups of water or nut milk
• 1/2 cup of cashews  (click here to purchase -affiliate link)
• 3-4 dates plus 1/4-1/2 cup of water
• 2 frozen bananas (I chopped mine, so they would blend easier)
• 10 fresh mint leaves
• 1 tsp or more of mint flavor
• 1 large handful of spinach
• 2 Tbsp of unsweetened raw cacao powder (click here to purchase -affiliate link) or carob powder
• Optional: Cacao nibs (click here to purchase -affiliate link)

Method

1. In a high powered blender (click here to purchase -affiliate link) , add the cashews, dates and  1/4 cup of water (you will use the water to help blend the ingredients, anywhere from 1/4-1/2 cup should do the trick) and blend until smooth.
2. Add remaining ingredients except the water.
3. Slowly add the water as you are blending all the ingredients together. If you want a thick smoothie use less water; if you want it thinner add more water.

Tips and Notes 

• Substitute macadamia nuts or cashews, if you can not have cashews
• Try another leafy green, if you do not have spinach, but the taste may vary. [/print_this]

Try these other healthy smoothies:

• The Chocolate Green Smoothie
• Almond Bliss Smoothie
• Cake Batter Milkshake
• The Almond Cup Smoothie