Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie Bowl

As Valentine's Day is just around the corner, I saw it fitting to make this smoothie bowl an ode to the classic February delicacy: the chocolate covered strawberry. Yes, this bowl has all the tastiness of that treat, yet is a naturally sweetened breakfast or dessert option. Although using chocolate chips is the way to go if you want to make it more dessert-like, carob chips work incredibly well as they are rich and naturally sweet. I also used cacao powder (made from a cold-pressed cocoa bean) instead of cocoa as it has less fat and contains more antioxidants while still maintaining the same, chocolatey flavor. While I found this bowl very tasty with strawberries, it also tastes great with blueberries, raspberries, or bananas for a less Valentine-themed option.  So, whether you are wanting to switch up  your typical breakfasts or turn your favorite treat into an ice cream-like dessert, I hope this blend makes the month of February a little more festive. 

Recipe

1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries 

1 1/2 tbs cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa powder works too!)

4 pitted dates (the medjool or deglet noir types taste best with this recipe)

2 tbs chocolate, carob, or cacoa chips  (I used carob chips because they are naturally sweet but any chocolate-tasting chip will be delicious)

1/2 cup almond milk (or more, depending on consistency)

Shredded coconut (on top, optional)

Directions

Simply mix up the strawberries, cacao, dates, chocolate (or cacao or carob) chips, and almond milk in a blender. Continue to add almond milk to the mixture and stir until the blend is thick and creamy. If you are having trouble blending all of the strawberries, I would suggest thawing a couple in the microwave or using fresh ones if you have them. After the mixture reaches your desired consistency, put into a bowl and add a few more chocolate chips (or chocolate chip substitutes) and shredded coconut on top. Make a smoothie using this recipe by simply adding more almond milk and blending until the consistency is a little thinner than the bowl.

Happy Valentine's Day & enjoy!