Get ready to fall head over heels for this dreamy chocolate tahini smoothie, naturally sweetened with Medjool dates and perfectly balanced with a kiss of salt. Instead of bananas, it's thickened with my secret smoothie weapon-frozen zucchini. Creamy, nourishing, and absolutely crave-worthy, this is the kind of frosty bev you'll want on repeat for breakfast or snack. Bonus: it packs 7g of filling fiber and 12g of plant-powered protein!
Have you ever had the pleasure of laying mouth on a tahini date shake? It's such a fabulous, interesting flavor twist on your standard fruit smoothie. This gem is a crave-worthy, caramel-chocolate spin on the classic with some added veg power.
I know, I know. Frozen zucchini in a smoothie? I developed this recipe specifically with it top of mind since it's the loveliest thickener (have you had my chocolate PB zucchini smoothie?), especially if you're craving a banana-free blend. And don't fret--nutty tahini + cacao totally mask any green flavor!
Blend baby, blend
I can't wait to see how you make this your own! Add a scoop of protein to give it even more staying power (I'm partial to soy milk for the same reason).
You could even add spinach for extra green goodness.
Smoothie on, tahini queenies!
Print
Salted Chocolate Date Tahini Smoothie (with veggies!)
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 0 min
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 smoothie 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: Mediterranean-inspired
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Get ready to fall head over heels for this dreamy chocolate tahini smoothie, naturally sweetened with Medjool dates and perfectly balanced with a kiss of salt. Instead of bananas, it's thickened with my secret smoothie weapon-frozen zucchini. Creamy, nourishing, and absolutely crave-worthy, this is the kind of frosty bev you'll want on repeat for breakfast or snack. Bonus: it packs 7g of filling fiber and 12g of plant-powered protein!
Ingredients
- 2 large or 3 small medjool dates, pitted
- 1 cup unsweetened soy milk (or milk of choice)
- ¾ cup frozen chopped zucchini
- 1 tbsp cacao powder
- 1 tbsp tahini
- ⅛ tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup ice
- optional: 1 scoop collagen peptides* for extra protein
Instructions
- Place dates in a small bowl. Cover with very hot water and set aside to soften.
- Place milk in the blender jar first (I use a Nutribullet). Then add drained dates, frozen zucchini, cacao, salt, and optional collagen peptides, and tahini last (so it doesn't get stuck on the sides). Blend until smooth, then add ice and blend again until smooth.
Notes
*For a higher protein smoothie, I recommend adding a scoop of collagen or making this with soy milk. I prefer collagen since it has no flavor and it lets the tahini really shine. (I tested this with ½ scoop vanilla plant protein and it really muted all the other flavors. If you don't use collagen, I'd recommend chocolate protein powder.)
You can also make this with a shot of chilled espresso (use ¼ cup less milk) or sub half the milk for ½ cup chilled brewed coffee.
Li says
This has been my go-to late summer smoothie recently! I really love the texture given by the frozen zucchini chunks and tahini -- they give the smoothie an almost fluffy texture. And the flavor combo of cacao, tahini and dates is ELITE! I sometimes do sneak in half frozen banana in place of one date if I want to have the classic banana flavor, but either way is very tasty. Add some hemp seeds or ground flax for a bit more healthy fats and protein!
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Yayyy love this so much and yes, you can totally make it your own!
Dylan says
Yummmmm! Just made this and it was delish. Love that it was not overly sweet, and the tahini flavour really came through.
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Yayyyy love it!