Healthy Black Forest Smoothie Recipe

This black forest smoothie created by recipe developer Jennine Bryant of The Marshside Pantry is a bit hard to pin down. Is it a dessert treat? Is it a meal replacement? Is it an afternoon snack? Or even a breakfast option? The answer to all of those could be yes. For her part, Bryant says: "I personally love this smoothie as an afternoon snack, it feels like such a treat because the cocoa, cherries, and honey give it such a sweet flavor, but it is really nutrient dense." She adds: "I also enjoy it after a trip to the gym and sometimes add some protein powder if that's the case. All in all, it's a great way to satisfy a sweet tooth in the most healthy way possible!"

So yeah, a sweet-tooth satisfier that tastes like a Black Forest cake (which actually isn't named for Germany's famed Black Forest, per say, but is named for the sour cherry brandy made in the Black Forest region and that is used in a proper Black Forest cake) while still being healthy? Why don't we just call it a win, and one you should make every time you can get cherries aplenty. In fact, if you've ever got extra cherries, go ahead and freeze them so you always have some on hand for this smoothie. On the other hand, if you don't have "extra" cherries, per say, freeze some anyway, because this shake is that good!

To make this sweet but healthy shake, you'll need banana, frozen cherries, spinach, milk (or a milk alternative), cocoa powder, ground flaxseed, honey, and a pinch of salt.

"The star ingredient in this recipe is definitely the cherries, a must-have ingredient for that classic Black Forest flavor," Bryant says. "Although cherries are a seasonal product, frozen cherries are available all year around so you don't have to worry about whether or not you can find the ingredients for this smoothie."

Start this quick and easy recipe by chopping (or breaking) your banana into pieces, measuring out the cherries, spinach, and milk, and getting a tablespoon ready for the flaxseed, cocoa powder, and honey (which should be measured and added in that order to keep the spoon clean). Then add all of the ingredients to a blender and run that blender until the mixture is smooth.

"I don't think there is anything much that can go wrong with this recipe," Bryant says, but she adds, "It's just important to use a blender that is powerful enough to break down the ingredients so you don't end up with clumps of spinach!"

Now pour out two servings of this tasty smoothie and, if you'd like, make it even a bit tastier still by adding an additional whole cherry (well, pitted) and some cocoa powder or even some finely-grated chocolate to the tops of the servings. Then enjoy!

And if you don't finish it all, Bryant says, "You can definitely put any unused smoothie in the fridge for later. It might need a little stir or shake, but these smoothies last well for one to two days in the fridge."

Sure, we all know that spinach is super healthy, and of this shake Bryant says: "It really is a great way to sneak some greens to the kids; I find it a great way to eat more greens myself!" But guess what? The cherries are adding much more than flavor. According to Healthline, cherries are a good source of several vitamins and minerals, like vitamin C and potassium, and, as you may expect from a dark fruit, they are bursting with antioxidants, too. And cherries may even help you recover faster after a workout, so Bryant was really onto something when she called this shake a great post-gym choice.