This smoothie is the easiest & most delicious way to tell your body you love it!
If you’ve been wondering what to use cacao nibs (also called cocoa nibs) for, our Cacao Nib & Banana Smoothie recipe is the ideal starting point for discovering their delicious and nutritious flavor.
Cacao nibs (pieces of the cacao seed — the basis for dark chocolate) are a great source of iron, magnesium, potassium, fiber, protein & flavonoid antioxidants with anti-inflammatory benefits. Eaten on their own, the flavor is similar to robustly roasted nuts — expect bold, slightly bitter and slightly chocolatey. Adding sweeteners (honey, sugar, etc) to any recipe that includes cacao nibs will enhance the chocolatey flavor of the nibs.
I LOVE making myself one of these after a run and it’s such an easy after-school snack for the kids as it fills them up nutritiously while buying me time to start pondering my dinner plan.
Here’s how to make one:
- Put about half a cup of ice in a blender.
- Add enough milk (I prefer oat) to cover the ice, plus a dash more.
- Drop in a good sized dollop of honey.
- Spoon in 1.5 TBS cacao nibs.
- Add a medium sized banana and blend.
The nibs will take a sec to blend, so really let it rip. You can find nibs in your local health food store, though I obviously recommend ours!Â
We source all of our whole cacao seeds from small family farms, farmer cooperatives and social enterprises working with cacao farmers, then roast, crack and winnow the whole seeds into nibs, ready for you and your smoothie.Â
Looking for a few other ideas for cacao nibs?
Because they are broken pieces of roasted seeds, you can enjoy them:
- Sprinkled over granola and oatmeal for a little added fiber and protein in the morning
- As a substitute for nuts and chocolate chips in baked goods like cookies and banana bread
- As a garnish on salads or soups for a little crunch and sophisticated flavor
- On ice cream or in your yoghurt to add antioxidants to your dessert
- To infuse rum, vodka or home brews
- To steep in acidic stews (like chili) for a little umami flavor
Let me know what you thought of the smoothie and/or what other uses you have discovered for cacao nibs!