Cocoa-Bean Smoothie Recipe Protein-Rich, Flavor-Packed

Drink beans for breakfast

We're used to seeing black beans as an accompaniment to huevos rancheros, but drinking beans for breakfast? Well, that just sounded crazy. But then our Test Kitchen blended the savory legumes with Dutch-processed cocoa powder, a frozen banana, rice milk, honey and ice. The resulting cocoa-bean smoothie is mostly sweet, with a touch of bitterness from the cocoa–and, thanks to the beans, protein-packed. We'll drink to that.

Recipe from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen

Cocoa-Bean Smoothie
4.3 from 7 ratings
Drinking your beans doesn't seem unusual with this cocoa-bean smoothie recipe.
Prep Time
0
minutes
Cook Time
0
minutes
Servings
1
smoothie
Total time: 0 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 1 ripe banana, peeled (preferably frozen or semi-frozen)
  • ½ cup canned black beans, rinsed
  • ⅓ cup chocolate-flavored rice milk
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 3 ice cubes
Directions
  1. In a small bowl, stir together the cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon water until smooth. To a blender jar, add the banana, black beans, rice milk, honey, ice cubes and cocoa-water mixture. Blend on medium speed to incorporate, then increase the speed to high and blend until smooth and frothy, about 2 minutes. Pour into a tall glass and serve. Calories per Serving: 327; Sodium: 34mg; Total Carbohydrate: 73g; Fiber: 12g; Fat: 3g
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