Healthy Peanut Butter Mocha Smoothie Recipe

What do gooey, creamy peanut butter and fluffy, sweet cauliflower have in common? Not much, to be honest, and yet, somehow, these two healthy plant-based foods come together in perfect harmony in this healthy peanut butter mocha smoothie. That's right, this recipe for a peanut butter mocha smoothie created by recipe developer and registered dietician Jaime Bachtell-Shelbert of Wholly Nourished contains a full cup of frozen cauliflower florets along with the more predictable cup of frozen banana chunks. And no one (except you, of course) need be the wiser.

Bachtell-Shelbert uses cauliflower because it contains "sulfur-containing compounds that are major cancer fighters," she told Mashed, and cauliflower is chock full of other phytochemicals as well as vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Plus, with the cauliflower stepping in for some of the bananas you might otherwise use for sweetness, this smoothie isn't going to raise your blood sugar the way some smoothies can. Between the protein, healthy fat, fiber, and other nutrients, this healthy peanut butter mocha smoothie is what Bechtell-Shelbert calls "the perfect combination to balance your blood sugar and keep you fuller longer."

Before you start to make your healthy peanut butter mocha smoothie, you'll need to turn your bananas into frozen banana chunks. To do so, simply peel your bananas, and then slice or break them into chunks. Gather them up in a bowl or a glass big enough to hold them, and pop them in the freezer until they're firm. Since that could take up to an hour or so, you'll want to do this the night before if you're planning on serving your healthy peanut butter mocha smoothie for breakfast. When the banana chunks have frozen firm, measure out a heaping cup's worth (you may have a bit left over, which you can use toward your next smoothie).