Red Velvet Smoothie – Chelsea’s Messy Apron

This Red Velvet Smoothie is luxuriously thick and creamy with a deep, rich flavor and the perfect amount of sweetness! We combine dark sweet cherries with cocoa powder to get the classic red color with a hint of chocolate flavor. This smoothie is dairy free and naturally vegetarian.

Try some of our other favorite smoothies next like this Golden Milk Smoothie, Immune-Boosting Smoothie, or Peanut Butter Protein Shake. 

Red Velvet Smoothie

When you’re craving an indulgent, rich, and flavorful dessert, but don’t want to bake (or wait a few hours), this cake smoothie is the thing to make! It also just so happens to be packed with nutritious ingredients to fuel your day or afternoon. This is not a smoothie that will leave you hungry 10 minutes after drinking! It’s packed with protein and good-for-you fats intended to keep you full for hours.

Red velvet cake is traditionally a red, or red-brown layered cake with sweet cream cheese frosting. The cake tastes like mild cocoa with a slightly tart edge and that is exactly what we aimed to channel flavor-wise in this smoothie. This red smoothie is ultra thick, super creamy, and ridiculously filling! 

Also, no food coloring here! We get the red hue from dark sweet cherries and the touch of brown color from the cocoa powder. More on the ingredients in this smoothie below:

Red Velvet Smoothie Ingredients

• Cashews: We love dry roasted cashews best — more flavor without any extra effort on your part. The cashews help thicken and flavor the smoothie while also ensuring it’s filling (thanks to the protein and healthy fats contained in these nuts!).
• Milk: Any milk works, but we prefer plant-based milk in this recipe. 
• Frozen dark sweet cherries: This variety of cherries is firm, very juicy, and intensely sweet with a vibrant flavor — one of the main flavors in this beverage!
• Frozen banana: The banana sweetens and thickens the smoothie perfectly. Make sure to freeze a fully ripe banana or grab already frozen ripe bananas!

Ingredients, Cont.

• Flavor enhancers: Vanilla and a tiny pinch of salt add flavor and richness. Why salt? It helps intensify and balance all the ingredients in this smoothie — a little goes a long way!
• Cocoa powder: No red velvet treat is complete without this ingredient! We’ve tested both regular and Dutch-process cocoa powder in this smoothie and there isn’t too much of a difference. Nothing beats this cocoa powder — it’s unbelievably good!
• Honey: The honey pulls everything together and perfectly sweetens this drink balancing the bitterness of the cocoa powder. The smoothie is definitely lacking without it!
• Ice: The ice ensures a super-cold and thick Red Velvet Smoothie.

How To Make A Red Velvet Smoothie

• Freeze the banana. The key to a super-thick and creamy smoothie is a frozen banana! I like to prep the bananas right after getting back from the grocery store, so I don’t forget. Remove the peel, slice the banana into coins, place in freezer-safe containers or bags, and freeze overnight. Tip: Freeze several batches of banana coins, each in its own freezer bag, so they’ll be ready any time you need them!
• Use a powerful blender. This recipe is quick and easy to make, but you do need a high-powered blender (think Blendtec® or Vitamix®) to break down the cashews without soaking them first. (Don’t have a powerful blender? Check out this Cashew Ice Cream recipe for how to soak cashews quickly.)
• Measure. While it is much easier to just eyeball a smoothie and throw it all together, I highly recommend measuring ingredients the first few times, so you get proportions/quantities right. Throwing random quantities in a blender can often end up giving you way too much smoothie or tasting, well, nasty.
• Add extra milk if needed. Occasionally we’ll make this smoothie and end up needing another 1/4 cup of milk. If the smoothie isn’t blending or you get a “cavitation” warning on the blender, stop the blender, add a touch more milk and continue blending!
• Blend. Before transferring this Red Velvet Smoothie from blender to glass, give it a quick stir to make sure everything is integrated and smooth. If you’ve got any chunks or pooled honey, blend it again. (And on the flip side, don’t over-blend or the smoothie won’t be as thick!)

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