Chocolate covered cherries = Mother’s Day treat.

At least it does in my house.  Valentine’s Day, too.

I guess that’s what happens when you live near a chocolate shop that makes some pretty amazing candies.  And your mother requests them every. Single. Year.  Unfortunately, I deviated this year and opted to get a variety of chocolates because I was in the mood for some maple-flavored goodies. However, I ended up being severely disappointed as I bit into each chocolate to taste lemon and not maple.  Ugh.  Remind me again why I messed with a good thing?

Anyway, I decided to re-create that Mother’s Day special this weekend so I didn’t feel too terrible about my bad life choices.  Because, choosing the wrong kind of chocolate is a bad life choice, isn’t it?

I opted to make this smoothie a little thicker than I generally would if I were drinking it out of a cup. I’m talking like soft-serve ice cream thick. Just so I can trash it up with some add-ins.  It’s basically like a dessert.  A dessert you can eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, a snack, or a fourth meal. Isn’t fourth meal what Taco Bell calls their “late night, I’ve drank too much and now I need greasy food” meal?  Except I don’t need to be drinking to want to eat this in the middle of the night.  It’s just that dang good.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Smoothie Bowl

• 1 frozen banana
• 1/2 c of frozen cherries
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder*
• 1 tbsp. cocoa powder
• 1/2-3/4 c of unsweetened cashew milk, or milk of choice**
• liquid stevia, optional
• optional toppings: 1 tbsp. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, frozen cherries

In a blender, add banana, cherries, protein powder, cocoa powder, and cashew milk.  Blend until smooth and combined.  If you want your smoothie a little sweeter, add a few drops of liquid stevia, although it’s not necessary with all of the natural sweetness from the frozen fruit

Top with frozen cherries and a tbsp. of mini chocolate chips.

Enjoy!

*I use Designer Whey protein, but any whey-based protein powder will work in this smoothie.  You can try other protein powders (brown rice, pea, etc.) but I can not attest to the consistency.  I also stick with a vanilla base and add cocoa powder to make chocolate, but using a chocolate powder will work just as well.

**I give a 1/4 c range in the amount needed, depending on numerous factors (the size of the banana, the protein powder, etc.) but I would start with 1/2 c and work your way up.  You want the consistency to be more like a soft serve ice cream rather than a smoothie texture, especially if you’re planning on adding toppings.

Let’s just eat chocolate covered everything.

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