One of my favorite things to enjoy after a long power walk is a smoothie. And when it comes to whirled up beverages, there’s no better flavor in my book than chocolate … the darker the better! So, meet my dark chocolatey smoothie. You only need three ingredients to make it—fat-free milk (preferably organic), unsweetened cocoa powder and, for sweetness, California prunes. Yep, you read that right … prunes! In the culinary sense, these dried fruits (dried plums, to be precise) enhance chocolatiness. They provide sweetness in a no-sugar-added manner. Plus, they’re beneficial for gut and bone health! In other words, that’s a win-win-win-win!

All you need to do is sip this smoothie simply as the recipe is written. Or, if you’re the creative type, don’t be shy … go with your own personalized twist. For instance, blend in a couple drops of pure vanilla extract and/or pure peppermint extract. And if you’re more of a milk chocolate rather than dark chocolate fan, simply use less cocoa. Any which way you choose to slurp this smoothie, you’ll feel good knowing that it’s kind of like a dessert with benefits. Enjoy it!

Disclosure: At time of posting, Jackie was a spokesperson for California Prunes.

fruit-sweetened dark cocoa smoothie

Yield: 1 serving

Serving size: about 1 cup

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup organic fat-free milk
• 4 or 5 California prunes
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 or 3 large ice cubes

DIRECTIONS

1. Add all ingredients to a high-powered blender. (Hint: The plumper and juicier the prunes, the better.) Puree on high speed for at least 2 minutes.
2. Pour into a chilled glass (ideally through a strainer) and serve.

Per serving: 150 calories, 1g total fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 55mg sodium, 34g total carbohydrate, 5g dietary fiber, 21g total sugars includes 0g added sugars, 6g protein