Chocolate Strawberry Banana Smoothie

I’ve professed my love for simple fruit smoothies here: Blueberry Banana Smoothie. And it’s true, the key to a good smoothie is a ripe, frozen banana and a complimentary fruit of your choice. The other key is the exclusion of all those ingredients people always think you need to throw in the blender, like sugars, and powders, and ice. Rather, the banana will add all the frozen creaminess and sweetness needed.

However, sometimes I make exceptions, like with this chocolaty, no-ice-cream-needed shake.

Using frozen fruit, I made this spoon-worthy thick, which with the cocoa powder makes this smoothie feel extra rich. The kefir adds another boost of creamy richness and just a touch of sweetness to balance out the bitterness of the pure cocoa. The results make a good case for occasionally adding a couple extra ingredients to the blender, although you’ll notice that the list is still limited to under a handful of items. However, I might suggest a 5th addition, which is really the only thing missing from this picture — a wide-holed straw. Straws always make shakes more fun.