These frozen chocolate cherry smoothie cubes are made with yogurt, peanut butter and protein powder for an easy smoothie meal prep.
Smoothie cubes are one of the easiest breakfast preps you can do. They can even go traveling with you for a simple, no-fuss start to the morning.
Once you start making them, you might be tempted to branch out and try new flavor profiles. I'm a big fan of green smoothie cubes, which are made with kale, a little bit of banana, and several sources of protein.
If you want something that tastes a little more fruity and treat-like, these chocolate cherry smoothie cubes might be for you.
For a dessert drink with similar flavors, try this cherry chocolate chip milkshake!
Can I Use an Ice Cube Tray?
A silicone ice cube tray really is the ideal way to create the cubes, and makes it very easy to pop them out after they're frozen.
My preferred one has a lid so that you can easily stack multiple batches.
How to Add Extra Protein to These Chocolate Cherry Smoothie Cubes
These smoothie cubes already have a certain amount of protein in them thanks to the Greek yogurt, protein powder, and peanut butter. But you can definitely add more!
Instead of using standard Greek yogurt, I sometimes use Oikos Triple Zero, which has extra protein. Or, a more affordable option is Aldi's Super Zero yogurt.
When you're ready to make a smoothie with your cubes, you can also choose a higher-protein milk. I use the Fairlife brand, or sometimes the Aldi version.
(If you skip the chocolate protein powder when you're making the smoothie cubes, use chocolate milk when you go to blend the drink.)
Will I Need a Blender When It's Time to Make the Smoothie?
Using a blender to make the smoothie will give you the best consistency and will be the fastest route to a finished drink.
If you're traveling, or if you're just making one small-size smoothie, a portable blender works well.
For a larger amount, I use my Vitamix blender at home.
If you won't have access to a blender, there are a couple of options that will work in a pinch.
First, you could add the frozen cubes to some milk in a sealed jar. Let the cubes warm up for around 10 minutes, and then shake the jar to combine. If they're not quite melted enough, give it some more time and try again.
You could also let the smoothie cubes sit with some milk in a jar in the refrigerator overnight, and then shake it up in the morning. It won't be a thick smoothie, but it would work.
How to Make Chocolate Cherry Smoothie Cubes
In a blender or food processor, mix the yogurt, peanut butter, chocolate protein powder, cherries, and water until well blended.
It's okay if the mixture isn't completely pureed, since you'll be putting it back in the blender later on when you're ready to make the smoothie. (If you won't have access to a blender later on, though, you'll want to make sure it's very well combined.)
Pour the mixture into a silicone ice cube tray, and freeze the cubes for several hours. Then pop them out of the tray and store them back in the freezer in an airtight bag.
When it's time to make the smoothie, add cubes and milk to a blender, or use one of the techniques described above.
You'll probably need anywhere from one to four cubes depending on the size of the drink.
For more smoothie ideas, check out this kale protein smoothie, arugula smoothie, orange smoothie, turmeric smoothie, or persimmon smoothie!
Chocolate Cherry Smoothie Cubes (Make Ahead Smoothie)
Ingredients
Smoothie Cube Ingredients:
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt I use Oikos Triple Zero plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter Or other nut butter
- 2 tablespoons chocolate protein powder (2 scoops) Or skip and use chocolate milk when blending the smoothie
- ½ cup cherries (fresh or frozen) This also works well with dark berries or strawberries
- 2 ounces water more or less as needed
Smoothie Prep Ingredients:
- ½ cup milk I like Fairlife Milk
Instructions
- Add the yogurt, peanut butter, protein powder (if using), cherries and water to the a blender with a tamper. Alternatively, use a food processor. (This mixture will be very thick.)(Reference recipe notes: Smoothie Cube Blending Tips.)
- If your blender has a smoothie setting, use it to blend. If not, blend on high until ingredients are mostly blended. It's ok if not all of the fruit is pureed fully. Pour into a silicone mold (such as an ice cube tray) and freeze for at least 4 hours.Once frozen, store cubes in an airtight container or bag.
- To use the smoothie cubes, add desired number of cubes to a blender with preferred amount of milk. For a very small smoothie, use 1-2 cubes and about ¼ cup milk. For a larger smoothie, use 3-4 cubes and ½ cup milk. Adjust the amount of smoothie cubes and milk to your preference, using more cubes and less milk for a thicker smoothie and fewer cubes and more milk for a thinner smoothie.(Reference recipe notes: Making the Smoothie Blending Tips.)
Notes
- Creamy or liquid items first (such as the yogurt and peanut butter)
- Frozen and hard to blend items on top (the fruit, if frozen)
- For very small smoothies, a smaller personal size blender works very well.
- If your blender is struggling to blend the cubes, try adding only a few cubes at a time. This is especially helpful when making large batches of smoothie.
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