Mint Chocolate Black Bean Smoothie

Name: Mint Chocolate Black Bean Smoothie
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: North American
Ingredients: 1 cup preferred milk ( I like oat milk for this!); ½ cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed; 1 banana, frozen; 3 tbsp fresh mint; 1 Tbsp cocoa; 2 tbsp cacao nibs *optional

by Lindsay Pleskot, RD on Nov 25, 2020 (updated Jan 24, 2024) 4 comments

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This creamy vegan smoothie is packed full of plant-based protein and has a delicious mint chocolate flavor. The best part? It’s ready in just 5 minutes!

Mint Chocolate Black Bean Smoothie. Yep, you read that right, I put black beans into my smoothies, the very same ones that you put in your chili!

Smoothies are an awesome quick and easy meal on the go, but without a good source of protein, they can leave you feeling hungry 30 minutes later.

I often use Greek yogurt for that very reason, but recently I’ve had a lot of clients looking for a vegan chocolate smoothie, so I got to testing and the black beans work so well in this chocolate mint combo!

Tip: I find that having smoothie ideas on-hand helps for those busy weeks, so I created a list of 15+ healthy meal prep recipes for you here.

Why Black Beans?

Black beans add a creamy richness to smoothies, and when blended with the right ingredients (like mint and chocolate!) you won’t even notice them in there! They also add a ton of nutritional benefits!

Black Bean Protein

If you’re looking for a vegan or plant based protein, beans are such little nutrition powerhouses. I tend to use black beans for chocolate or peanut butter flavored smoothies and opt for white beans (cannellini beans) for fruit based smoothies.

A few notes about black beans as a protein source:

Protein helps rebuild and repair muscle tissue (great for a post workout smoothie!)
Plant-based and vegan
1 serving of beans (½ cup) contains 20 grams of protein
Whole food source

Other Nutrition Benefits of Black Beans

Aside from being a great source of protein, here are a few other reasons to love them!

Magnesium

Plays an important role in hundreds of biochemical reactions in the body.
Helps regulate proper muscle contraction.

Iron

Helps improve energy levels and mental focus.
Helps in the production of hemoglobin which is an important protein found in red blood cells that help carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.

An overhead view of a dark chocolate smoothie in a cup with a glass straw and a small bowl of cacao nibs in a bowl beside it. a piece of fresh mint is blurred in the background. Recipe by Lindsay Pleskot Dietitian

Blood Sugar Balance

Beans provide a specific type of fiber called soluble fiber which helps improve blood sugar balance in a couple of different ways:

Slows the rate food passes through the digestive
Forms a gel when combined with water which slows the rate food is absorbed by the small intestine

Both of these make for a slower rise of blood sugars which results in longer lasting energy (without the crash), longer lasting fullness and less likely to experience overwhelming physical cravings.

I’ve shared a more in depth post on managing cravings here!

Other Smoothies you Might Like:

Note: to make any of the recipes below into vegan smoothies sub the Greek yogurt for black beans, cannellini beans, tofu or your favorite protein powder!

If you make this smoothie recipe don’t forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @lindsaypleskot.rd so I can see your variations! It makes my day!