Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Smoothie Bowl
- 10 min prep
- 25 min
- Blend
- Serves 2
- 570 kcal
- 17 g protein
A thick chocolate bowl of frozen banana, soaked oats, cocoa and peanut butter, topped with crushed peanuts and a swirl of more peanut butter. Dessert-adjacent, dairy-free.
Ingredients
- ½ cup (45 g) rolled oats
- ¾ cup (180 ml) unsweetened oat milk, divided
- 1 tbsp (12 g) chia seeds
- 3 medium bananas (330 g peeled), sliced and frozen
- 2 tbsp (12 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp (32 g) unsweetened peanut butter, plus 1 tbsp (16 g) to swirl
- 3 soft dates, pitted (25 g)
- A pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp (18 g) roasted peanuts, roughly crushed
- Sliced fresh banana from ½ banana (50 g), for topping
Method
- 1Stir the rolled oats, chia seeds and ½ cup of the oat milk together in the blender jar. Leave for 15 minutes, or overnight in the fridge.
- 2Add the dates and blend for 20 seconds until the oats and dates form a thick paste.
- 3Add the frozen banana, cocoa, 2 tbsp peanut butter and salt. Blend on low, pressing the fruit down with a spatula, then on high until smooth and thick.
- 4Add the remaining oat milk only a spoon at a time if the blender stalls. Stop when the blend holds soft peaks, like soft-serve.
- 5Divide between two chilled bowls.
- 6Warm 1 tbsp peanut butter for 10 seconds so it runs, and drizzle it over each bowl. Top with banana slices and crushed peanuts and eat at once.
Notes from the Department
- Use bananas with brown spots before freezing; they carry the sweetness.
- Freeze the banana in slices on a plate first, then bag them, so they do not freeze into one block.
- Dutch-processed cocoa gives a darker, smoother chocolate flavour than natural cocoa.
Nutrition per serving
- Energy
- 570 kcal
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbohydrate
- 86 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 15 g
- Sugars
- 37 g
Why this works
Frozen banana is the base of almost every thick smoothie bowl because it blends into something close to soft-serve. Cocoa and peanut butter take it straight into chocolate-dessert territory, and soaked oats with chia turn that dessert into a breakfast that lasts. Soaking matters: the oats and chia seeds absorb the milk and blend into the base without any graininess.
There is no sugar in this bowl. Ripe bananas and three dates give enough sweetness, and a pinch of salt makes the cocoa and peanut flavours stronger, so you do not miss the sugar. Unsweetened peanut butter keeps it that way; many supermarket jars carry added sugar, so check the label.
Swaps
Almond butter or a spoon of tahini can stand in for peanut butter. Any milk works: toned dairy milk, almond or soy. Add 1 tsp instant coffee to the blend for a mocha bowl. For extra crunch on top, use toasted rolled oats or cacao nibs. Choose certified gluten-free oats and oat milk if gluten is a concern.
Make-ahead
Soak the oats and chia in the blender jar overnight and keep sliced bananas in the freezer. In the morning it is a two-minute blend. Once blended, eat it straight away; it melts and loses its thickness within 15 minutes. The Department of Bananas recommends always having a bag in the freezer.
Questions people ask
- How do I make a chocolate smoothie bowl without sugar?
- Use very ripe frozen bananas and a few soft dates for sweetness, unsweetened cocoa and unsweetened peanut butter. A pinch of salt helps the chocolate flavour come through.
- Do the oats need to be soaked?
- It is best. Soaking for 15 minutes or overnight lets the oats blend smooth. Unsoaked oats can leave a gritty texture in a thick bowl.
- My smoothie bowl is too runny. How do I fix it?
- Add more frozen banana and blend again. Next time use less milk and stop to scrape down the jar rather than pouring in liquid.
- Can I make it without banana?
- Use 1½ cups of frozen mango or frozen chikoo instead, with 2 extra dates. The bowl will be less chocolate-forward but still thick.
Inspired by Running with Spoons. Method, notes and photograph by the Ministry of Oats.
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