Chaco Canyon Café has been our go-to spot for eating out this summer. They’ve got wonderful raw options and some really great cooked food and sandwiches. They also have an extensive juice and smoothie bar menu. One of our favorite smoothies at Chaco is their ‘Chaco Maca’ smoothie. We like them so much, we’ve been recreating them at home. I’ve edited out a few ingredients that I think are extraneous (like salt and agave). The flavors of raw cacao, banana, maca and hemp milk are delicious – like a chocolate banana milk shake. Maca is a root native to the Andean region that helps to regulate the endocrine system, relieve stress, and boost energy. Cacao contains antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and adds that wonderful chocolate flavor.
The Recipe
Makes one 16-oz smoothie
3/4 cup water
2 Tbls hemp seeds
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 bananas, cut in chunks and frozen
1 heaping tsp maca powder
1 heaping tsp raw cacao (or unsweetened cocoa)
Combine water, hemp seeds and vanilla in the blender. Blend until frothy and cream (about 2 minutes). Add the remaining ingredients and blend. Pour into a nice tall glass and enjoy immediately.
Follow
oooh lala! I just got some maca powder on a whim to try it out. Can you use just regular coco powder or would that be weird.
You can TOTALLY just use regular cocoa powder. As far as I can tell, it’s pretty close to exactly the same — maybe the processing is just different?! In any case, raw cacao tastes like unsweetened cocoa powder to me. Let me know how you like it if you try it out! 🙂
oh yes, once I’m reunited with the blender I most certainly will.
This looks so good. I love Chaco Canyon. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Holly! 🙂
That looks so wonderfully thick and smooth and amazing! Gorgeous. Where did you get that straw by the way? I’m in the market for reusable straws 🙂
luminousvegans — I picked up these straws as a two-pack at our local co-op, and I also bought a brush by the same brand for cleaning them. So far I love them, though these are the only ones I’ve tried. I like the idea of glass, but I tend to be clumsy, so I thought stainless was way more practical for me. These are the U-Konserve brand and here’s a link to their page with the straws and the cleaning brush. http://store.kidskonserve.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=33 My biggest concern was that they would taste metallic, but they don’t! 🙂
I blended one of these up last night and sipped it while I strolled through the park. It surely tasted like a treat! Thank you for another wonderful recipe. I’ll see if I can find one of those delightful straws.
Elizabeth — thanks for letting me know you tried it and liked it. Always great to hear back on the recipes!