When I made this beautiful concoction I thought to myself, holy sh*t, this tastes like a real chocolate milkshake!

Here’s the deal: This “milkshake” is… VEGAN. If you’re someone who cringes at the word or thinks vegan food — that is, foods that don’t contain dairy, eggs, or other animal by-products — is for the birds, think again. Innovation and creativity in the 21st century has made vegan food plentiful, delicious and, in some cases, indecipherable from non-vegan food.

Still don’t like the word “vegan?” I get it. For some it can be loaded with negative connotations and visuals of judgemental activists handing out colorful pamphlets full of sad animals next to easy recipes.

So let’s call this a “plant-based chocolate shake,” shall we?

If you’ve ever toyed with the idea of having a more plant-based diet, either for your health or for the health of “food animals,” consider this your gateway shake to plant-based deliciousness.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup non-dairy “milk” (I like Silk vanilla unsweet)
  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1 TBSP of cacao powder (cocoa powder works too)
  • 1TSP vanilla extract
  • 1 TSP maple syrup (optional)

Instructions: Add the liquid first, then pour the rest of the ingredients into your blender (high-powered blenders work best). Blend and enjoy!