This delicious espresso chocolate chip smoothie will give you energy, balance your hormones, and make you smile!

When I start out to make a smoothie — which I do many times a week — I almost always stop, close my eyes, breathe deeply, and really notice what kind of flavor combination my mouth wants and what kinds of superfoods and healing ingredients my body needs. Yes, I’m aware that I turn the business of smoothie making into an oddly serious affair, but hey, it works for me. And today, this espresso chocolate chip smoothie is what I wanted and needed.

Every Saturday and Sunday morning, we take our two huge dogs to Central Park for coffee and croissants. We get coffee. The dogs get croissants. We sit by the lake and people watch. It’s awesome. And then we come home and have breakfast. One of the reasons it’s not so hard for us to sit there and watch the dogs eat while we just have coffee, is that we know when we get home we can have a smoothie like this.

Today, we sat on our bench at the lake. The weather was just perfect. There was a slight breeze and the scent of coffee and wet dogs in the air… haha that’s really true. We watched the remote control boats, the hundreds of dogs running around, and we just sat. It’s kind of meditative for us.

Then we walked back home. Now, I’m really ready for something good.

For me, some types of smoothies seem to work best for breakfast.

And, some are more for an afternoon pick-me-up.

And some work anytime.

This espresso chocolate chip smoothie is more of a breakfast smoothie for me, but I did serve it to Steve in the afternoon and that was perfect for him… so, this is an anytime smoothie.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that you don’t have to actually brew coffee for it. I’ve made smoothies with coffee before, and I brew hot coffee, then either stick it in the freezer so it will cool or add ice and hope it doesn’t get too watered down. It works, and I’ve never really minded the process…

But now, I’ve found espresso coconut water (see recipe below for details) that actually tastes like coffee, so all I have to do is use the espresso coconut water as a base. Easy-peasy.

And, if you’re in the mood for a fruity smoothie treat, try my recipe for Pink Pitaya Mango Smoothie Bowl.

I’m on a big customized-recipe-creation kick right now… let me customize a smoothie recipe for you that will work for whatever’s going on in your body now… I’m such a geek that I really do get excited about doing this. So CLICK HERE to be taken directly into my calendar to sign up for your free phone consultation.

Here are some of the awesome healing ingredients in this espresso chocolate chip smoothie recipe:

In Chinese medicine, we use coconut to strengthen the body, reduce swelling, and stop bleeding. Coconut kills viruses, bacteria, and parasites. It’s good for all types of infections and viruses in the body, including the flu, bronchitis, tapeworms, urinary tract infections, and herpes. And perhaps most importantly, it helps you keep your mind sharp and it makes it easier for you to focus. I used espresso coconut water for this recipe, and I added coconut butter.

I use cauliflower for breads, crusts, rice… everything. One of my favorite uses is in smoothies — when used frozen, it’s a great thickening agent that really has no taste, so it’s a perfect base for whatever you are adding into your smoothies. Cauliflower can be used in so many forms… and, it’s really good for you. In Chinese medicine we use it to aid in digestion and help with constipation. One of the things I find most amazing about this cruciferous vegetable is it’s ability to help with age-related memory loss (my menopausal friends will appreciate this benefit!), and weight loss. It contains a healthy amount of Vitamin B, Vitamin K and Omega-3 fatty acids and can help fight cancer and cardiovascular disease. Cauliflower also helps the body with detoxification and with reducing inflammation.

Raw cacao is a superfood. It is packed with magnesium, iron, zinc and other minerals. Not only is it packed with health benefits, but it actually has properties that help the body absorb nutrients better and it’s filled with antioxidants. Cacao can actually be translated as “food of the gods”… Raw cacao can help lower blood pressure, promote healthy heart function, improve digestion, and may even help increase the libido. This recipe makes use of raw cacao powder and raw cacao nibs.

Sunflower seeds help lower blood pressure and can relieve headaches and dizziness. In Eastern medicine we recommend eating sunflower seeds if a person is troubled by certain severe intestinal symptoms like dysentery, or intestinal worms or certain parasites. These seeds also contain calcium and magnesium and have anti-aging properties. In Chinese medicine they are often prescribed to get rid of rashes. I use sunflower seed butter in this recipe.

Maca Root is one of the superfoods I take every day. It has many healthy benefits including increasing libido, helping menopausal symptoms, relieving menstrual cramps, regulating hormones, and increasing energy.

Dates are rich in potassium, dietary fiber and tannins. Fiber is good for your gut and tannins help the body fight inflammation and infection. Dates are also rich in vitamin A and iron. The most amazing thing about dates is that they can be used to replace sugar in almost anything. I stopped using sweetened protein powders in my smoothies and now I use unsweetened ones but I add a few dates.

If you make this Espresso Chocolate Chip Smoothie, please be sure to let me know in the comments below. I love hearing how you like a recipe, and I love to answer your questions! If you make it, be sure to take a photo and tag me and post it on Instagram.