Red Velvet Swirl Protein Smoothie

It’s Monday once again, Meatless Monday! With Valentine’s Day being this coming weekend this weeks recipes all have one thing in common, they all include chocolate or cacao! If there was one food that screams love and Valentine’s it has to be chocolate. With many people watching the Super Bowl last night and indulging in lots of game day eats I thought I would start the week off with a delicious nutritious protein smoothie! One that has not only chocolate but also beets, they always make my heart skip a beat, and raspberries! Yep a Red Velvet Swirl Protein Smoothie!

My oldest daughter is a huge red velvet lover, and that might be an understatement. A says she is “red velvet crazy!” oh and you have to say that with that attitude and eye roll too! If we ever come across red velvet she gets it, Oreos, cookies, cakes, chocolates, candies, gum, ice cream, Frappuccinos, the list goes on. As you may notice most aren’t the healthiest but balance and moderation and it is her one craving love for sure. There are the good, the bad, and the ones she says this doesn’t taste like red velvet. When taking road trips we stop at bakeries and she gets a red velvet cupcake and she was rating them in a book. For the longest time a vegan bakery in Chicago was at the top of her list but we found out one of the last times we were there they are no longer in business. She has tried them in Wisconsin, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York, Tennessee, Georgia, Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota, and we couldn’t find a place in DC that was open but she had red velvet pancakes! It’s a real bummer when we go through a state on a Monday or Tuesday and the bakeries on the list are closed.

When thinking about smoothies for Valentine’s Day so I could whip up one for the girls and maybe some pancakes, before I realized that it falls on a Sunday this year, red velvet was one of the first thing that came to mind. I quickly discarded it because I’ve made red velvet smoothies before and assumed I had already posted one, when I realized I hadn’t I knew I had to change that!

Unlike many of my daughter’s favorite red velvet treats this smoothie is packed with protein and nutrition, is naturally colored, and is a healthy delicious treat! Even with the cream cheese flavored coconut whip for fun and to balance it out because everyone knows red velvet cake has to have cream cheese frosting! Not feeling it you can leave it out, I do some days since I love chocolate beet smoothies and adding in the raspberries makes it a little sweeter but not too sweet. It’s been on repeat with my raspberry chocolate muesli bowls a lot lately, but hey there’s nothing wrong with that their both delicious, nutritious, and helping keep my sweet tooth at bay… well or balanced with my other chocolate treats I’ve been and will be enjoying! Like my mom always said it’s about balance, a chocolate in both hands one for each hip. Haha!

Red Velvet Swirl Protein Smoothie
Makes 1 serving
1 scoop chocolate protein (used Vega Performance Protein, Chocolate)
1-2 TBSP cacao powder, optional (used Navitas Naturals Cacao Powder)
1c non dairy milk of choice (used So Delicious Unsweetened Vanilla Coconut Milk)
1 small to medium cooked beet, peeled and cooled
1/2c frozen raspberries
1/2c coconut whipped cream (used So Delicious Coco Whip)
cream cheese flavoring to taste, depends on strength using LoAnn Oils you need 1-2 drops

Add cream cheese flavoring to the coconut whipped cream. If you want to swirl it in place it in a zip loc bag, clip the corner, and swirl it on the inside of the glass. Place the glass in the freezer while making your shake. In a Vitamix, or high-speed blender, blend together milk, beets, protein, optional cacao, and raspberries. Pour into prepared glass and swirl remaining whipped cream on top if desired. Enjoy!
There's a lot to love in this Red Velvet Swirl Protein Smoothie! @VegaTeam @So_Delicious #SweatPink #vegan #MeatlessMonday Share on X

Looking for more Meatless Monday inspiration? Look no further! Link up with Deborah and I for Meatless Monday and see what others are posting! I’m also linking up with The Fit Foodie Mama Annmarie to spread even more veggie love!

While I do receive some Vega products from time to time, which I listed as an option in this recipe, I do purchase much of it on my own. It has been my plant-based protein of choice since before I started blogging. Even though most Vega products used are purchased by myself I do add this disclaimer. I do not make any money off any Vega sales or posts. I only write about foods I love, my blog is an extension of my hobby to make fun healthy food creations for me and my family.