Dairy Free Mint Chocolate Milkshakes

     Creamy milkshakes that have no milk, can it be too good to be true?  Nope!  Thankfully, I found a milkshake recipe that is not only delicious, but it is better for you than a traditional milkshake.  I was searching online the other day to find some new dairy free recipes and I was very happy to find this gem.

     The site I found it on is Chocolate-Covered Katie, a good blog for healthy deserts.  It is so easy to make but I modified it a little to fit my tastes.  Here is the link to the original post on Katie's blog http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/02/24/raw-mint-chocolate-chip-milkshake/.  I wanted to make it last night but I found out we were out of peppermint extract.  Sadly, I had to wait until today, but it was worth the wait!

Just happened to have one of these glasses
so I could't resist taking a photo :)

• 1 Frozen, under-ripe banana
• A small handful of chocolate chips
• I use Ghiradelli semisweet chocolate chips
• A dribble of pure peppermint extract
• 2/3 cup milk of choice
• I use organic original soy milk or a chocolate peppermint one if I REALLY want some flavor
• 1/8 tsp of coco powder
• Optional green food coloring
• I opted out

     To freeze the banana, I peeled and sliced it, then put it in a bowl in the freezer.  After it was frozen, I transferred it into a sandwich bag until I was ready to make the shake.

     For easier mixing, first put the banana in the blender and blend for a few seconds.  Then add the other ingredients and blend until desired consistency is reached.  If you like larger chocolate chunks like I do, put half the chips in when you first start blending, then add the rest when it is the right consistency and blend for a few more seconds.  Pour into a medium large glass, top with a dairy free whipped topping or chocolate shavings and enjoy!