Vegan Fudge Smoothie
The vegan fudge smoothie. Fat? Check. Calories? Check. Delicious? Check. You’ll get it all, from organic real-food ingredients, with this way-too-yummy-to-be-vegan smoothie. It’s almost a shame to call it a smoothie. It’s more of a dessert — meant to be enjoyed slowly with a spoon. And shared with those you love (if you are willing to spare any).
After driving past Ecopolitan in Minneapolis one or two (hundred) times, I finally stopped in to try their vegan raw fare. Check out their organic raw-food menu. There’s something for everyone (even the most skeptical). Their smoothies and juices are a can’t miss. I ordered the chilled seaweed soup and pecan fudge smoothie. Admittedly, the soup was not my preference (you might be able to miss that). Their pecan fudge smoothie ($8), was a different story (with a much happier ending), and it inspired my homemade vegan fudge smoothie.

I whipped up this simple recipe with coconut, vanilla, carob, dates and pecans (all included in Ecopolitan’s smoothie). You get full coconut fat (healthy fat for your brain) and calories from pecan and coconut (both ingredients said to lower bad cholesterol*).
Vegan Fudge Smoothie
1 cup canned coconut milk
1/4 cup boxed unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup carob chips (ground)
1/4 cup dates
1/4 cup pecans
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
4 ice cubes
If you want your smoothie to be more drinkable and less like, well, fudge, then swap out the quantities for the canned coconut milk and the boxed coconut milk. You’ll also drop a hefty amount of the fat and calories in the recipe by using 1 cup boxed coconut milk and 1/4 cup canned coconut milk.
The vegan fudge smoothie is incredibly rich. It makes four small servings. Rather than make dessert for four, I greedily froze my leftovers, and made a few additional tasty servings by setting it out to unthaw when I was ready for more!
If you’re in Minneapolis or visiting, try the original (or any of their other famous vegan smoothie) at Ecopolitan.
Ecopolitan
2409 Lyndale Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55405
612-874-7336
See the Ecopolitan site for more information on their mission, ‘uncooking’ classes and directions to their location.

*The information included in this post is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice.