Red Velvet Smoothie

It’s hard to avoid the sudden profusion of red velvet cakes, red velvet cupcakes, red velvet sponge cakes… red velvet desserts are everywhere. They are prominently displayed in pretty glass cases at just about every coffee shop. I even saw a red velvet donut the other day (gasp!). Even though “red velvet” is just chocolate cake with an abundance of red food coloring, it somehow seems more delicious, and is more irresistible. Maybe it’s the cream cheese frosting.

Bur resist we will! Rather than abandon our healthy diet for a few sugary bites of cake, we are whipping up this gorgeous Red Velvet Smoothie instead. This healthy version of that ubiquitous crimson cake features some of the very same ingredients originally used to make this yummy treat so delicious. And they might surprise you! This Chocolate Shakeology smoothie recipe gets its gorgeous hue from a cooked beet (we promise you won’t taste it), and a dollop of mascarpone cheese gives it a hint of that cream cheese frosting flavor. You could swap in part-skim ricotta or reduced fat (2%) Greek yogurt if you prefer.

Don’t have Shakeology yet? Get all of the Shakeology flavors here!