Smoothies are a big staple in our household. We use our high-powered blender at least once a day, and almost always begin the day with a smoothie. My son has become accustomed to his daily morning smoothie and since the smoothie is often my first food intake of the day, I try to make them as filling and healthy as possible. To help keep the smoothie nice and cold and thick, I cut up bananas or even just halve them and freeze them in a freezer bag beforehand. The date almond energy smoothie is one of our favourites and it can keep my energy levels up for the whole morning, so it’s a perfect breakfast smoothie. We’ve played around with the ingredients for a while to perfect it, so hopefully you like this date almond energy smoothie as much as we do!
Date Almond Energy Smoothie
Ingredients
(serves 2-3 i.e. 2 adults and a child). Cut recipe in half to serve one.
- 1/2 cup Pitted dates (ideally medjool or deglett)
- 2 cups Almond milk or coconut milk (or any milk of your choice)
- 1 Banana – fresh or frozen
- 1-2 tbsp Almond butter (can omit for allergies if necessary)
- 1 tbsp Chia seeds
- 1 tbsp Maple syrup
- 1-2 shakes Cinnamon
- 2-3 ice-cups (I find this especially helpful if you have a really high-powered blender like a Vitamix or Blendtech as it helps keep the smoothie nice and cold once it’s all blended, especially if your banana isn’t frozen)
Optional additions
- 1-2 tbsp Cashews (if you have a high powered blender to break them up)
- 1-2 tbsp Raw cacao for added energy
- 1 tbsp Coconut oil
Method
Place all ingredients into a blender and blend well until nice and smooth. If your dates are on the dry side, soak them beforehand for about 15 minutes or so in warm water, then drain. Enjoy!
*NOTE: I often add cacao and coconut oil and it is delicious!
This would be really great for me now that I’m pregnant… fill me up for the morning, when nothing else is tasting quite right. Thanks for sharing.
What kind of raw cacao do you use?
We love Navitas raw cacao: http://navitasnaturals.com/product/441/Cacao-Powder.html
Or Prana, especially if you like to buy in bulk and use a lot: http://boutiqueprana.com/en/product/organic-raw-cacao-powder/