Smoothies are the best. They are refreshing and, with enough nut butter, filling. Without hesitation they are my favorite summer snack or meal, especially when I don’t feel like cooking. They are tasty and fun to drink under the hot sun on my patio as the breeze rustles the leaves of my neighbors’ maple tree.
Are smoothies fun to drink in the middle of winter, you might ask? Might I remind you winter is the season where my base body temperature drops and leaves me crouched for months beneath layers of scarves and blankets and wool socks. No. Smoothies are not fun to drink in the winter. But I’m stubborn, so I drink them all year round! In the winter months I pile myself with blankets on the couch, leave one hand and my face exposed, and drink my smoothie. Once I have finished my smoothie and am properly cold, I set the mason jar aside and duck my head beneath the blanket to shiver for a while before I re-emerge and continue about my day.
Despite this convoluted consumption process, I still love smoothies. Below are two of my go-to favorite smoothie recipes.
Protein-Packed, Chocolate Almond Butter Smoothie
Total Cook Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1-2 bananas, frozen
- 1 tbsp hemp seeds
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tsp cacao powder
- 1 date (pitted)
- 8-12 oz almond or oat milk
- Optional: 1 pinch salt
Steps:
- Combine all the ingredients in a blender, starting with the plant-based milk so you can measure it on the side of the blender.
- Blend until smooth and the smoothie starts to splash up on the sides of the blender.
- Pour into a glass or mason jar. (Reusable metal or glass straw optional but fun.)
Green Smoothie
Total Cook Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup fresh spinach, packed
- 1-2 bananas, frozen
- 1 tbsp whole rolled oats
- 1 tbsp ground flax meal
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp peanut butter
- 8-12 oz almond or oat milk
Steps:
- Pour the plant-based milk in the blender. You can always add more liquid at the end if your smoothie is too thick!
- Add the packed 1 cup spinach first so the remaining ingredients weigh it down.
- Add the remaining ingredients in any order.
- Blend until smooth and the smoothie starts to splash up on the sides of the blender. Your smoothie should be a gorgeous, bright green color.
- Pour into a glass or mason jar.
Enjoy!