Who says healthy can’t be delicious? This Cinnamon Spice Smoothie is both healthy and delicious and could easily be breakfast or dessert. I’d use more ice, frozen banana and less milk for a thicker dessert, but it goes down smooth just as it is.
I gave my husband a taste and didn’t think I’d get it back. He was happy that I didn’t use coconut milk and said, “That’s one of your better ones.” I guess next time, I’ll have to double the recipe for sharing. 😉
The Secret Ingredients…
I used Deglet Noor dates to sweeten this Cinnamon Spice Smoothie both for the taste and because they’re a natural fruit. Dates are a dried fruit that provides vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and folate, as well as fiber, potassium, and magnesium to aid digestion, along with copper, iron and zinc.
I used Deglet Noor dates not just because that’s what I had on hand, but also for flavor. Deglet Noor dates are smaller and lighter in color than the more common Medjool dates. Deglet Noor dates contain significantly less fructose than Medjools. That generally makes Medjools the baker’s choice for use as a sugar substitute. On the other hand, Deglet Noors have a nutty flavor, that is sometimes compared to cashew and browned butter. Yum! That flavor was perfect for this smoothie, but either date would be delicious.
For protein, I used Designs for Health’s Pure PaleoMeal Unflavored. Ancient Nutrition’s Bone Broth Protein Pure would also be a good unflavored option. Alternatively, if you have a vanilla-flavored protein powder, you could use that and eliminate the vanilla extract.
The Magical Machine…
For the milk, I used fresh cashew milk that I made using my Almond Cow machine. My kids gifted me with this for Christmas one year and I absolutely love it! I can make all-natural, fresh cashew, almond, macadamia, coconut, oat, or hemp milk in under 5 minutes with no additives – one ingredient plus water. I prefer the creaminess of cashews and usually have cashew milk in the refrigerator. Macadamia milk is great and more alkalizing, so that’s what I used in my Alkaline Diet Meal Prep cookbook.. If you’re following the Autoimmune protocol (AIP), you can use coconut.
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Cinnamon Spice Smoothie
Equipment
- blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashew milk, (use compliant coconut milk for AIP)
- 1 cup ice cubes
- 1 small banana, fresh or frozen
- 1 scoop Pure PaleoMeal, unflavored (or your favorite protein)
- 3 Deglet Noor dates, or 1 Medjool date, pitted
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, (use mace for AIP)
- 1 pinch Himalayan pink salt, (or sea salt)
Instructions
- Soak the dates in hot water while you gather the other ingredients.
- Put the milk, ice cubes, banana, protein powder, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a blender. Drain the dates and add them to the blender.
- Blend on high for about 2 minutes until the ice and dates are smooth. If using a NutriBullet, pause and shake every 20 seconds or so to keep pressure from building and to help incorporate the protein powder.