In my opinion, there is nothing more refreshing than a cold smoothie on a hot summer day. If you know me well, then you know that I really hate bananas. I’m talking an extreme banana aversion (not to be dramatic or anything). The only reason I wish I liked them is because they make smoothies insanely thick and creamy. In fact, it’s pretty hard to achieve an ideal smoothie texture without them.
I have spent YEARS trying to perfect a banana-free, thick smoothie recipe and I think I have finally found the secret ingredient. Greek yogurt! For some reason, greek yogurt mimics the texture of a banana, creating an irresistibly creamy consistency. It’s also a great source of protein first thing in the morning! I recently discovered Forager’s Organic Vanilla Dairy-Free Greek Yogurt which tastes delicious and doesn’t upset my stomach because it is made with coconuts and cashews instead of dairy!
While I tend to stick to frozen blueberries and raspberries, if I happen to have fresh strawberries in my fridge, I use those! I find that out-of-season and frozen strawberries tend to be quite tart, so using fresh ones when available is key! If you find your smoothie is tart, you can add a little bit of honey to sweeten it up.
If you are using chia seeds and/or protein powder, I recommend blending your smoothie well without those ingredients first, then adding them in and mixing until just incorporated. For some reason, I find that over-mixing protein powder gives smoothies a weird, chalky texture. Lastly, I sometimes soak my chia seeds in water for 10 minutes, and then add them to my smoothie for that gel-like texture (some people love it, others hate it!).
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
Ingredients
1/2 cup Frozen Wild Blueberries
1/2 cup Frozen Raspberries
6 Fresh or Frozen Strawberries
1/2 cup Vanilla Greek Yogurt (I use Forager’s Organic Vanilla Dairy-Free Greek Yogurt)
1/2 cup (plus more if needed) Coconut Water
1 teaspoon Chia Seeds
*1 scoop plant-based protein powder
Granola for topping
*optional
Instructions
1) Place the blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, yogurt, and coconut water into a high-speed blender.
2) Blend until smooth, adding more coconut water as needed.
3) Add the chia seeds and protein powder and blend on a low speed until just combined.
4) Pour into a glass (I use a mason jar because I swear, they make everything taste better) and add granola on top.
Enjoy!
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