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I have been/am still of the persuasion that a healthy fruit smoothie does not require sugar, or artificial sweeteners that are not plant-based.
Smoothies simply require good fruit (or vegetables) and a plant derived sweetener, if desired.
With that being said, adding yogurt to smoothies has become a bit of a craze lately. It is said that the smoothie tends to be more whipped and creamy in texture when yogurt is added (there is also the probiotic factor – but I don’t look to yogurt for that, I take a good quality probiotic).
Anyway, so I listened, understood, and thought “I needed to make a vegan creamy smoothie”.
I then went back to the first smoothie that I ever put on this website – the Strawberry Banana Fusion (fancy name huh? I thought you’d like that!)
And I reworked it to be smooth, and to have that “whipped” texture that dairy yogurt smoothies typically have – without the yogurt (although I know there are soy and coconut yogurts out there)…I wanted lower calories and the same results without paying the $1 or $2 for a small vegan yogurt to add to the smoothie.
I made an ice cream recipe too of this same idea… I will share that next.
For now, find pleasure in this strawberry banana cream smoothie. Sweetened with none other than the Middle Eastern (now American health enthusiast’s) favorite -medjool dates :)
Ingredients:
2 frozen ripe bananas
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries (it’s just not the same with frozen strawberries to me)
2 medjool dates, pitted and diced
2 to 4 tbsp plain coconut milk (depends on smoothie thickness desired)
1/2 tsp lemon juice
Directions:
In a high powered blender (I use Blendtec), add all ingredients, top to bottom, and blend until smooth.
If you do not have a high powered blender, add all of the ingredients, bottom to top and blend until smooth. You may have to blend a little longer for smooth consistent results, yet it will have the exact same creaminess.
