You may have noticed that almost all of my smoothie recipes start with a banana. Bananas aren’t my go-to fruit if I’m just wanting a snack, but pureed frozen banana gives smoothies an almost ice-cream like taste. They are so much smoother and creamier than most other fruits. However, a few days ago I picked up a bag of frozen cherries and thought I’d branch out a little =). Cherries don’t puree up quite as smooth as bananas (more like blueberries or strawberries), but the combination of cherries, almond, and vanilla was delicious (and such a pretty color!). The almond butter adds some much needed protein to help keep you full until lunch. If you can’t find almond butter (and you have a powerful blender), you could use a few roasted almonds instead. Enjoy!
Cherry Almond Vanilla Bean Smoothie
1 cup dark sweet cherries, frozen
1/3 cup ice (or less depending on how thick you like your smoothies)
1/3 cup skim milk
1 tbsp almond butter
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
Combine all ingredients in blender and puree until smooth. Serves 1.
Nutritional info: 213 calories; 8.1 g fat; 29.1 g carbohydrates; 5.0 g fiber; 7.2 g protein.
