Beverages

Recipes, Smoothies

Almond Butter and Banana Protein Smoothie

This Almond Butter and Banana Protein Smoothie is healthy, paleo and gluten-free.

This Almond Butter and Banana Protein Smoothie is healthy, paleo and gluten-free.

Note: This post contains affiliate links for Amazon.

So, my Almond Butter and Banana Protein Smoothie is crazy easy, healthy, vegan, and gluten-free. It pretty much has it all. I always have these ingredients on hand for a smoothie. It’s quick, easy, and nutritious. Plus, it’s the foundation for most of my smoothie variations such as my Gingerbread Protein Smoothie, my Blueberry Pineapple Protein Smoothie, and my Apple Cinnamon Protein Smoothie.

To make this smoothie, I use unsweetened almond milk, although coconut milk (from a carton) is great, too. Frozen bananas really add the sweetness, so I don’t add extra sweetener. You could add in a few pitted dates, or a dollop of maple syrup, if you prefer it a little more sweet. Totally up to you.

This Almond Butter and Banana Protein Smoothie is healthy, paleo and gluten-free.

Along with frozen bananas, another staple I keep on hand for my smoothies is almond butter. I love the kind that you grind yourself in the stores. I always pick up a large carton at Whole Foods, The Fresh Market, or my local organic food store. As a back up, I keep a jar of Barney Butter Bare Smooth Almond Butter in my pantry, just in case!

You may also enjoy this Fruit Smoothies Digital Recipe Card Bundle. Beautiful and colorful fruit smoothie recipes are available as digital downloads, sized in 4 x 6, for easy printing on your end. Five recipes are included in this downloadable PDF bundle. Each recipe is contained on one page. Learn more here.

One of my go-to protein powders is JJ Virgin’s Plant-Based All-In-One Protein Powder in vanilla. I love it! It’s gluten-free, paleo, and has no refined sugar or artificial junk in it.  I’ve used it for years and I’m never without this stuff. Check it out:

My other go-to for delicious smoothies is a high-powered blender which will be able to handle frozen and large chunks more elegantly than a blender with less sturdy blades.

Since I make smoothies daily, I keep an abundance of frozen fruits in my freezer. For fresh fruits that are in season and that I want to freeze, or like bananas that I peel and break in half, I use these silicone reusable ziplock bags. Money-saver and eco-friendly!

This Almond Butter and Banana Protein Smoothie is healthy, paleo and gluten-free.

I hope you add this healthy almond butter and banana protein smoothie to your rotation!

YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY:
Cherry Vanilla Protein Smoothie
Peaches and Cream Protein Smoothie
Blueberry Pineapple Protein Smoothie

If you like these recipes, consider joining the Zesty Recipes Facebook Group. We’d love to have you!

Facebook Group Zesty Recipes

Note: This post contains affiliate links for Amazon.


Almond Butter And Banana Protein Smoothie
 
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Almond Butter And Banana Protein Smoothie
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Serves: 1 serving
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups unsweetend almond milk (or coconut milk from a carton)
  • 1 whole large frozen organic banana (or more for additional thickness)
  • 2 scoops vanilla protein powder (or what your favorite protein brand recommends for 1 serving)
  • 1½ Tablespoons unsalted, unsweetened almond butter
  • Optional: 1-2 pitted dates for additional sweetness
  • Optional: dash of ground cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Note: This smoothie yields the best consistency if blended in stages.

  2. In a high-powdered blender, add almond milk, protein powder, and blend until combined.

  3. Add in almond butter frozen banana and blend well.{br]
  4. Pour into glass and enjoy!

DON’T FORGET TO PIN AND SHARE!

This Almond Butter and Banana Protein Smoothie is healthy, paleo and gluten-free.

This Almond Butter and Banana Protein Smoothie is healthy, paleo and gluten-free.

This Almond Butter and Banana Protein Smoothie is healthy, paleo and gluten-free.

This Almond Butter and Banana Protein Smoothie is healthy, paleo and gluten-free.

 

 

 

 

Apple Cinnamon Protein Smoothie
Apple Cinnamon Protein Smoothie
1 Comment
Beverages, Recipes

Easy Homemade Apple Ginger Cider Recipe

This Easy Homemade Apple Ginger Cider Recipe with no added sugar will fill your home with aromas of the season: apple, orange, ginger, cinnamon and cloves, while it simmers in your crock pot.

Apple Ginger Cider

This easy and delicious homemade apple ginger holiday cider recipe takes only 5 minutes (or less!) to prep and can cook in 3-4 hours or 6-8 hours in your crock pot / slow cooker, depending on your heat preference of low or high. And best of all – there is no refined sugar added. Honestly, I believe you don’t need to add sugar because apples are naturally sweet and when added with the orange and cooked slowly, they release their own sugars which makes this cider deliciously sweet, as is.


Apple Ginger Cider

When the cider has cooked, simply grab a clean large pot and strain it through a fine mesh strainer, like this one:

and serve it hot or pour it into a gallon jug or pretty pitcher and refrigerate it for up to a week.


If you like these recipes, consider joining the Zesty Recipes Facebook Group. We’d love to have you!

Facebook Group Zesty Recipes

Easy Homemade Apple Ginger Cider Recipe
 
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Easy Homemade Apple Ginger Cider Recipe
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Serves: 1 Gallon
Ingredients
  • 10 fresh organic apples, any variety
  • 1 large organic orange
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 3-4 slices of fresh ginger
  • ¼ tsp. of ground nutmeg
  • ½ tsp. ground cloves
  • 1 gallon of filtered water
Instructions
  1. Wash the apples and orange really well and cut them into quarters. No need to remove the seeds and peels because this will all get strained out later. Add the fruit to the slow cooker along with the cinnamon sticks, ginger slices, ground nutmeg and cloves.


  2. Pour filtered water into the crock pot. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.


  3. An hour before the cider is done cooking, use a potato masher to mash the fruit. Cook for another hour.



  4. Strain the cider through a fine-mesh strainer (or cheesecloth) into a clean pot. Serve hot or let it cool and refrigerate it for up to 1 week.

DON’T FORGET TO PIN AND SHARE!

This Easy Homemade Apple Ginger Cider Recipe with no added sugar will fill your home with aromas of the season: apple, orange, ginger, cinnamon and cloves, while it simmers in your crock pot.

This Easy Homemade Apple Ginger Cider Recipe with no added sugar will fill your home with aromas of the season: apple, orange, ginger, cinnamon and cloves, while it simmers in your crock pot.

This Easy Homemade Apple Ginger Cider Recipe with no added sugar will fill your home with aromas of the season: apple, orange, ginger, cinnamon and cloves, while it simmers in your crock pot.

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Beverages, Recipes, Smoothies

Healthy Gingerbread Protein Smoothie

Classic holiday spices enhance and flavor this Healthy Gingerbread Protein Smoothie.

Healthy Gingerbread Protein Smoothie

Note: This post contains affiliate links for Amazon.

Ah! The warm and spicy flavors of gingerbread are a holiday favorite.  Whether you like yours in cookie form, bread, or brownies and bars, give this healthy gingerbread smoothie a try this season. It’s so easy to make.

I use unsweetened almond milk, although coconut milk (from a carton) will work, too. The secret ingredient that really kicks it over the top for that classic gingerbread flavor is molasses. You’ll need just a little, so don’t panic! Molasses is fairly strong in flavor, so a little goes a long way. I also like to use fresh ginger if I have it on hand, but ground ginger will do the trick, too. Ground cinnamon and cloves round out the spices that you’ll need.

Healthy Gingerbread Protein Smoothie

You may also enjoy this Fruit Smoothies Digital Recipe Card Bundle. Beautiful and colorful fruit smoothie recipes are available as digital downloads, sized in 4 x 6, for easy printing on your end. Five recipes are included in this downloadable PDF bundle. Each recipe is contained on one page. Learn more here.

There’s rarely a smoothie that I make that doesn’t have frozen banana in it. I always have frozen bananas in my freezer. You just peel the bananas, break them into bite size chunks (makes it easier on the blender!) and throw them in a ziplock bag and put it in the freezer. I typically have two or three bags in my freezer at a time since I make several smoothies during the day.  You’ll also need almond butter. This is another staple that usually ends up in my smoothies.

Since I make smoothies daily, I keep an abundance of frozen fruits in my freezer. For fresh fruits that are in season and that I want to freeze, or like bananas that I peel and break in half, I use these silicone reusable ziplock bags. Money-saver and eco-friendly!

I use my favorite high-powered blender to blend this smoothie in stages. A high-powered blender works best because those frozen fruits need to be pulverized, otherwise, it’s not a “smoothie,” it’s a “chunky,” and no one wants that!

Healthy Gingerbread Protein Smoothie

Add this yummy and healthy gingerbread protein smoothie to your morning rotation this holiday season. I actually make it throughout the year so it feels like Christmas even in July!

If you love the zing of ginger, you might be a fan of Moscow Mules. Check out these Holiday Moscow Mule recipe cards for season cocktails that include ginger beer. Beautiful and colorful holiday mule cocktail recipes are available as digital downloads, sized in 4 x 6, for easy printing on your end. Five recipes are included in this downloadable PDF bundle. Each recipe is contained on one page. Learn more here.

YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY:
Gift Guide for the Smoothie Lover
Cherry Vanilla Protein Smoothie
Peaches and Cream Protein Smoothie
Blueberry Pineapple Protein Smoothie

If you like these recipes, consider joining the Zesty Recipes Facebook Group. We’d love to have you!

Facebook Group Zesty Recipes

Healthy Gingerbread Protein Smoothie
 
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Prep time
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Healthy Gingerbread Protein Smoothie
Author:
Serves: 1 serving
Ingredients
  • 1 cup unsweetend almond milk
  • 1 whole frozen organic banana
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • ¼ tsp organic ground cinnamon, or to taste*
  • ¼ tsp organic ground cloves, or to taste*
  • ⅓ tsp fresh ginger OR ⅓ tsp organic ground ginger, to taste*
  • 1 Tablespoon blackstrap molasses
  • 1 Tablespoon almond butter
  • *Ground spices can be adjusted according to your taste preference.
Instructions
  1. Note: This smoothie yields the best consistency if blended in stages.

  2. In a high-powdered blender, add almond milk, protein powder, ground spices and blend until combined.

  3. Add in almond butter and molasses and blend well.

  4. Add in frozen banana chunks and blend well.

  5. Pour into glass, garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon and enjoy!

DON’T FORGET TO PIN AND SHARE!

Classic holiday spices enhance and flavor this Healthy Gingerbread Protein Smoothie.

Healthy Gingerbread Protein Smoothie

Classic holiday spices enhance and flavor this Healthy Gingerbread Protein Smoothie.

Classic holiday spices enhance and flavor this Healthy Gingerbread Protein Smoothie.

Classic holiday spices enhance and flavor this Healthy Gingerbread Protein Smoothie.

Classic holiday spices enhance and flavor this Healthy Gingerbread Protein Smoothie.

Classic holiday spices enhance and flavor this Healthy Gingerbread Protein Smoothie.

Classic holiday spices enhance and flavor this Healthy Gingerbread Protein Smoothie.

 

Classic holiday spices enhance and flavor this Healthy Gingerbread Protein Smoothie.

Apple Cinnamon Protein Smoothie
Apple Cinnamon Protein Smoothie
8 Comments