Macadamia Coffee Green Smoothie

… An Energy Smoothie to Keep Me Going All Morning!

I can’t get enough of this smoothie. I gave up coffee during the holiday season 2013 and missed my morning coffee very much – at least until I created this smoothie recipe. It has that same strong, rich, deep coffee flavor (which can be adjusted to your liking) while it is much more filling than a standard cup o’ joe, and takes the place of breakfast for me. I don’t feel guilty about this in the least since this green smoothie is loaded with abundant vitamins for energy, fiber, and plenty of protein. It is also low sugar allowing me to get my day started and keep going strong all morning long without hunger or droops until lunchtime.

While this gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan coffee smoothie is green in color, it surprisingly – and pleasantly – doesn’t have a “green” flavor. It tastes simply like a coffee smoothie or ice cream shake. There’s no pronounced nutty flavor from the macadamia nuts, they simply add a rich creaminess to the texture. Since it is only sweetened with two dates (I like the medjool dates because they’re often sweeter and softer, but any will work fine), it is low-sugar as well. I like the fact that I can enjoy a full-flavored, frosty drink without being hit over the head with sweetness. I always thought the coffee drinks from places like Starbucks or Caribou were very yummy and drank them often, but I regularly asked them to dial back the sweetness quotient – and the drinks were still plenty indulgent. Of course, you can play with the amount of sweetness that goes into this smoothie as well, but at least you’re in control, right?

You can also adjust just about any ingredient in this recipe, except for the almond milk, non-dairy milk ice cubes, and coffee without changing the consistency or flavor. I’ve made it with and without the chia and flax seeds, with and without the kale and spinach, and there’s really no difference, except perhaps the green color in regards to the latter. So I like including all of these items to really boost the nutrition level of my new, healthy morning indulgence.

And one last “perk” to this recipe (sorry, I just couldn’t resist), it blends up in less than five minutes. Simply dump all of the ingredients into your high-powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy. It’s faster than brewing a cup of coffee. Well, maybe not with the new-fangled K-cups, but a standard cup.

I hope you’ll give it a try, play with the combinations of ingredients to suit your tastes, and let me know what you think.

Cheers to our health!

Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Soy-free Macadamia Coffee Green Smoothie

Prep time: 5 minutes

Blending time: 2 minutes

Makes: about 2 10-ounce smoothies

Ingredients:

1 cup organic baby spinach leaves

1 cup kale, spines removed

¾ cup unsweetened original or vanilla almond milk – I like Blue Diamond Almond Breeze

5-6 non-dairy milk ice cubes or regular ice cubes

¼ cup raw macadamia nuts

2 Tablespoons shredded coconut

1 Tablespoon chia seeds

1 Tablespoon flax seeds

2 dates, pitted

2-3 teaspoons decaf granulated instant coffee – Folger’s is gluten-free

Directions:

Place all ingredients into a high-speed blender and mix on low for 20-30 seconds, then increase to highest power and blend until smooth and creamy. Adjust with a little more almond milk, or adding an extra ice cube or two, to achieve desired consistency if necessary.

A very close approximation of calories for the entire batch of smoothie is 655 calories. A half portion of this smoothie is plenty for one person. (I like to enjoy all of it because it is often my breakfast and lunch – oh, yeah!)

 Safe food is a journey … Thrive!™

Other recipes you might enjoy:

Cashew Butter Banana Date Smoothie

It’s the BOM Smoothie

Mocha Almond Shake