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Banana-Free Smoothie Cubes

January 17, 2018 · Natalie 29 Comments

The key to SUPER creamy smoothies without banana—power-packed smoothie cubes with veggies, fats, and protein that you can prep ahead for easy blending!

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY VITAMIX VIA THEFEEDFEED.

You know those moments when an idea so clever and obvious hits you and makes you wonder why years ago you didn’t think of it? This is one of those moments.

Easy. Practical. Versatile. Nutritious. Customizable. Just checking all of the NEED IN YOUR LIFE boxes. Not saying I can predict the future, but if I could I would tell you that these cubes are destined to be a freezer staple very soon.

The key to making smoothies without banana, and a peek at some fun new blender things from Vitamix this way…

In case you are confused—since when does smoothie making involve avocados and ice cube trays? Let me explain.

You know how frozen bananas are the easy way to make thick and creamy and sweet smoothies. And how 95% of smoothies use them. And how you can make almost ice cream with them because they do their job so well. And how sometimes you are out and have to have oatmeal for breakfast instead. And how easy it is to consume 4-5 bananas in the form of a creamy bowl but that maybe doesn’t always make you feel so good. You are nodding right now, yes?

Well I created a frozen banana substitute with less (or zero) fruit from a variety of good for ya stuff that will still make your smoothies taste like melty soft-serve. A faux frozen banana you could say. Bonus: no ripening required.

I wanted this to be more of an inspirational guideline recipe than a hard-and-fast rules recipe. Which is to say, there are LOTS of options:

Cauliflower or zucchini. You need one or the other, but you can use both. Cauliflower makes for a frostier texture, zucchini is creamier. Cauliflower should be cooked (or buy it already cooked/frozen), zucchini can be raw (but peeled for color purposes).

Avocado or sweet potato. Avocado—higher fat, sooooo creamy, no cooking, not very sweet. Sweet potato—lower fat, naturally sweet, gotta cook it, may turn every smoothie you make with these cubes a hideous shade of brownish-orange. So there’s your pro/con list.

Hemp or chia or flax seeds. Or all three of these super little seeds.

Dates or unsweetened. Add the dates for one-stop creamy AND sweet smoothie cubes. Or skip the dates for heavy on veg, light on sugar smoothie cubes to use for creaminess in smoothies with other fruits. Or use honey or maple syrup for sweet but fruit-free smoothie cubes. Up to you.

Milk. From-a-carton coconut milk is what I used, but any kind of milk will work. Or you could use coconut water, but they may be more icy.

Protein powder or collagen. Only if you want to. This is the simple and yummy vegan protein powder I use. And collagen peptides are much cheaper on Thrive Market (honestly the main reason I joined), so if you’re going that route check them out.

Extra boosts! Now this is where things get fun and highly customizable. Consider good stuff like: maca powder, turmeric, greens powder, ginger, vanilla bean, etc. Anything to bump up the flavor and/or effortlessly sneak in the healthy stuff.

Or if you hate decisions, disregard all of the above, just keep scrolling, and I’ll tell you exactly what I did.

Can we talk about the shiny red elephant in the ~~room~~ post for a sec? That is the new Venturist V1200 from Vitamix and obviously I am obsessed with it because I mean just look at it. It’s swanky and elegant and not just beautiful to look at but beautiful to use too.

A few things I love about this model in particular:

It’s smart but simple. It still has the digital timer and Self Detect technology and variable speeds and pulse feature, but the controls are simple just like the original models.
Smaller cups. Ya’ll, this is huge. In addition to the standard 64oz container, there is a 20oz single-serving sized smoothie cup and an even smaller 8oz cup (that I am completely smitten with). Oh, and they’re dishwasher safe!
Lighter weight. Sounds like nbd, but with the acrobatics I do while shooting videos I appreciate that.
It can do it all—batters, smoothies, nut milks, flours, ice creams, nut butters, etc.

I’ve been told I don’t post enough recipes that don’t use the blender, to which I say once you know the magic of working with a Vitamix you won’t ever want to cook/bake anything without it again either.

The smoothie cube making process is as simple as blend > freeze overnight > store in the freezer for any and all smoothie making occasions. No ice cube tray? A mini muffin pan makes for a fine stand-in.

They will last in the freezer for quite a while, so feel free to double or triple the batch, fill up that freezer, and feel like a meal-preppin queen. One batch will make 4-6 (INSANELY CREAMY) smoothies depending on how much other fruit you add. I’m telling ya, the texture is next level luxurious. And they don’t melt as fast or turn brown like banana smoothies either.

Bananas—who needs em? Wait…actually we do for banana bread. Nevermind bananas, I love you.

But for blending not baking, THESE CUBES. Your new smoothie secret weapon.

Banana-Free Smoothie Cubes

★★★★★ 5 from 1 review

Yield: 36 cubes 1x
Category: smoothies
Method: blender
Cuisine: american

Print Recipe

Description

The key to SUPER creamy smoothies without banana—power-packed smoothie cubes with veggies, fats, protein that you can prep ahead for easy blending!

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup (100g) cooked cauliflower
1 zucchini (150g) (peeled and chopped)
1/2 (80g) an avocado
4–5 (75g) pitted medjool dates ((optional)*)
1/4 cup (50g) chia seeds
1/4 cup (40g) hemp seeds
2 cups non-dairy milk
Optional: 2 scoops protein powder or collagen peptides (**)
Optional: 1 tbsp maca powder

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Add everything to a high speed blender.
Blend until smooth.
Fill an ice cube tray and/or muffin pan. Makes approximately 3 dozen cubes.
Freeze overnight.
Pop out the cubes and transfer in a ziplock bag or airtight bag in the freezer. They will last at least a month frozen, maybe longer but I haven’t had a chance to test it yet.
Blend 6-7 cubes with other fruit, milk, and smoothie ingredients of choice for the creamiest banana-free smoothies!

Notes

*You can leave them unsweetened if you are going to blend with other fruit later. Or use honey or maple syrup instead. **This is my favorite vegan protein powder. And I order my collagen peptides from Thrive Market (affiliate link). See post above for additional ideas/options!

Keywords: meal prep, smoothies, healthy, blender, vegan

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Thank you Vitamix and TheFeedFeed for sponsoring this post!

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Fluffy Quinoa Pancakes

January 11, 2018 · Natalie 111 Comments

The best light fluffy quinoa pancakes! So easy—just 6 ingredients and made in the blender. If you’ve never tried quinoa flour, start with this breakfast!

Quinoa pancakes are happening and they are lighter and fluffier than any oat pancake you’ve ever had (pretty sure). Easier than you are even imagining (promise). Come in an unexpected golden hue (um…science?). Here to help you win at weekend brunch.

And just like that my new go-to pancake recipe was born. They are so incredibly GOOD, and you do not need a single egg or banana or whisk to make them. Major favorite breakfast potential happening here, friends.

I spent a lot of years hating quinoa. But guys! Something has changed. I’m not sure if it’s me or quinoa, but it’s kinda really exciting. They say tastebuds change every seven years or whatever, right? Well I have been very not into mushrooms and loving quinoa lately, so I think my seven years just happened.

So if you are on the fence about quinoa, I want you to know that it’s possible to grow to love it. Or if you are thinking: Oh geez, not another flour! (I see you, I see you my fellow pantry-overflowing friend), give me five bullet points to convince you…

Not actually a grain but a SEED. A gluten-free seed.
Plant-based protein, hooray.
Works all by itself—no starches or flax/chia egg needed.
You can make your own in the blender.
It makes for the most effortlessly puffy pancakes you ever did see.

And this is only maybe my third time working with quinoa flour, so we can experience this figuring out phase together.

Thick fluffy pancakes can go one of two ways: 1) voluminous throughout and soft/springy but not mushy or 2) fluffy around the perimeter but gummy in the middle. Don’t take this the wrong way, but oat flour pancakes tend to fall into the latter category. Especially vegan ones. Especially especially vegan banana ones.

Look, I love this ol’ oat pancake recipe as much as many of you do, but they require a bit of care and patience to get just right. But quinoa pancakes? Practically foolproof. Cook evenly, flip easily, springy structure, stack majestically, soak up maple syrup at the optimal rate. Just all around killing it at being breakfast.

And you know when you are making oat pancakes and the batter is twelve times thicker by pancake #5 than it was at pancake #1? Long-time oat pancake preparers, I know you know what I’m talking about. But quinoa pancakes? None of that. So much easier to clean the blender afterwards too.

A note on quinoa flour! I made my own with these quinoa flakes in my Vitamix. You can also buy it already in flour form. Or you can grind your own from uncooked quinoa, although I am pretty sure it’s best to toast it first as per this tutorial.

I wanted to share—I’ve been ordering a lot from Thrive Market recently, because those quinoa flakes, for example, are about half the price compared to Amazon or a health food store. If you order a lot of these kinds of healthier food things too, it might be worth checking out HERE (affiliate link).

I feel like it’s silly but important to note that these pancakes do taste like quinoa. So if you don’t like quinoa, this is probably not the recipe for you.

On purpose I kept this recipe very basic. Because in pancake speak basic translates to mega versatile. Oh the things you could add: blueberries chocolate chips, apples, cinnamon, cacao powder, peanut butter, or just all the toppings.

If light + fluffy + pancake is what you are after, quinoa flour might just be your new bestie. Try them and let me know if your mind is blown by this breakfast magic too!