This Salted Caramel Cookie Twix Smoothie recipe transforms chocolate bar into healthy bowl for a vegan and naturally sweet banana-free blender treat!
Remind me again why all smoothie bowls don’t come drizzled with melted chocolate?
Or smoothies in general regardless of vessel, because I can eat candy-inspired beverages out of cups, bowls, jars, plates with high rims, coconuts, anything!
When I came up with the recipes for this triple banana-free smoothie post, I made a conscious decision to keep chocolate out of the picture. Not to say I haven’t made the blueberry one with cacao powder added in a few times since then, but I kept those recipes colorful and cacao-free with the intention of saving the more milkshake-esque flavors for a later date. Obviously I didn’t last very long because here we are banana-free blending with all the chocolate-drizzled decadent vibes already.
What can I say, banana-free smoothies are a big part of my simple summer eating style right now, so my mind is bound to wander in sweet-salty dessert directions.
Instead of pursuing the first chocolate overloaded idea that popped into my mind, I wanted to create a bowl that highlighted what might be an even more versatile fruit: Medjool dates! Because they are not bananas and they make for an awesome smoothie base. Plus you don’t have to wait for the perfect brown-speckled moment to make it, dates can hang out in the fridge ready to be smoothie-d at any moment.
So honoring the natural caramel flavor of Medjool dates, I created a Twix inspired smoothie bowl complete with cookie base, caramel middle, and a chocolate coating on top.
Cookie crust. For a truly crunchy cookie crust, feel free to bake a batch of your favorite cookies and crumble them in the bottom of the bowl. But baking AND blending sounded like a lot of work, so I went with a no-bake shortbread-ish cookie crumble made with coconut flour and sweetened with date paste. If oats are more your style, rawnola would be a delicious base for this bowl too.
Salted caramel smoothie. This recipe has a completely different ingredient base then any of my previous banana-free smoothie bowl recipes. I used Medjool dates for sweetness and frozen cauliflower (cooked before freezing) for a thick and frosty texture without any frozen fruit. I stuck with the chia seed addition because I love the fact that they counter the melting process, making my smoothie thicker with time instead of thinner. And non-dairy milk of some kind is an obvious must for blending–the richer the milk the more dessert-like the smoothie.
To amp up the naturally caramel flavor, I added a few fun additions. Maca powder for it’s earthy butterscotch malt flavor. Vanilla bean powder because caramel anything should always involve vanilla. And most importantly sea salt because everything sweet is better with a little sprinkle of the stuff, but it compliments caramel especially well.
Chocolate drizzle. Even though it is made with all sorts of healthy things, this smoothie still qualifies as dessert in my mind. So melting chocolate chips and drizzling that silky goodness on top to make a magic spiderweb of chocolate shell is my personal preference.
But if you wanted a healthier option, nut butter is the way to go. You can buy all sorts of chocolate almond/peanut/hazelnut butters pretty easily these days. Or make your own with a mix of nut butter (the thinner/more runny the better) + cacao powder + non-dairy milk to thin it out if necessary. It won’t harden the same way, but it may feel more appropriate if you are blending this up for breakfast.
This recipe is also the perfect sweet celebratory occasion to tell you that I am partnering with Natural Delights as a brand ambassador to bring you even more deliciously date-filled recipes. I couldn’t be more excited because not only do I love Medjool dates with every single one of my fruit-loving tastebuds, but Natural Delights is a brand that I have loved and trusted for years now to stock my kitchen with always the best squishysweet Medjools for baking, blending, snacking, and everything in between!
Salted Caramel Cookie “Twix” Smoothie Bowl
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
Description
This salted caramel cookie Twix Smoothie Bowl recipe transforms chocolate bar into healthy snack for a vegan and naturally sweet banana-free blender treat!
Ingredients
Cookie crust
- 1/4 cup date paste
- 3 tbsp coconut flour
Caramel Smoothie
- 3/4 cup non-dairy milk
- 3–4 pitted Medjool dates
- 1–2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder ((or vanilla extract))
- 1 tsp maca powder ((optional))
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup frozen cauliflower ((steamed or blanched before freezing))
Chocolate Drizzle
- 2 tbsp chocolate chips ((see post above for a healthier option))
OR Nut Butter Chocolate Drizzle
- 2 tbsp nut butter of choice ((the thinner the better))
- 1 tsp cacao powder
- Non-dairy milk ((to thin out if necessary))
- Optional: 1 tsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients for the cookie crust. Mix with a fork until crumbly.
- Press into the bottom of the bowl. There may be extra, you can save it for another smoothie another day.
- Blend the non-dairy milk, Medjool dates, maca powder, vanilla, chia seeds, and salt until smooth.
- Add the frozen cauliflower. Blend until thick and creamy.
- Pour on top of the cookie crust.
- Melt the chocolate chips. Drizzle on top of the smoothie and let it harden.
- Enjoy!
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This post is sponsored by Natural Delights, but all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make Feasting on Fruit possible!
I’m so excited that you’ve partnered up with Natural Delights!!!!! Congrats, girly! Seriously the dream team!
This smoothie bowl is everything I didn’t know I needed – from the crumble bottom to the crackly chocolate top, I’m in love!
Next time cauliflower is on sale, I’m going to stock up so I can finally give it a try in smoothies. Just so creamy and dreamy!
Thank you!! Not gonna lie, I am pretty over-the-moon excited about it. I didn’t know I needed Twix in smoothie bowl form either, but now I’m pretty sure I need to try it out with all the other candy bars too…just to be fair of course 🙂
This looks incredible. I have to try it!
Do it!! If you love caramel and chocolate I cannot almost guarantee it will be love at first bite 🙂
I made it today (I ordered maca powder specially for it) and it was amazing!! I didn’t have any vanilla so I added a drop of salted caramel extract in place and it was perfect. I could not believe I was eating cauliflower and chocolate and coconut in the same bowl, in a good way 😀
★★★★★
Yay I am so SO happy to hear it Ezra!! Haha well when you say it it does sound like a strange combo, but when you taste it it totally works altogether 😀 Mmm salted caramel extract sounds like a heavenly thing, I bet it smells amazing too. Thanks for the feedback and I am so happy you enjoyed it!
OMG this sounds so incredibly dreamy!! I love making chocolate “magic shell” at home with coconut oil. It adds such a delicious touch. Twix were one of my absolute favorite candies as a kid. I mean, come on chocolate and caramel, plus a buttery cookie base, amazing! This is the perfect healthy treat to satisfy that craving. Definitely telling my sister we’re doing a girls night with this as a special dessert tomorrow.
xxMeah
★★★★★
I make my own magic shell all the time too, but then I realized melted chocolate is pretty much the same thing and only 1 ingredient as opposed to 3. But whisking up your own works too 🙂 Yes so good!! Now I’m wondering what other candy bars I can turn into bowl desserts… Yay, I hope you two enjoy it and have a wonderful girls night too!!
Ohhh that hard chocolate shell makes me drool big time!
I love your banana-free smoothie bowl creations! So creative!
I’m still using lots of bananas for ice cream and smoothies, but I love that there are other options 🙂
Banana-filled, banana-free, nothing but bananas–as long as it’s drizzled in a chocolate shell does it really even matter? 😉
I have dates that I need to use up Fast! looks like they just found their very amazing destiny!
Woohoo!! Perfect timing to blend those babies into caramel bowl bliss 🙂 Enjoy!
If there’s one fruit that I love as much as bananas, it is absolutely, 100% dates, so I am more than okay that you left the nanas out here! There’s so much other good stuff going on I feel like they won’t even be missed. That chocolate drizzle on top is looking pretty divine, and the idea of a salted caramel base flavor for a smoothie bowl is just so smart but I’d never even considered it before! Per usual Natalie, a genius idea that I can’t wait to try! Cannot wait for more date recipes, too 🙂 PS hope you had a great trip!
Phew! I was so worried you’d be upset by the complete lack of bananas here, but if dates are #2 on your list then we’re good 😀 Not to say bananas instead of the cauliflower wouldn’t work too. Idk why I haven’t made such dessert-style smoothie bowls for a while now, but this probably won’t be the last. And thank you! It was a really really fun weekend 🙂
Frozen cauliflower is taking over the internet! I have to say that this Caramel Twix creation has to be the yummiest cauliflower version…you would NEVER know there is cauliflower in there!! I love, love that you added a cookie crust layer on the bottom of a smoothie, what a freaking fantastic idea girl! I also love that you added a chocolate shell on top, I’d even be overly eager to add flaked sea salt on top of that chocolate too, so you could get that immediate salty/sweet bite. I think chocolate and salt is one of the most dangerous and delicious combos ever…like borderline, obsession. That is so cool that you teamed up with the date people too, they honestly couldn’t have picked a more perfect person to highlight dates in their recipes with, than you! You are making them proud, I am sure of it!
SEA SALT!!! Why didn’t I think of that, it would’ve totally taken the whole thing up a notch. Next time I will consult you on all chocolate-drizzled caramel matters before posting 😀 It’s dangerous and I am definitely obsessed, but I’m okay with that. And thank you! I am super excited, it feels like a great fit 🙂
No words for this! I cannot contain my excitement! Pinned!
Chocolate-covered caramel joy!! Thanks for pinning Rachel 🙂