Creamy Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie

The secret ingredient to this smoothie: dates!

I feel like dates are highly underrated and here’s why: they have the ability to revitalize the body instantly. I’m not even exaggerating about this because I know from personal experience. Years ago, I was working one of my first jobs as a teenager and it was a morning shift and I forgot to eat breakfast. It was a busy and stressful morning and as I was helping customers I felt like I was about to faint. My blood sugar was very low and my body was trying to tell me something. I ended up sitting in the back after I told my manager I was feeling lightheaded, and that’s when she came back with a small box of dates. She told me to eat them and as I did, I remember feeling much better. 

I actually used to hate dates because I found them way too sweet on their own (shocking for me, I know), and I couldn’t figure out how to incorporate them into recipes. Since they are an amazing source of energy and fiber, I wanted to figure out how to consume them in meals regularly. After I tasted a few raw vegan desserts and smoothies, I realized that dates make a great vegan substitute for a creamy caramel sauce. I’ve always been fond of my nut butter smoothies, so I experimented with blending a few dates into my usual drink to add that creamy caramel sweetness. The result? Total success!

This smoothie is basically a drinkable dessert that’s good for you too. It’s packed with plant-based sources of protein, iron, magnesium, and healthy fats from the peanut butter and vegan vanilla protein powder. The dates have the added benefit of vitamins A, B, and K, plus other essential nutrients hat you can read about here. The smoothie is not unbearably sweet, but if you want it on the lighter side, you can add more almond milk, or less dates. I don’t have the best blender so I always mix my dates and almond milk first, to make sure it blends well. Enjoy! 

Creamy Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie

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Serves: 1 Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 scoop of vegan vanilla protein powder
1 frozen banana
2 pitted Medjool dates
1 tbsp. peanut butter
1 tbsp. almond butter, for garnish (optional)

Creamy Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie was last modified: September 25th, 2017 by themindfulstrawberry

Instructions

1. Blend dates with almond milk until smooth. Add remaining smoothie ingredients and blend until creamy consistency. Top with almond butter if desired. Enjoy!

Creamy Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie was last modified: September 25th, 2017 by themindfulstrawberry