If you're new to the Scrounge, you may not know that I LOVE anything and everything almond! That's why this cherry almond chip smoothie is my new favorite Scrounge. With Chicago's summer just around the corner, this smoothie has me all excited for warm weather and cold drinks.
The pairing of the cherry and the almond flavors in this smoothie are simply perfect and the added cocoa nibs or chocolate chips make it taste like a milkshake! You wouldn't know it from the taste or the look, but this smoothie also has cauliflower in it, for some added nutrients. It provides a nice texture and I always like experimenting with new smoothie ingredients outside of fruit to cut down on the sugar.
I've recently been steering away from protein powders in my smoothies. I think the powders overpower the flavor so much that I can't taste anything else in the smoothie. I've been using other sources of plant based proteins like hemp seeds and chia seeds. These are optional ingredients as they don't effect the flavor of the smoothie, however they do provide great health benefits so I would recommend.
I hope you enjoy this smoothie as much as I do!
The Scrounge:
If you don't have these exact ingredients, Scrounge with the things you have at home and you may end up creating something even better!
If you don't have frozen cauliflower, use frozen zucchini slices
If you don't have almond butter, use cashew butter or peanut butter
If you don't have almond extract, use vanilla extract
If you don't have chia seeds or hemp seeds, use unflavored protein powder
If you don't have cocoa nibs, use dark chocolate chips or chop up a dark chocolate bar for a sweeter option
If you don't have almond milk, use coconut milk, oat milk or water
Ingredients:
1/2 cup frozen cauliflower – I buy the bags of frozen cauliflower in the frozen veggies section at the grocery store
1/2 cup frozen cherries
1/2 frozen banana
1 tbsp almond butter
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp chia seeds (optional)
2 tsp hemp seeds (optional)
1 tsp cacao nibs or dark chocolate chips for a bit of a sweeter option
1 cup almond milk
Preparation:
Place all ingredients into blender except for cocoa nibs or chocolate chips.
Blend until smooth adding more milk if needed
Once blended puls in cocoa nibs or chocolate chips