Creamy Vanilla Cinnamon Breakfast Smoothie with Cashew Butter

Cashew butter, almond milk, cinnamon, banana, greens, protein powder – oh yes, together they make one delicious smoothie.

And they are also an answer to the age old question (and frankly, it’s not an answer I ever thought I’d hear myself say, but here it is): yes, it is possible to have too much chocolate. I mean, raw cacao is indeed a superfood, but once you’ve crammed into nearly every food you consume, there comes a point when your body says, please! Another flavour, I beg you.

And so I’m listening. I think I’m getting pretty good at understanding when my body is telling me it needs something new, and I try to listen to those subtle nudges. As a result, I’ve packed away my standard chocolate protein powder/raw cacao breakfast smoothie and replaced it with something that’s…a similar concept, but an entirely different flavour.

Effectively this smoothie is kind of the like the green monster smoothie that people used to post all over the internet: non-dairy milk, nut butter, banana, greens (these will make your smoothie this glorious light green colour – though for the sake of photographic clarity, I left out the greens in this version), and some vanilla protein powder. I think french vanilla flavour would be best. I tried it with a ‘chai spice’ protein powder and it tasted exactly like eggnog, which was not what I was going for.

I also think you could totally use another nut butter in here if you’d prefer (I know cashew butter is quite expensive). Almond butter would be good (I once had a cinnamon almond butter that was heavenly), or maybe even sunflower butter! That said, cashew butter has such a lovely toasty nutty flavour – it just goes so nicely with cinnamon. Maybe treat yourself this once.

Balanced Blood Sugar for Healthy Skin, Hormones, and Brain

Breakfast is an important meal and starting off with something blood-sugar balancing is important. This smoothie offers fibre, healthy fats, and plant-based protein, though for an extra protein boost, you could add some collagen peptides as well. Stable blood sugar supports so many things in the body, from clear, healthy skin to brain health and mental wellness to balanced hormones.

Enjoy the beauty of May!

Creamy Vanilla Cinnamon Breakfast Smoothie with Cashew Butter

• Author: Eat Well, Live Vibrantly, Emily Joldersma, RHN
• Recipe notes: plant-based (with a collagen option), gluten-free, protein-rich, healthy fats

Ingredients:

• one cup non-dairy milk (add some coconut milk if you want more healthy fats and real luxury!)
• one frozen banana
• one scoop of your favourite plant-based vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (or more, to taste)
• 2 tablespoons cashew butter
• a few ice cubes
• optional extras:
  • one handful of spinach
  • 2 teaspoons maca powder
  • 1 tablespoon grass-fed collagen powder
  • 1 tablespoon matcha powder (or whatever the recommended serving for the brand you have)

Instructions:

1. Throw it all in a blender/nutribullet/swirly-with-blades type device and blend until creamy!

© Emily Joldersma, RHN, Eat Well, Live Vibrantly

Looking for more ways to feel and eat vibrantly, with clear glowing skin and lots of energy? Grab a free copy of my e-book here. It’s all about easy daily actions for clear skin, balanced hormones, and vibrant living.