Summer Spiced Apricot Smoothie
Alisa Fleming ~ Did you know that an apricot has just 17 calories? Seriously! Not to mention, those sweet little packages are a good source of beta-carotene (nature’s vitamin A), vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. With such a healthy profile, I thought it perfectly suitable, if not downright responsible, to put three whole apricots into this delicious dairy-free apricot smoothie. If you’re feeling like a total health nut, you could even add a fourth apricot … and while you’re at it, toss in a fistful or two of baby spinach. It changes the color, but not the taste.
Apricot season is relatively brief; the fresh fruit is harvested in the Northern hemisphere from May through August, and even during those peak months apricots can be hard to find in some areas. So when you do spot these sunny gems, I recommend stocking up and freezing any ripe leftovers (pit them first!), so you can enjoy an apricot smoothie on one of those warm fall days.
Unlike many stone fruits, apricots typically pull away from the pit easily, making them excellent for cutting and adding to recipes. When in season, you may come across a variety of apricots, but my favorite are the Blenheims (common on the west coast), which are somewhat large, sweet, and aromatic. I use Blenheims in most of my recipes, but pretty much any variety will work very well in an apricot smoothie; some are just less sweet than others.
Since I enjoyed this non-dairy recipe for breakfast, I didn’t opt for a super-sweet treat, but feel free to up the sweetener or play around with one of the options that I’ve listed with the recipe. Also, I see no reason why you couldn’t sub in another stone fruit if you don’t have ripe apricots available. Try peaches, cherries, or even nectarines!
Ingredients
- 3 ripe apricots
- 1 small to medium frozen, ripe banana (see sub options below)
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup milk alternative (unsweetened or vanilla, almond, coconut, or rice beverage!)
- 1/2 ounce cashews, ground in spice grinder (see note below for nut-free)
- 1 teaspoon ground flaxseed (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- pinch salt
- sweetener to taste (see below)
- ice (optional)
Instructions
- Place the apricots through salt in your blender, give it a few pulses to break things up, and whiz away until smooth (start with just 1/2 cup of the milk alternative and add more if desired once the mixture is smooth).
- Taste test and blend in sweetener to taste. If a frostier treat is in order, blend in ice to desired consistency.
Notes
Nut-Free – Use 1 tablespoon sunflower seed butter in place of the cashews, or simply omit the cashews. It will be a little less creamy, but still delicious.
Sweetener – This really is a matter of taste and depends on how ripe / sweet your fruit is and if your milk alternative is sweet at all. I added 1 teaspoon of honey, because I love honey with stone fruit. You could add your sweetener of choice (perhaps 1 to 3 teaspoons) or for a vegan all-fruit vibe, add a soft pitted date.
Tired of Bananas? – Try subbing the banana with your favorite dairy-free yogurt or two soft pitted dates. Or for a more indulgent shake, stick with just the apricots, double the cashews, add in ice, and extra sweetener to taste.
Go Green – Toss in one or two fistfuls of baby spinach. It changes the color, but not the taste.
This recipe is Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, optionally Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Soy-Free, and optionally Sugar-Free.
http://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/spiced-apricot-smoothie-recipe
Tagged egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, sugar-free, summer, vegan, vegetarian
