The only morning blend that I love more than our classic blueberry smoothies, is this blackberry banana breakfast smoothie. It contains “sneaky” greens and flaxseed, but uses fresh berries and frozen banana for a creamy consistency and fresh fruit flavor. I like the little seeds in the blackberries for interest, but you can pre-blend the blackberries and strain the seeds if they aren’t your thing.
A Blackberry Banana Breakfast Smoothie for the Late Summer Harvest
One thing I love about the northwest is the abundance of fruit in the summertime, especially the blackberries … oh the blackberries. They cost something like $20 a pound to buy in stores, but grow freely on almost every street in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. The only price you pay is a few thorn sticks from the blackberry bushes.
The only problem is that blackberry season is short. Once the berries finally emerge, they ripen within days and disappear almost as quickly. Determined to cash in on the late summer harvest, we stalked blackberry bushes throughout August, seeking the perfect sunny spot where we could load up several containers for freezing.
Late last week while on a walk, we noticed the gentle scent of fresh berries, and smiled at one another. “Just a few more days and they’ll be ready to pick!” my husband proclaimed …
Finally, sure we were in for some beautiful plump berries, we headed out the door with bags in hand. But to our surprise, they were gone! Not the berries, the bushes! Just as the berries were beginning to ripen, the entire lot of blackberry bushes on our street had been cut back to bare bones; a cruel joke indeed.
Fortunately, from what was left, we were able to snag just enough of these plump gems to make a blackberry banana breakfast smoothie or two …
Special Diet Notes: Blackberry Banana Breakfast Smoothie
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, vegetarian, paleo, plant-based, and top food allergy-friendly.
- 1 large frozen ripe banana, broken into chunks (about 1 cup chunks)
- ½ cup blackberries
- ¾ cup vanilla dairy-free milk beverage
- 2 romaine lettuce leaves
- ½ tablespoon flaxseeds, ground or about 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Sweetener to taste, optional (only needed if your fruit isn’t very ripe – I skip it)
- Place all ingredients in your blender, making sure the fresh fruit is on the bottom and frozen fruit is on the top (furthest from the blades), and whiz until smooth. If your blender is a wimpy one, start with less milk alternative (1/2 to ¾ Cup) to ensure everything blends in nicely.
- Once everything is pureed, you can add more milk alternative until it reaches your desired consistency.
More Boisterous Blackberry Recipes
Vegan Blackberry Bran Muffins (vegan, nut-free & optionally soy-free)
Blackberry Crisp Ice Cream Sandwiches (vegan, gluten-free & food allergy-friendly)
Black Pepper Shortcakes with Blackberry Basil Sauce (vegan, nut-free & optionally soy-free)
