Let’s face it. We’re all busy! Breakfast is usually something you pull out of the pantry as you head out the door. Since the beginning of a new year, I have been introducing different kinds of smoothies into my life. Not only am I full for the majority of the day, but I tend to make better food decisions later in the day! I was getting bored with my basic fruit smoothies, so I decided to venture off into unknown smoothie territory. Well, I’m glad I did! I never realized how delicious smoothies with almond flavors could be. The new recipe I created below is packed full of flavor and health benefits. I love this almond oatmeal smoothie because of its subtle but delicious almond flavor! The oats add a nice texture that I was missing out on with all my other smoothies! My favorite smoothie trick is to cut up the banana and freeze it. Not only does it add extra creaminess to the smoothie, but if you are making the morning of, the frozen banana adds a nice chill to an otherwise lukewarm drink.
This almond oatmeal smoothie is basically everything I would put in a bowl of oatmeal, but it’s even better because I can drink it on the go. I started off using regular milk in my recipes until I found the oh-so-delicious toasted coconut almond milk! At my local store, they have vanilla and plain as well, so pick your favorite!
This recipe has cinnamon and honey, two of my favorite things. I like to add cinnamon to recipes when possible because it’s not only yummy, but it lowers blood sugar and contains antioxidants. Honey is a powerful alternative to sugar because of its antioxidants. Honey is not only delicious but during the season when I usually come down with a cold, honey contains so many natural defenses for the body!
You can make this breakfast smoothie the night before or the morning of (I like to start while prepping hot water for tea time). The prep time for this smoothie is pretty quick if you are using instant or rolled oats because you just need to put all the ingredients in a blender and mix. That’s it! If you are using whole oatmeal, the process will take longer since you’ll want to cook them before putting them in your smoothie (if you read on, I’ll explain more about the type of oats to use).
You might be wondering if it’s okay to put raw oats in smoothies. The answer is YES! Rolled or instant is great for smoothies because they have already been cooked with steam and then toasted. If you’re using whole oatmeal, it’s better to cook it first because they are harder for your stomach to digest. For faster heating times, give it a toss in a hot, shallow skillet with the recommended amount of water. I suggest avoiding pre-packaged instant oatmeal because it doesn’t have the same nutritional value. However, if that’s not as important to you, then I say go for it! You might be wondering why I put oatmeal in my smoothies. Not only does it add some extra flavor and texture, but oats are very filling and nutritious. While I want a smoothie, I love tasting. I also want one that my body will love as well. This smoothie packs a punch in flavor and an extra punch in fiber!
I love the taste of almond butter, and the health benefits are a plus! Almond butter is a great source of vitamin E, magnesium, copper, vitamin B2, monounsaturated fat (this is the good fat), protein, and fiber. If you’re not a huge fan of almond butter, you can swap it out for peanut butter. Substituting peanut butter will give this breakfast smoothie a punch of flavor and lots of protein!
On days when I need extra protein, I add some protein powder to my breakfast smoothie. I make it through the day, snacking less. If you make it ahead of time, you can try mixing in some cold brew for a bit of a coffee twist. Chocolate or vanilla protein is a great addition to this breakfast smoothie. If I make a smoothie with protein powder, I tend to add more almond milk so that it’s not too thick.
I am a huge fan of vanilla, so I use vanilla extract for a natural way to add vanilla flavor to my breakfast smoothie. I find it useful to experiment with different flavors because it can make an old tired breakfast smoothie recipe one thousand times better. If I find myself getting bored with my routine, I will experiment with a different recipe.
Here is the recipe for my almond oat breakfast smoothie, but remember that you can make it your own by adding your own ingredients to your smoothie. I am always improving on each smoothie recipe I have, but I think I found perfection with this smoothie!
Smoothie Ingredients:
- 1 frozen banana
- 2 TBS almond butter
- 3/4 cup milk (add up to 1/4 cup more if you like a thinner smoothie)
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 TBS honey
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
This is a pretty simple recipe since you can add all the ingredients at once:
- Freeze your banana prior to making your smoothie (on Sundays I usually freeze enough to have one banana a day for the entire week since I use a banana in all my smoothies. Adding a banana will create a creamy texture, so even if I don’t make this specific recipe, I’ll use it for another one).
- Add all ingredients to a blender
- ENJOY your delicious breakfast
I hope you love this almond oat breakfast smoothie recipe as much as I do! Leave a reply and let me know if you tried it, what you thought about this almond oat breakfast smoothie and if you have other suggestions. You can use this recipe as a base to add and subtract to as you like! Make it your own and let me know about your experience.
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