Vanilla Almond Smoothie

If you like almond butter, you're going to love this one!  If you haven't had almond butter, but like peanut butter, you've gotta try it.  I personally think almond butter tastes much better than peanut butter.  Cashew butter might even be better than the almond butter, but the taste wouldn't be quite right for this particular drink.  Almond Butter is also more nutritious than peanut butter, being richer in things like Omega 3s, Vitamin E, Magnesium, and it's also higher in fiber.  Magnesium seems to be getting more and more attention, as new studies are finding it to be an important mineral that many people don't get enough of.

I've been wanting to make this smoothie for a while now, but one of the ingredients - Mulberries- was making it hard.  Mulberries are a precious commodity around here.  We love the white Turkish Mulberries, which this recipe calls for, and they are quite delicious.  They come in a small bag and it seems like every time I wanted to make this smoothie, either we were out of Mulberries, or so little was left, I felt guilty using them all up in one drink.  The last time I went to make this smoothie, we had a ton of Mulberries, but absolutely no Almond Butter, which is very rare.

Last week, we had all the ingredients and I actually had the time to relax and make it, so everything all came together.  We weren't disappointed either.  It was as delicious as expected.

The recipe comes from Superfood Smoothies by Julie Morris.

• ⅓ cup dried white Mulberries 
• 2 tablespoons dried Goji Berries
• 2 tablespoons Hemp Protein powder
• 1 tablespoons Lacuma Powder
• 3 tablespoons Almond Butter
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
• ½ Camu Camu powder
• 1 ½ cups coconut water
•  2 cups ice
• sweetener, to taste (optional)

Directions say to blend all the ingredients, except ice, until smooth.  Then blend in the ice, until frosty.  I missed the two-step thing there and blended it all together, but it worked out just fine, as far as I could tell.

I used three heaping tablespoons of Almond Butter, making it probably more like 4 level tablespoons.  I didn't think it was too much, but it was close!

I can't recall if I actually used any optional sweetener, but I don't think I did, so it probably doesn't really need any.  The Mulberries are already pretty sweet and the Lacuma helps too.  Plus, Julie Morris says she didn't really feel the need to sweeten it up and that girl seems to have quite the sweet tooth!  But, if it isn't quite there for you, a few drops of stevia would be a healthy way to sweeten it up more.

Between the Goji Berries, Camu, Hemp protein, Mulberries and even the Almond Butter, this drink packs quite a healthy punch!  Although, 4 tablespoons of Almond Butter, may be a bit excessive ;-)

Enjoy!