Salted Caramel Breakfast Smoothie

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Sweet meets salty, caramel meets almond butter, and breakfast meets dessert in this Salted Caramel Breakfast Smoothie. The rich, creamy, decadent flavor is a bold way to start your morning! Flavored with maple syrup and Medjool dates and topped with flaky sea salt, this smoothie recipe is so delicious you’ll never believe it’s gluten-free and dairy-free, too! {Paleo + Vegan}

Spiriteds, this Salted Caramel Breakfast Smoothie might have mornings in mind. But, let’s be real here. It’s also a dessert. I’d love to tell you what it tastes like even a day or two after you make it. But, alas, K-Hubs and the second born beat me to it every time. I cannot make this smoothie fast enough to outwit my housemates. They know a nourishing, comforting smoothie when they taste it. And it goes everywhere they go, including work and school. I need my own super-secret fridge if I want a sip or slurp the next day. If that’s not a winning assessment, then I don’t know what is.

And once you make your own Salted Caramel Breakfast Smoothie, you’ll see, or rather taste, why. When you do make it, maybe label the jar something unappetizing like “blended liver and onions” so people will leave your smoothie alone. You’re welcome. Unless your housemates LOVE blended liver and onions, in which case I am of no help.

So, grab your high-speed blender, Spiriteds, and let’s get our Salted Caramel Breakfast Smoothie ON!

Salted Caramel Breakfast Smoothie is

• Sweet and salty (thank you maple syrup, Medjool dates, and sea salt)
• Nutty and slightly earthy (thank you, coconut cream, almond butter and cauliflower)
• Dairy-free and gluten-free
• Vegan and paleo
• Rich, creamy, and decadent

Salted Caramel Breakfast Smoothie ingredients

• Coconut cream. Chill a can of coconut cream and then transfer it to the blender.
• Almond butter. The best kind is made of only roasted almonds. I skip any that already include sweetener or salt because we’ll add our own here.
• Maple syrup. 100% pure maple syrup complements the other ingredients. You can also use agave nectar (vegan) or 100% pure honey (paleo). Please note, the smoothie will taste different, depending on the liquid sweetener used.
• Vanilla. I add 1-2 teaspoons, depending on how sweet I want the smoothie to be.
• Medjool dates. Pitted and finely chopped. See recipe tips and tricks for how to soften them if they are tough or dry.
• Sea salt. Add a pinch to the smoothie and then top the smoothie with flaky sea salt. So good.
• Cauliflower. Buy fresh cauliflower. Steam it within 24 hours of purchase for maximum freshness. Then freeze in one-cup portions. Add one cup to this smoothie. If the cauliflower is one big chunk, then break it into smaller chunks so as not to overwork the blender blades.
• Garnishes: Chia seeds and flaky sea salt.

How to make Salted Caramel Breakfast Smoothie

1. To a high-speed blender, add all ingredients in the order listed, except for the chia seeds and flaky sea salt. Blend on HIGH until creamy.
2. Transfer to drinking glasses or refrigerate and consume within 1-2 days. Garnish with chia seeds and ENJOY!

Recipe tips and tricks

• To create the frozen cauliflower for this recipe, steam fresh cauliflower, let it cool, and then freeze it in 1-cup serving sizes. When ready to use, remove the amount needed and break it into smaller frozen pieces. This prevents the frozen chunks from overwhelming your blender. For best results, buy super-fresh cauliflower and steam-then-freeze within 24 hours of purchase. Frozen cauliflower prepared this way creates a super-creamy texture without the smoothie tasting earthy or cruciferous. See blog post for additional recipes that use steamed-then-frozen cauliflower.
• In place of frozen cauliflower you can also use a handful of ice cubes. This will create a frothy texture. Please note, the texture of the smoothie may change over time, losing some of its creaminess.
• To soften hard Medjool dates, microwave water in a glass measuring cup until gently boiling. Carefully discard the water, place the Medjool dates on a flat surface, and tent the warm measuring cup over the dates. Let sit for several minutes. Remove the measuring cup and feel the Medjool dates. If they are soft to the touch, then finely chop them for this recipe.

Recipe FAQs

• Will my smoothie taste like vegetables? No! In fact, if you steam a fresh head of cauliflower and then steam it, the vegetable will create a creamy texture once blended in your smoothie without the veggie flavor. BUT, you really do have to work with a fresh head of cauliflower for this to work. If it changes color or has a noticeable smell (even a good smell) then reserve it for a savory dish or homemade broth.
• Can I use pre-frozen cauliflower in this smoothie? I don’t highly suggest this method as the cauliflower may not have been steamed prior. Issues with freshness (and, therefore, taste) may also arise.
• Can I use granulated sweetener in this recipe? Liquid sweetener is ideal because it contributes the right liquid-to-solid ratio.
• What should I do if my high-speed blender can’t break down the frozen cauliflower? Sometimes this happens if the cauliflower chunks are too large for the blades. If you can’t safely reach the cauliflower in the blender to break it down further, then let the mixture sit in the blender container for several minutes and try again. If your blender comes with a tamper, then you can try that as well. And, lastly, you can try to carefully stir around the container with a spoon or spatula to check for any pieces underneath the blades. 

Recipes that use steamed-then-frozen cauliflower

You might be thinking, if I steam and then freeze cauliflower for this recipe, then what exactly will I do with the leftovers? Fair question. Either steam cauliflower for dinner as a side dish and then freeze the amount you want to save for smoothies. Or throw some of this steamed and frozen goodness into a Strawberry Coconut Smoothie Bowl or an Almond Butter Cauliflower Smoothie Bowl.

More decadent smoothie recipes

If it’s smoothies on your mind, then it’s smoothies we’ve got! Tuck these delicious treats away in your virtual recipe tin. They are delicious excuses to enjoy your fruits and vegetables, on-the-stay or on-the-go!

• Green Apple Spinach Smoothie
• Matcha Mango Smoothie
• Blueberry Citrus Smoothie
• Dairy-Free Raspberry Almond Smoothie
• Pineapple Mango Smoothie 

Spiriteds, stay well and stay wild. Jump into the fun when you can, and aways remember I’m glad you’re here. ❤️

Salted Caramel Breakfast Smoothie

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Sweet meets salty, caramel meets almond butter, and breakfast meets dessert in this Salted Caramel Breakfast Smoothie. The rich, creamy, decadent flavor is a bold way to start your morning! Flavored with maple syrup and Medjool dates and topped with flaky sea salt, this smoothie recipe is so delicious you’ll never believe it’s gluten-free and dairy-free, too! {Paleo + Vegan}

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 2 cups 1x
• Category: Smoothies
• Method: Blender
• Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut cream, chilled
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/4 cup 100% pure maple syrup
• 1–2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 Medjool dates, pitted and finely chopped
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 cup steamed-then-frozen cauliflower, broken into small frozen chunks (See Notes)
• Garnishes: Sprinkles of chia seeds and flaky sea salt

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Instructions

1. To a high-speed blender, add all ingredients in the order listed, except for the chia seeds. Blend on HIGH until creamy.
2. Transfer to drinking glasses or refrigerate and consume within 1-2 days. Garnish with chia seeds and ENJOY!

Notes

• To create the frozen cauliflower for this recipe, steam fresh cauliflower, let it cool, and then freeze it in 1-cup serving sizes. When ready to use, remove the amount needed and break it into smaller frozen pieces. This prevents the frozen chunks from overwhelming your blender. For best results, buy super-fresh cauliflower and steam-then-freeze within 24 hours of purchase. Frozen cauliflower prepared this way creates a super-creamy texture without the smoothie tasting earthy or cruciferous. See blog post for additional recipes that use steamed-then-frozen cauliflower.
• In place of frozen cauliflower you can also use a handful of ice cubes. This will create a frothy texture. Please note, the texture of the smoothie may change over time, losing some of its creaminess.
• To soften hard Medjool dates, microwave water in a glass measuring cup until gently boiling. Carefully discard the water, place the Medjool dates on a flat surface, and tent the warm measuring cup over the dates. Let sit for several minutes. Remove the measuring cup and feel the Medjool dates. If they are soft to the touch, then finely chop them for this recipe.

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