Sweet Spice Smoothie Recipes from Rachael Hartley

Culinary herbs and spices have been used for centuries for their unique health benefits. The intense aroma and flavors of spices and herbs comes from phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are powerful, naturally-occurring chemical compounds found in plants, but can be in especially high concentrations in plants that have intense flavors, colors, or smells – like spices! Phytonutrients often have been shown to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and occasionally therapeutic uses. 

15 Minutes
1 Smoothie
Sweet Spice Smoothie Recipes from Rachael Hartley

Smoothies are a fun way to incorporate the unique health benefits and delicious flavors of spices into your diet. Below are ideas for spices and fruit pairings to incorporate into smoothie recipes, and other common smoothie ingredients the spices pair well with:  

  • Cardamom – acai, peaches, apples, mango, chocolate, coconut, almond, vanilla 
  • Cayenne – mango, pineapple, lemon 
  • Cinnamon – açaí, banana, apples, cherries, blueberries, strawberries, fig, pineapple, orange, almond, chocolate, coffee, peanut 
  • Clove – apple, orange, peach, coffee, vanilla  
  • Ginger – açaí, blueberries, pineapple, orange, lemon, mango, peach, plum, chocolate, mint 
  • Nutmeg – banana, peach, apples, pumpkin, chocolate 
  • Turmeric – acai, mango, pineapple, citrus 

The first recipe, a blueberry coconut ginger açaí smoothie, uses powered ginger. Gingerol is the main compound in ginger, responsible for most of its medicinal properties. One of the best-known benefits of ginger is for digestion, especially in treating nausea. This ginger smoothie is a great breakfast idea for people who struggle with their appetite in the morning, or for pregnant people experiencing morning sickness.  

The second recipe features cinnamon, a spice made from the bark of a type of evergreen tree. The compound cinnamaldehyde gives cinnamon its distinct flavor and smell and is responsible for its health benefits. Research on cinnamon has pointed to a potential role in the treatment of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.  

Blueberry Coconut Ginger Açaí Smoothie  

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Ready In: 15 minutes | Yield: 1 smoothie  

For a vegan version of this smoothie, use vanilla or unflavored coconut milk yogurt. It’s a bit thinner than Greek yogurt, so you might want to add a few ice cubes to thicken this smoothie up. The shredded coconut adds rich coconut flavor to the smoothie, and filling fats, but you could also use canned low fat or full fat coconut milk instead.  

Ingredients: 

  • 1 SAMBAZON Original Blend Açaí Superfruit Pack 
  • 1 cup frozen blueberries 
  • 1/4  cup coconut flavored Greek yogurt  
  • 2 tablespoons shredded coconut 
  • ½ teaspoon ginger 
  • ½ cup coconut milk beverage 
  • Optional garnish: ginger, shredded coconut  

Instructions: 

  1. Let SAMBAZON Açaí Superfruit pack sit at room temperature while preparing the other ingredients.  
  2. Combine blueberries, yogurt, coconut, and ginger in your blender.  
  3. Open acai packet and break into the blender.  
  4. Pour in coconut beverage and blend until smooth and creamy. Serve garnished with ginger and shredded coconut, if desired.  

Chocolate Cinnamon Açaí Smoothie  

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Ready In: 15 minutes | Yield: 1 smoothie 

This chocolate cinnamon acai smoothie is rich and chocolatey – almost like a milkshake! For a more tart version, I like to use frozen tart cherries instead of frozen strawberries. If you don’t drink dairy milk, try oat milk with this recipe, which will keep the rich, creamy flavor and texture in a dairy free beverage.    

Ingredients

  • 1 SAMBAZON Original Blend Açaí Superfruit Pack 
  • 1 cup frozen strawberries 
  • ½ frozen banana, cut into chunks 
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 
  • 1 tablespoon almond butter 
  • 2 teaspoons honey 
  • 1 teaspoon chia seeds 
  • ¾ teaspoon cinnamon 
  • ¾ cup whole milk  
  • Optional garnish: chocolate chips, cinnamon, chopped almonds 

Preparation

  1. Let SAMBAZON Açaí Superfruit pack sit at room temperature while preparing the other ingredients.  
  2. Combine strawberries, banana, cocoa powder, almond butter, honey, chia seeds and cinnamon in your blender.  
  3. Open acai packet and break into the blender.  
  4. Pour in milk and blend until smooth and creamy. Serve garnished with chocolate chips, cinnamon and chopped almonds, if desired.  

Sources: 

Anh et al. (2020). Ginger on Human Health: A Comprehensive Systematic Review of 109 Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrients12(1), 157. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12010157 

Qin, B., Panickar, K. S., & Anderson, R. A. (2010). Cinnamon: potential role in the prevention of insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. Journal of diabetes science and technology4(3), 685–693. https://doi.org/10.1177/193229681000400324 

Rachael Hartley

Food and Nutrition Expert

Rachael Hartley is a registered dietitian, intuitive eating counselor, and author of the book Gentle Nutrition: A Non-Diet Approach to Healthy Eating. She works with clients helping them nourish a healthier relationship with food, and to simplify nutrition so they can eat with confidence.

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