This post is sponsored by Blue Diamond Almond Breeze. My favorite. :)
Happy Wednesday, everyone!
First off, just wanted to thank you for the kind comments and emails (and remedy suggestions!) you sent me after Monday’s post. So helpful and encouraging — thank you! I’ve been on pretty much a liquid diet for four days, but finally think that things are turning and corner and I’m on the mend. Whew, which makes me thankful for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that chips and salsa are an absolutely essential food group for me. Coming soon, I hope.
That said, I’ve been tapping into my arsenal of gentle soups and smoothie recipes this week. And as much as I love chewing, I forget how much I really do love a good protein smoothie cup of chai. But then I realized, why choose when you can have both?!
Seriously, I make matcha lattes and smoothies all the time. But it wasn’t until last week that I realized I could just as easily empty a chai tea bag out into my blender as well! Brilliant! And also, absolutely delicious, especially when paired with this easy, protein-packed banana smoothie base.
It’s a breakfast match made in heaven. ♥
The ingredients for this one are quite simple, and also happen to be naturally gluten-free as well. (Feel free to nix the yogurt and add in a little more almond milk, too, if you’d like it to be vegan.) Just gather up:
- fresh bananas (then peel, slice and freeze them)
- Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk (my fav rich and creamy almondmilk)
- plain non-fat Greek yogurt
- chai tea leaves (I just emptied out a tea bag or two)
- vanilla extract
- ground cinnamon
- plus a little maple syrup, if you’d like an even sweeter smoothie (I didn’t think it needed it)
Toss everything in a blender…
…pulse until completely smooth…
…and then this beauty will be yours to enjoy.
It’s naturally wonderful sweet and rich, the Greek yogurt gives it a mega boost of protein, and the chai and other seasonings give it a warm hint of spice that I absolutely loved. Just what the doctor ordered.
Enjoy!
Banana Chai Smoothie
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 -2 servings
Description
Power up your day with this delicious protein-packed Banana Chai Smoothie! It’s quick and easy to make, naturally gluten-free, and full of delicious sweet flavors!
Ingredients
- 2 bananas, peeled, sliced and frozen
- 1 cup Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk
- 1/2 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt*
- 2 teaspoons (dry) chai tea leaves**
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, store-bought or homemade
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- (optional: 1 teaspoon maple syrup, if you’d like a sweeter smoothie)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender and pulse until smooth.
- Serve immediately, topped with a few extra slices of banana if desired.
Notes
*Feel free to omit the Greek yogurt if making this smoothie vegan, and add in 1/4 cup extra almondmilk instead.
**I just emptied out the contents of a chai tea bag (or two) to make this quick and easy.
This post is sponsored by Blue Diamond Almond Breeze, my go-to almondmilk that always has a spot in my fridge. Thanks for continuing to support the brands who help make this site possible!
Can you make this ahead of time and freeze it?
So good. I love spicy chai so this was right up my alley. I used Trader Joe’s Vanilla Almond Spiced Chai smoothie as the base instead of almond milk, and did not add the yogurt or the cinnamon or vanilla. I used Pukka’s vanilla chai herbal tea.
SO GOOD! I started with half a chai tea bag and it was perfect!
I was skeptical about dumping a chai bag into a smoothie but this was perfect! I added some vegan vanilla protein powder instead of vanilla and sweetener and it complimented it beautifully.
You could brew the chai tea, freeze in ice cube tray, and use those in the smoothie…