A reader recently requested we try our hand at a carrot cake smoothie, so we jumped on the challenge and came up with this 5-minute, 7-ingredient recipe!
It’s creamy, satisfying, and reminiscent of everyone’s favorite springtime treat: Carrot Cake! Let us show you how to make this naturally sweet, plant-based treat.
Frozen bananas and carrots serve as the base of this smoothie. Banana provides creaminess and sweetness, while carrot provides an orange hue and carrot cake flavor.
The date is (optionally) added for extra bits of sweetness in every bite.
Inspired by our No-Bake Carrot Cake Bites, we spiced this smoothie up with cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, and nutmeg. If you’re a TRUE carrot cake fan, you may even want to try the carrot cake bites ON your smoothie. Next level!
The banana, carrot, date, and spices are blended with dairy-free milk until creamy! We love coconut milk here the most.
For an optional protein boost, we like adding a scoop of plain or vanilla protein powder (Tropeaka being our current favorite — not sponsored, love it!).
Ingredients
- One large ripe frozen banana (as the original recipe is written, 1 1/4 cup)
- One small carrot, chopped (as the original recipe is written, 1/2 cup)
- One pitted date (optional // if dry, soak in warm water for 10-15 minutes, then drain)
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or 1/8 tsp vanilla powder)
- 1 tsp fresh minced or grated ginger (or 1/4 tsp ground ginger)
- One healthy pinch of ground nutmeg
- 1/2 – 1 cup dairy-free milk (use less for thicker smoothies, more for thinner smoothies// we prefer cashew, coconut, or almond)
- One scoop plain or vanilla protein powder (optional //if adding protein powder that’s sweetened, skip the date)
FOR SERVING optional
- Shredded carrots
- Shredded coconut
- 1 Tbsp chopped walnuts or hemp seeds
Instructions
- Add banana, carrot, date (optional), cinnamon, vanilla, fresh ginger (or ground ginger), nutmeg, dairy-free milk (starting with the lesser amount), and protein powder (optional) to a high-speed blender and blend until creamy and smooth. Add more dairy-free milk as needed to thin/encourage blending.
- Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more cinnamon for warmth, ginger for spice/kick, or date for sweetness.
- Serve as is or garnish with shredded carrot, shredded coconut, walnuts, or hemp seeds (optional). It’s best when fresh. Will keep it in the freezer for up to 1 month (thaw before enjoying).
