Vegan Salted Caramel Date Smoothie Recipe

Is it breakfast or is it dessert? Does it matter? Nah, you can freely enjoy this smoothie any time of the day when a naturally sweet energy boost is needed.

Though requiring a little bit of prep beforehand, this naturally sweet fruit smoothie recipe is easy to make and very worth it. Simply combine all the ingredients in a blender. The caramel color and taste come from the dates along with the cinnamon and vanilla. Whether you drink it as a dessert or make it for breakfast in the morning, this banana and date dairy-free smoothie offers a welcome boost of energy.

Choosing and Pitting Dates

There are many different varieties of dates available. One of the most commonly found in the United States are Medjool dates. They are good for smoothies because they are very moist, very rich, and deliciously sweet. When blended together with the other ingredients, their amber color mimics that of caramel.
Much like an olive, a date is a stone fruit, meaning that the edible fleshy part surrounds an inedible seed, or pit. You may be able to purchase dates already pitted. If not, it is a relatively simple matter to remove the pits. You can either push them out with a chopstick or cut them out by using a paring knife to slice the fruits down the middle.

Preparing and Freezing Bananas
Freezing bananas just as they reach the peak of ripeness is a good way to preserve them for later without them turning black and mushy. It is possible to freeze bananas whole after removing the peels. However, it is hard for your blender to process whole frozen bananas. You can save yourself some time and frustration by slicing the bananas before freezing them. To prevent the banana slices from sticking together, place them on a baking sheet lined with wax paper so that the pieces are not touching. Then place the baking sheet into the freezer and flash-freeze them for two hours. Once the bananas slices become hard, you can remove them from the baking sheet and return them to the freezer after placing them in a freezer-safe container or bag. They’ll remain safe to eat indefinitely, but try to use them within two to three months to keep them from losing quality.