Purple Yam & Coconut Smoothie BowlHappy New Years friends! I hope your weekend was full of family, friends, and lots of delicious food. Lets start the new year strong with a big, nutritious, smoothie recipe. Instead of buying in to the new “shake” or “weight-loss bar” fad, lets eat whole, nutritious food and continue to treat our bodies with love. So here we go! A new favorite smoothie of mine that is sure to become a go-to for you as well.
About a month ago, I was walking around Whole Foods and came across a sign that said: “Purple Yams”. It was basically my love for sweet potatoes and beautiful colors all in one. I was immediately in love. I proceeded to make purple mashed potatoes and purple sweet potato fries, but my adventures with this new discovery wouldn’t have been complete without giving a purple sweet potato smoothie a try.
The result? A creamy, bright purple, and naturally sweetened smoothie. Of course this recipe could be made with regular sweet potato, but the color of purple yams is worth the extra couple cents per pound. For those of you watching my Instagram stories, you will see that these smoothie bowls have become a regular for me. The visual astatic of this smoothie is sure to win you all over to the sweet-potato smoothie world. It is a great way to get extra vegetables into your diet and a perfect way to kick off the new year! Gluten Free & Vegan | Makes 1 big smoothie bowl Ingredients: 1 small purple yam, steamed and frozen 1/2 cup frozen coconut meat (you can find this in the frozen fruit section of Trader Joes, Whole Foods or Wegmans) 1 cup frozen cauliflower* 2 Tbsp. raw cashews** 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 cup plant based milk (I used elmhurst cashew milk) 1 tsp natural sweetener (optional) Extras: chia seed, hemp seed, shredded coconut, cacao nibs, chopped nuts or seeds of choice
*Cauliflower is super neutral in flavor when frozen. It adds an awesome texture and volume to smoothies along with an abundance of nutrients- as mentioned above. You can buy frozen cauliflower super cheep in bulk at Wegmans. For a much sweeter smoothie or dessert, you could sub frozen banana here. **Raw cashews can sometimes be hard to find. Most health food stores cary them, or you can order in bulk online (I like this brand), which is also less costly. Raw cashews add awesome protein to smoothies and make them even creamier. Feel free to omit or sub with another nut if you can’t find them. ***If you plan on making smoothies frequently, I definitely suggest investing in a good blender. (I went throw 3 cheep blenders over the course of one semester in college. no joke). I love my vitamix - probably one of the best Christmas gifts I’ve ever received. It literally holds up anything. You can buy them certified refurbished which helps cut the cost and still gives you a great product. I love this one. |