Vegan Oatmeal Cookie Smoothie with Cashew Butter and Dates

A deliciously thick and creamy Oatmeal Cookie Smoothie. Packed with protein, healthy fats, and fiber, this vegan breakfast smoothie will keep you full until lunch!

 

What’s in an Oatmeal Cookie Smoothie?

This satisfying and delicious vegan smoothie is packed with wholesome plant-based ingredients that you probably have at home! Peanut butter or almond butter would be a totally fine substitution for the cashew butter if you’re allergic or don’t have it. For a nut-free smoothie that still contains healthy fats, try hemp hearts or ground flaxseed!

• frozen bananas
• medjool dates
• rolled oats
• cinnamon
• cashew butter
• vanilla protein powder
• sea salt

Tips for making a thick smoothie

My number one tip for making a thick smoothie that’s the texture of soft serve is to use frozen bananas cut into small pieces. My second tip is to use as little liquid as possible to get the smoothie to blend.

If you don’t have a high-powered blender, try making a thick smoothie in your food processor- this machine doesn’t require as much liquid as a blender, so you may be able to achieve a thicker texture than you could in a less powerful blender.

If you are short on frozen bananas, a handful of ice cubes can be used to thicken up your smoothie, but you may end up with a slightly icy texture. I recommend buying, ripening, and freezing an entire bunch of bananas at a time so you always have them on hand! I like to break mine into pieces and freeze them on a large plate or baking sheet. Then once they’re frozen solid, you can toss them into a plastic or silicone freezer bag to use whenever you need them.

How to stay full from a smoothie

A smoothie that’s made up of fruit only is bound to spike your blood sugar and leave you feeling hungry in an hour (at least in my experience). When I first went vegan, I’d make these giant fruit smoothies with 3 bananas, a cup of berries, and fruit juice. They just didn’t satisfy me and I didn’t know what I was doing wrong because I saw vegans on YouTube eating like this.

After years of enjoying smoothies of various types, I would recommend intentionally including a good amount of fat and protein in your smoothie if you want it to be a meal! A snack is one thing, but if you’re replacing a meal that you’d otherwise chew, you’ll definitely want to bulk it up!

Some good sources of fat and protein for your smoothie:

• nut butters! peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, coconut butter- whatever you prefer. Tahini or sunflower seed butter are great alternatives for those who have nut allergies.
• seeds!  1 or 2 tablespoons of chia seeds, hemp hearts, or ground flaxseed will help thicken your smoothie and add healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
• plant-based protein powder! I totally understand why some people don’t want to go the protein powder route for their smoothies, but in my opinion, if you find a protein powder that tastes good and comes from a trusted source, it can be a great way to round out your protein intake and make your smoothie more satisfying.
• oats! I don’t put oats in every smoothie I make, but they were an obvious ingredient for this recipe and they add a lovely texture and extra nourishing fiber to make your smoothie more of a meal.
• chew your smoothie! Since your brain expects to chew its meals, drinking a smoothie quickly through a straw can fail to inform your brain that you’ve actually enjoyed a meal. Let the smoothie spend a little time in your mouth to kick off those digestive juices and enjoy it slowly!

 

More plant-based breakfast options from Plant and Soul

 

Print

 

 

Thank you for stopping by! If you make this or any of my recipes, please tag me on Instagram @plantandsoulkitchen so we can connect! xo Jillian