Creamy Almond Butter Smoothie

Ingredients in This Almond Butter Smoothie

This almond butter smoothie pairs sweet fruits with nutty almond butter for a protein-packed drink. Inspired by my friend’s local almond butter company (Revival), I paired a loose interpretation of chai spices with the nut butter for a cozy, intriguing flavor nuance.

You’ll love this natural pairing of almond butter and cozy spices. Here’s what you’ll need to put this one together:

• Almond butter: Use your favorite brand, creamy or thick, sweetened or unsweetened. Or, you can make your own homemade almond butter.
• Frozen pineapple: Frozen pineapple adds body and thickness to this puree. The flavor is sweet but neutral enough that it’s not detectable in the final smoothie. If you have ripe pineapple, substitute a frozen banana.
• Banana: This smoothie requires a room-temperature banana, so you don’t have to worry about freezing the banana first.
• Milk of choice: Use dairy milk or non-dairy. Oat milk is my plant milk of choice, but of course, almond milk would be natural here as well.
• Cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom or cloves: These spices evoke the flavors of masala chai or a chai latte.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla draws out the spiced flavor, but can be omitted if desired.
• Ice: Ice brings a fluffy, frothy body to the smoothie.

A Note on Serving Size

Blend it up, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the sweet, cozy-spiced flavor. The size is a bit smaller than many of my smoothies, so you could likely polish it off yourself! Or make 2 small smoothies if you want to store one for later.

A Few Protein Adders

Want to add more protein to this almond butter smoothie? This is helpful if you’re planning to drink it as a meal replacement, since it makes the drink more filling. Here are a few ideas:

• Chia seeds: Add plant-based protein and fiber with chia seeds. A serving of 2 tablespoons of chia seeds adds 4 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber to the mix.
• Vanilla protein powder: I use a protein powder that has natural ingredients and a flavor that’s not too artificial.

More Smoothies With Almond Butter

You can add almond butter to many different smoothies to add protein and a nutty depth in flavor. It’s often a better choice than peanut butter, which can have a stronger peanut flavor.

Keep in mind: adding nut butter slightly dulls a smoothie’s color, and sometimes it can compete with the purity of the fruity flavors. But it’s fun to experiment with! Here are a few more smoothies where 1 to 2 tablespoons of almond butter works well:

• Make a Banana Smoothie into an Almond Butter Banana Smoothie.
• Transform a Berry Smoothie into a Berry Almond Smoothie.
• Swap the peanut butter in this Vanilla Protein Smoothie for almond butter.
• Make a Cherry Smoothie into a Cherry Almond Smoothie.
• Add almond butter for even more protein in a Vanilla Date Smoothie.
• Make a Cinnamon Apple Smoothie in an Apple Almond Smoothie.

More Smoothie Recipes to Try

• Oat Milk Smoothie
• Almond Milk Smoothie
• Acai Smoothie
• Perfect Strawberry Smoothie
• Creamy Oatmeal Smoothie