Smoothie Ice Cube Concentrates

Smoothie mornings are the BEST because they can be made fast, are filled with nutrition, make you feel great, and are an easy way to get nutrition into you and your family at the break of dawn! Well, these brick concentrates are a way to make smoothies even faster – here are six make-ahead recipes to make smoothie concentrates. Make ahead, freeze in my favorite ice tray, and blend up with your favorite liquid when you are ready to use. Make several smoothies at once, or make them on a single-serve basis. Easy-peasy! Happy smoothie mornings!

SMOOTHIE ICE CUBE CONCENTRATES FOR MAKE-AHEAD BREAKFAST [VEGAN, GLUTEN-FREE]

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE PITAYA BERRY SMOOTHIE

• 1/2 cup strawberries
• 1 peeled pink pitaya (dragon fruit) or 1 packet (about 1/2 cup) dark pink pitaya
• 1/2 cup plant-based milk
• 1 teaspoon baobab powder (see notes)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

FOR THE MANGO CREAM SMOOTHIE

• 1 cup mango
• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup plant-based milk
• 1 teaspoon baobab powder

FOR THE AÇAI BLACKBERRY SMOOTHIE

• 1 cup blackberries
• 1 small banana
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon açai powder

FOR THE SPIRULINA PROTEIN SMOOTHIE:

• 1 cup vegan yogurt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon hemp protein
• 1 teaspoon spirulina
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

FOR THE CARROT CITRUS SMOOTHIE:

• 1 cup carrots
• 2 peeled, chopped zucchinis
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon orange juice

FOR THE SWEET GREEN SMOOTHIE:

• 1 cup spinach
• 1/2 chopped apple
• 1/2 cup white grapes
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

PREPARATION

TO MAKE THE SMOOTHIE CONCENTRATE ICE CUBES:

1. Blend ingredients for each smoothie until smooth, pour into ice trays — the ingredient lists above make 2 cups per flavor — and freeze at least 4 hours.
2. Pop bricks out and store in an air-tight container in the freezer to blend up for future smoothies. They seem to last at least a month – I haven’t kept them longer.

TO MAKE A SMOOTHIE SERVING USING THESE ICE CUBES:

1. Into your blender, put 4-6 bricks, 1 cup of coconut water or dairy-free milk, and blend.
2. If your blender can’t blend ice cubes easily, pop this mixture into a glass the night before and keep in the refrigerate to blend up in the morning. If you want your final smoothie to be thicker, try adding a zucchini or banana, or even a handful of rolled oats.
3. In fact, you can boost your smoothie further with additional superfoods, here are a few to consider: coconut oil, goji berries, flax seeds, camu camu, wheatgrass, almonds, matcha

NOTES

You can purchase baobab powder online or at most health food stores.

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/smoothie-ice-cube-concentrates/?utm_source=Green+Monster+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=93bea27b47-NEWSLETTER_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bbf62ddf34-93bea27b47-106919241