Vegan Sweet Potato Smoothie

This vegan sweet potato smoothie is the perfect healthy breakfast during autumn (or anytime, really)! Creamy, sweet and packed with 31 grams of protein—this vegan, gluten free and soy free smoothie is a treat to enjoy and is made in only 5 minutes with simple ingredients.

Why You’ll Love This Smoothie

• Has 31 grams of plant protein
• Sweet but not too sweet
• Thick and creamy

This vegan sweet potato smoothie tastes like sweet potato pie in a glass! It’s amazingly healthy, satisfying and filling. The high protein content makes this drink extra satiating. It really keeps hunger away for hours. Sweet potato is an underrated vegetable for smoothies. It might sound slightly odd, but it blends perfectly with the other ingredients and creates a super thick and smooth texture. This smoothie is sweet but not overly sweet, healthy yet indulgent tasting, and promotes healthy gut flora.

Sweet Potato for Health

Sweet potato is a root vegetable with a vibrant orange flesh. It’s sometimes considered a superfood because of how many health benefits it provides! The sweet potato is a great source of carotenoids and polysaccharides. This makes it one of the best anti-inflammatory and antioxidant foods you can eat. Reducing inflammation and oxidative stress helps lower the risk of certain diseases that tend to develop over long periods of time. The best way to stay healthy is to consume antioxidant-rich foods like sweet potato on a daily basis! Adding sweet potato into a smoothie is a delicious and unique way to enjoy it.

Sweet potato also encourages optimal gut health. Soluble and insoluble fibre are both found in sweet potato which can balance blood sugar, lower cholesterol, and promote digestive tract health. This starchy orange vegetable acts as a prebiotic in the gut. It helps to promote good gut flora levels and reduce bad gut bacteria that causes bloating and other unpleasant effects.

The spices in this smoothie are also not only yummy, but beneficial! Consuming cinnamon has been shown to reduce blood sugar levels after eating and improve insulin sensitivity. Pumpkin pie spice includes ground ginger which has a soothing anti-nausea effect. All of the spices used have antioxidant properties that make them a great addition to any smoothie.

Ingredients Needed

These are the ingredients you will need to make this vegan sweet potato smoothie.

Himalayan salt: Balances and brings depth to the other ingredients.

Cinnamon & pumpkin pie spice: These spices are the key to achieving the warm, pie-like flavour of this smoothie. Don’t skip them!

Almond butter: Creates a rich and perfectly creamy consistency when combined with the frozen sweet potato and other ingredients.

Protein powder: Use a vanilla vegan protein powder that is sweetened. While sweet potato is naturally sweet, a smoothie needs a little extra sweetness to taste balanced. Normally bananas add sweetness but we are making this smoothie banana-free.

Frozen sweet potato: In this recipe we are using sweet potato that has been previously baked, cooled and frozen. Remove the skin after baking and roughly chop into medium sized chunks before freezing.

Oat milk: The liquid that brings all of the other ingredients together to blend smoothly and adds a creamy consistency.

For ingredient amounts and instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Benefits

Quick and easy

It’s incredibly fast to make a yummy smoothie. Gather your ingredients and toss them in the blending container, blend, and you’re already done! Rinse the blender container. It doesn’t get much more simple than that. Smoothies rarely take more than 5 minutes to make. This makes them a great option if you find yourself short on time for a healthy meal.

Hydrating

Staying properly hydrated is a basic requirement for optimal health. By incorporating daily smoothies you can maintain your ideal hydration level more easily. Start each morning with a smoothie for easy hydration!

High fibre

Easily get more fibre in your every day diet! In addition to being generally healthy, getting enough fibre can be extremely helpful for weight loss as it helps keep you feeling full for longer, without adding calories. Fibre also helps improve our gut health.

Variations

Try an alternative plant milk

This recipe uses oat milk but you can try using any plant based milk you prefer. Some alternatives include soy, almond or cashew! You can also make your own plant milk from scratch in a blender.

Add extra sweetness

Maybe you prefer a smoothie that is extra sweet! In that case many different ingredients can be added to sweeten the drink, depending on your preference. Maple syrup and agave syrup can be added a tablespoon at a time until desired sweetness is reached. A more whole food option is adding 2-3 medjool dates, just be sure the pits have been removed before adding to the blender. Frozen banana can be added to the base of the smoothie for a boost of natural sweetness that goes perfectly with sweet potato.

Adjust the consistency

If you prefer a thicker consistency you can try the recipe using a bit less liquid than what is suggested. If you want a thinner consistency, try adding a bit of extra liquid to the recipe. This smoothie may come out slightly thinner or thicker depending on the water content of your baked sweet potato chunks at the time of freezing!

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to blender.

• Start blending at low speed for 5-10 seconds. Increase to high speed and blend for 1-2 minutes. Use the blender tamper to push ingredients down towards the blades.

• Pour into a glass and serve your vegan sweet potato smoothie.

Prep & Blending

Add ingredients in the correct order

Always add liquid ingredients to your blender first. Then add powders, nut butters, nuts and seeds. Then add fresh greens and fresh fruit. Finally add your solid ingredients like frozen fruit. If using a small blender container with a twist on lid, reverse the order so that when you turn the container over to blend the frozen ingredients are farthest away from the blades.

Use a tamper

Push ingredients down towards the blades while blending using the tamper that comes with your blender. This helps to avoid thick smoothies from getting stuck, so you don’t have to stop blending and scrape down the sides of the container.

Don’t over blend

Try to blend your smoothie for less than a couple of minutes. If blended for too long, even thick smoothies will become thin. This is because the heat generated by the blades and motor of the blender heat up your ingredients while they are being blended.

Use a high power blender

For smoothies that have a perfectly smooth and creamy texture use a high powered blender such as a Vitamix. It can break down any ingredients to much finer particles than standard blenders, and more nutrients are released. A high speed blender also reduces the time you need to blend your recipe, which helps keep it nice and cold.

Chill your glass

By placing your smoothie glass in the freezer for a few moments you can help your smoothie stay cool for longer. This is especially helpful if you’re in a hot climate. Pop it into the freezer while you are prepping and blending, then take it out when it’s time to pour your finished smoothie!

How to prepare sweet potato for smoothies?

Start by giving your sweet potatoes a thorough wash to remove any dirt. Then cut them in half lengthways and place orange side down on a baking pan. Use a fork to poke holes in each potato half, on the skin side. This will allow steam to travel more easily and bake the sweet potatoes more quickly.

Bake at 425°F for 25-35 minutes, depending on how many potatoes you are preparing at once. You can check if they are done with a fork. They should be soft and easy to press through. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the sweet potatoes to fully cool.

Once cool, remove the skins and cut the cooked halves into medium sized chunks. Place on a freezer tray nicely spaced out (so they don’t end up in one huge frozen clump). Freeze overnight before using in smoothies.

FAQ’s

How can I increase the protein?

If you wish for your vegan sweet potato smoothie to have even more protein, you can simply add an extra scoop of protein powder to the recipe. Some other high protein ingredients that can be added instead of protein powder are hemp seeds, extra almond butter, oats, vegan greek yogurt and silken tofu.

Can I lose weight with smoothies?

Smoothies are an excellent weight loss food! This is because they are generally lower calorie and higher in fibre and nutrients. Due to high water content, the large volume of a smoothie helps your stomach to feel satiated. And the fibre keeps you feeling full for longer, without feeling weighed down or tired like a huge meal would.

Can smoothies be refrigerated?

Smoothies are best enjoyed immediately after blending while they are freshest. However, you can refrigerate most smoothies for 1-2 days in an airtight container such as a jar. Note that the consistency will be slightly thinner than when it was freshly blended.

Can I make smoothies without a high speed blender?

Yes, you can still make smoothies with a regular blender. It might take more patience depending on the recipe. Turn off the blender to scrape down the sides of the container, and secure the lid before continuing to blend. Repeat as needed. Alternatively you can add a small amount of additional liquid to the recipe, which should help.

Related

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Vanilla Chai Protein Smoothie

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