There is no better, quick and easy breakfast hack than a smoothie! Make that a protein smoothie and you are really in business! This one is no exception! Today I am sharing a great breakfast smoothie that you can whip up quick before leaving the house and you will be fueled and ready to go for the morning and won't be hungry before lunchtime comes around!
This smoothie is taking some inspiration from the peanut butter sandwich. I have used almond milk, ice, peanut butter, protein powder and some frozen mixed berries as well as a frozen banana. Do you like to add greens to your smoothie? Throw in a handful of power greens or spinach or whatever you have on hand to boost the nutrition or green factor if you like! This smoothie is low in added sugars but high in flavor. It is high in protein coming in with 22.8 grams of protein! Perfect for getting you going! This also has great fiber from the berries as well as a ton of calcium!
You can hack this smoothie by getting your "smoothie packs" ready to go whenever you do your weekly meal prep. Just stock your freezer with these packets that you can make up with the frozen fruit of your choice all in one place, you can even toss in the peanut butter and the protein powder if you want as well. Stow them in a basket in your freezer and pull them out on those busy mornings when a smoothie is in order and waz one up by adding the milk and ice. Ready, set go! Pour that into a mason jar, screw on the lid pop in a straw and you are on your way to work!
You can also mix this up any way you like. I used mixed berries, but you can use frozen strawberries, pineapple, peaches or whatever fresh frozen fruit you like best. What flavor of "jelly" do you like on your PB&J? Make it your own. Take it a step further and add in whatever delicious extras you like in a smoothie. A handful of spinach, power greens or kale. A splash of juice, or even a squeeze of agave if you like things a little sweeter. No matter what you do here you can make it delicious!
I hope you give this PB&J Protein smoothie a try and I hope you love it!
Happy Eating!
You can see how I made this smoothie in my YouTube video:
Today I am participating in a "Back to School Breakfast Treats" collaboration with my friend Gretchen from Gretchen's Bakery channel! If you are not familiar with Gretchen's channel, please be sure to pop over and watch her homemade apple pop tarts video when you are done here and be sure to hit that subscribe button! Gretchen is truly amazing!
My contribution for this collab is going to be a protein and fiber packed breakfast cookie that will take you from morning till lunch and give your body what it needs to keep on going when those late nights and early mornings of the back to school schedule begin to catch up with you!
These cookies are egg free, dairy free, gluten free and they can be vegan if you sub out the honey I used here for more maple syrup, molasses, brown sugar or even agave nectar. You choose.
I have used almond butter in my cookies but you can use peanut butter, cashew butter or sunflower butter if you prefer. I have used lots of oats, golden flax sunflower and hemp seeds to bulk up the fiber and protein. Then for crunch and sweetness I have added chopped dates and chopped pecans. For moistness I added mashed bananas and coconut oil.
Your imagination is your only limit here. You can change these up to suit your tastes by adding dried fruits or nuts of any kind, shredded coconut, even a cup of chocolate chips would be nice. I can think of several combinations that would be just as delicious! This recipe is so versatile I know once you try it you are going to love it!
This recipe makes 24 cookies, if you drop them using the #16 disher which is approximately 1/4 cup in size. Just make sure to flatten them slightly with a wet spoon before placing in the oven to bake. These were perfectly done in just about 18 minutes in my oven. Yours may differ.
These cookies are perfect for grabbing on the go. Toss a couple in your bag and you are ready for the day along with your big mug of coffee or tea. Ready to face whatever the day may bring, body nourished and caffeinated! I prep these cookies by putting each one into a separate sandwich bag and place them in an airtight container on the counter. If you don't think you will eat these inside of a week, then place them in the fridge for up to two weeks or in the freezer for up to three months. These can thaw on the counter overnight for early morning enjoyment.
I hope you will take the time to go on over to my friend Gretchen's channel and subscribe and enjoy all the delicious homemade bakery treats that she shares every week. The homemade apple pop tarts look amazing, simple and delicious and I know you are going to want to try them! Be sure to use the links above!
I hope you give these breakfast cookies a try and I hope you love them!
Happy Back to School and Happy Eating!
You can find the printable version of this recipe for my cookies here:
You can see how Gretchen made here awesome Apple Pop Tarts in her YouTube video here:
Noreen's
Kitchen
Back To School
Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup mashed banana
1 cup peanut butter or nut butter
1/2 cup honey**
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup coconut oil, liquified
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour or gluten free flour
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup hemp seed
1/2 cup protein powder* (see note below)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup dried fruit such as
cranberries
cherries
dates or
raisins
1 cup chopped nuts such as
almonds
pecans or
walnuts (optional)
Step by Step
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, stir together the banana, coconut oil,
peanut butter, honey, maple syrup and vanilla.
In a small bowl, combine the oats, flour, flax seed,
sunflower and hemp seeds, protein powder, cinnamon, and baking soda.
Stir dry mixture into wet mixture until combined. Stir in
dried fruit and nuts.
Drop dough onto cookie sheets that have been lined with
parchment or a silicone mat.
Using a metal spatula dipped in water, press each mound of
dough into a cookie approximately 2 1/2 inches in diameter and 1/2 an inch
thick.
Bake, one sheet at a time, for 13 t 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Remove from oven and allow to cool on the pan for five
minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container or zip top bag for up to 5 days. These can be stored in the fridge if you
live in a super warm area. This will
prolong their freshness. You can also
freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw on counter before serving.
*NOTE: If you don't
have protein powder you can increase the flour by 1/2 cup
*NOTE: If you wish for these cookies to be vegan, sub out
the honey for molasses, agave or golden syrup.
This week for #Torani Friday I thought it would be fun to make a delicious breakfast smoothie chock full of good things that will make you happy and get you going for a good start to your day!
We love the pineapple coconut combination in our house! Everything from smoothies and drinks to savory dishes and desserts. Pineapple and coconut go together like Forest and Jenny or peas and carrots or peanut butter and jelly. This tropical combination is also one of my favorites for a breakfast smoothie. This one is not overly sweet and hits all the right notes! With the addition of protein powder this one will take you from breakfast to lunch with no problem at all.
I have used a good handful of ice, you can use more or less if that is your preference, a generous half cup of fresh pineapple that I diced really small, some pineapple juice about 1/4 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes, 1/4 cup of organic whey protein, some coconut milk and Torani syrup in both coconut and pineapple. I used about three pumps of each which ends up being just over a tablespoon of each flavor.
I used my Nutri Ninja drink mixer to whip up this smoothie but you could make this in any mixer or regular blender you have available. I just tossed everything in and turned it on and let it run for about 30 seconds to make sure everything was smooth and creamy.
I garnished my smoothie with more flaked coconut and a little bit more sliced pineapple on the side of the glass for fun. My recipe made enough for Rick and I to enjoy a smoothie for breakfast and we certainly did enjoy them!
Because this is really an "idea" for a smoothie, the ingredient amounts can be adjusted to suit your taste and preference. This smoothie was indeed, very smooth and not icy or frosty or thick. If you like yours that way, add lots more ice. You can even add coconut yogurt to make this thicker, tangy-er and boost the protein levels even more! Like it sweeter? Add more syrup. You get the idea. Make this your own. But make it nonetheless.
Some of you may be saying "I can't believe she made a breakfast smoothie with that sugary syrup". Well, you can believe it. The way I see it is that Torani is made with pure cane sugar. This is a simple sugar that is pure. I have no problem adding a bit of this to my smoothie to make it even more delicious and boost the natural flavors that I have put in there to begin with. You have to make the best decision for you and if you wanted to leave out the sweetener all together or sub out some honey or some agave, then go right ahead. Your choice!
I hope you give this protein boosted pineapple coconut breakfast smoothie a try and I hope you love it!
Happy Sipping!
You can see how I made this in my YouTube video:
You can find Torani on their website here:
http://bit.ly/ToraniHome
You can get Bob's Red Mill Whey Protein here:
http://amzn.to/1NtoEFg
You can get Bob's Red Mill Unsweetened Coconut Flakes Here:
http://amzn.to/1NtoEoR
This is the drink mixer I am using, the Nutri Ninja Blender:
