This Toasted Coconut Smoothie is like pillows of golden sunshine! Sugar-free, it’s sweetened with date and bananas. Turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and vanilla give it a hint of the exotic. Vegan and healthy – a happy start to your morning!
I’m going to be upfront here. I’m not a huge smoothie fan. I’ve never liked the idea of smoothie bowls and rarely order a smoothie- if ever! On the other hand, my husband love smoothies and recently discovered this Toasted Coconut Smoothie in Santa Barbara and developed an instant addiction.
He just kept buying them, like every day, for weeks! Finally, I stole a sip of his, and in just one sip, I immediately knew why. It was like this huge flood of serotonin hit my brain. Absolutely fantastic!
Balanced, earthy, not too sweet, but yet exotic and warm, like sunshine, somewhere tropical, while lying in a hammock under a palm tree next to breezy ocean. All this in one sip.
So, for several months now, instead of going out to get his favorite smoothie, I’ve been making it at home for him, slowly perfecting it. Now I’m addicted, too! I love how this makes me feel. It feels so happy!
As you see this Toasted Coconut Smoothie is made with toasted coconut (this is key), banana, orange, dates, turmeric, and ginger (root or ground) and cinnamon, vanilla extract, nut milk and optional bee pollen, which we added for allergies (a godsend).
***You can leave the bee pollen out if you are vegan.
Anyhow, here’s the recipe in case you are in a smoothie rut or need a little cheering up.
This makes one large Toasted Coconut Smoothie that can be split in two if you like. A very cheery start to your morning.
Happy week,
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Toasted Coconut Smoothie
- Prep Time: 10
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 14 onces 1x
- Category: smoothie, breakfast, vegan
- Method: blended
- Cuisine: Californian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Toasted Coconut Smoothie is like happy pillows of sunshine. Healthy, vegan, and delicious, the toasted coconut is the real star here- a beautiful beginning to your day.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup toasted coconut, plus more for sprinkling
- 1 banana
- juice of 1 orange (or sub the whole orange, or 1 cup pineapple)
- 3 Medjool dates (pitted)
- 2 teaspoons turmeric root (or 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric)
- 2 slices ginger ( 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon bee pollen (optional, for allergies, not vegan)
- 1/2 cup nut milk
- —-
- 2 cups ice ( please don’t leave out!!!)
Instructions
Toast the coconut flakes in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until golden and fragrant. This is key.
Place the banana, orange juice, dates, coconut, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla and nut milk in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the ice, one cup at a time and blend unti smooth.
To get smoothie to mound up like the photo, add 1/2 cup more ice.
Pour into a 16 ounce glass and top with toasted coconut.
Indulge.
Notes
The ice turns this from good, to heavenly. Trust me.
I’m sure frozen bananas would work too.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7 ounces
- Calories: 258
- Sugar: 37.2 g
- Sodium: 52.2 mg
- Fat: 5.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 53.1 g
- Fiber: 6.2 g
- Protein: 3.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Hi Sylvia, this looks delicious. What is the serving size?
Hi Todd- I just adjusted it to 2 x 7 ounces portions.
Literally the best smoothie I have had in years. Incredible how the 2 cups ice makes this so creamy and voluminous! Thank you for yet *another* knockout recipe!
Thanks Caitlin! One of our favorites too!
This is a real treat that I now go to on those mornings where I’m having trouble forcing myself to eat breakfast. The recipe as written is fantastic and I will often make it as is for an afternoon pick me up. Though if I’m having it for breakfast I’ve taken to adding a half cup or so of plain Greek yogurt for extra protein with an extra date or two to counter act the sourness from the added yogurt. I can also report that frozen bananas work really well and I can’t taste them at all, which is great since I’m not a big fan of bananas. Also I’ve tried crystallized ginger chunks because I had a bunch to use up and those worked great, though I would cut back on the honey next time if using the crystallized stuff. Thanks Sylvia for yet another fabulous recipe.
Thanks Leah! Glad you liked it.
WOW! This is really refreshing. I did not have any fresh ginger so I used one drop of ginger essential oil and I had no nut milk on hand so I used coconut water. This is a keeper. Thank you
I love this recipe, sounds yummy, will try it out.
Awesome,thanks! 🙌
So yummy! A delicious summertime treat. Definitely adding it to the smoothie rotation.
If I may make a polite suggestion, maybe update the recipe to reflect the importance of using pitted dates. Having never used dates before, I threw three whole unpitted dates into the blender. I just assumed they were soft all the way through. Boy was I wrong!
I almost broke the blender! Ruined the entire batch of smoothie too, and I had to start over. It’s my own fault, and not the recipes, but maybe we can help others in the future to not learn this same lesson the hard way like I did.
Oooops! Sorry about that. I appreciate you letting me know and updated the recipe!!!
Outrageously delicious! Do you think it would work to make it the night before so I could bring it for breakfast at work? My husband doesn’t appreciate the blender going off at 5:30 AM… Wondering if the texture would change too much?
I bet he doesnt! 😉 I think the ice would all melt though if you did it ahead.
Sylvia, this smoothie sounds delicious, but at 516 calories, it’s certainly a meal and not a snack! I’ve been enjoying Feasting at Home, but as a sidebar — laying in a hammock under a palm tree next should read lying in a hammock. Lay means “to place something down flat,” while lie means “to be in a flat position on a surface.” To help my kids distinguish between the two, I’ve told them, chickens lay eggs, people lie down.
My grammar is terrible. And YES it is meal, feel free to split and share. I will fix the wording and try to keep it in mind. Thanks!
You’ve got a great blog! I cook in a similar manner, so when I find myself in a culinary rut, I enjoy being inspired by your content. And the photographs are beautiful!
Thanks so much!!!
Delicious!
Wow this looks fantastic? Is the banana flavor strong? I’m not a big fan of them, but really want to make this!
No not super strong. Give it a try!
Hi,
I can’t wait to try this but I’m missing some ingredients. I happen to also live in Santa Barbara and was curious about where your husband originally got them.
Thank you
At Pierre La Fond Market in Montecito
so incredibly divine! so far I’ve made it two days in a row. the color alone makes me so happy 💛
yay!!! glad you like it. xo