Swirls of a speedy strawberry jam are woven throughout a sweet, delectably thick almond butter smoothie. The result is reminiscent of a drinkable frozen pb + j, and it's too good to miss. If you're looking for a smoothie with a special twist, give this almond butter strawberry jam swirl smoothie a go. The strawberry jam adds 15 minutes of time on top of the standard 5-minute smoothie routine, and it's absolutely worth it. If ever there were a great reason to jump out of bed 15 minutes early, this is it.
This smoothie is my jam (pun intended) at the moment. I've been slurping back glassfuls of it for breakfast over the last week to fuel productive days of work and evening book edits. And it was a welcomed start to Saturday when I embarked on a 12-hour kitchen journey to prepare a spread of vegan small bites for my brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law's wedding shower on Sunday.
Overall, it was a packed week (notice I spared you from what could have been another jammy pun there), and I surprised myself and managed to complete more in one week than I often do in two with about half the stress and dawdling. I'm sending our Big Sur vacation hugs and high fives for the productivity burst and calm mentality. New motto: when in doubt, vacation it out.
It felt so good to be back in the kitchen over the weekend, and in between making mini fruit tarts, vegan pulled "pork" sliders (an updated version of these sandwiches that will be in the book), and a double batch of herbed cashew cheese, I managed to photograph a few new blog recipes too. One of them being... you guessed it, this layered, swirly smoothie.
Swirls of a speedy strawberry jam are woven throughout a sweet, delectably thick almond butter smoothie. The result is reminiscent of a drinkable frozen pb + j, and it's too good to miss.
If you're looking for a smoothie with a special twist, give this one a go. The strawberry jam adds 15 minutes of time on top of the standard 5-minute smoothie routine, and it's absolutely worth it. If ever there were a great reason to jump out of bed 15 minutes early, this is it.
So grab your juiciest, ripest strawberries, and let's get to it.
To make the jam, toss a whole bunch of quartered strawberries into a saucepan along with a drizzle of pure maple syrup and bring it to a simmer. Then, reduce the heat, cover, and continue to simmer for 8 minutes or until the strawberries begin to break down into a sauce.
Once the strawberries are tender and saucy, transfer them to a blender and pulse to roughly purée. Then, refrigerate the jam for 5 to 10 minutes to cool.
While the jam is cooling, you'll make the almond butter smoothie by blending two frozen bananas, almond milk, almond butter, and vanilla until smooth, thick, and frosty.
Spoon most of the strawberry jam into the bottom of a glass (or two), top with the almond butter smoothie, and finish with the remaining jam. Then, use a knife or chopstick to swirl the strawberry jam, pulling it through the smoothie layer. Sink a wide straw in it and slurp yourself happy.
📖 Recipe
Almond Butter Strawberry Jam Swirl Smoothie
Ingredients
Speedy Strawberry Jam
- 1 ¾ cups hulled and quartered fresh strawberries
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup, more or less to taste
- Tiny pinch of sea salt, to enhance the sweetness of the strawberries
Thick Almond Butter Smoothie
- 2 ripe and speckled bananas, peeled, sliced, and frozen
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk (or plant-based milk of choice)
- 1 tablespoon natural almond butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
Speedy Strawberry Jam
- In a medium saucepan, combine the strawberries, maple syrup, and sea salt over medium-high heat. At first it will seem like there isn't enough liquid to keep the strawberries from burning, but within a minute or two the strawberries will release their juices. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until the strawberries begin to break down, stirring occasionally.
Transfer to a high-speed blender and pulse to finely chop the strawberries. You still want some texture, so be careful not to over blend. Pour into a large airtight jar, and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to cool. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.
Almond Butter Smoothie
- Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender. If you don't have a high-speed blender, I recommend using a food processor instead (this is what I do). Blend on high until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as frequently as needed. Since this is a thicker smoothie, you'll need to stop more frequently to keep things moving (especially if you use a blender).
To Assemble
- Pour about â…”'s of the the Strawberry Jam into the bottom of a jar or glass (or divide between two), pour the Almond Butter Smoothie over top, and then top with the remaining jam. Use the pointy end of a chopstick to gently stir and swirl the jam into the smoothie, pulling it up and down through the smoothie layer. Sink a straw in, and serve immediately.
Lisa F says
Is the strawberry almond swirl smoothie considered a protein shake? Calories?? Sounds wonderful!!
Ashley says
Hi, Lisa! I probably wouldn't consider it a protein shake on its own, but you can certainly add a scoop of plant-based protein into it to boost the protein content. I'm sorry, but I don't calculate calories for my recipes!
Heather McClees says
This is just gorgeous! It's perfect for summer and reminds me of those messy jam sandwiches I delighted in as a kid. I still have the fondest memories of those! Great recipe and combination of ingredients!
Ashley says
Thanks so much, Heather! The messy jam sandwich memory sounds lovely (and delicious too). Love how food can conjure up such warm memories.
Aya @ A Healthy Story says
This looks absolutely amazing -- and your photos are beautiful, as always! :) I recently gave up peanut butter and am now totally obsessed with almond butter, so I will definitely be making this soon.
Ashley says
Thanks so much, Aya! Hope you're enjoying the recipe!
Tracey - Simple 'N' Spiced says
I make an almond smoothie all the time, but adding this strawberry jam sounds delicious! Such beautiful photos; I love your site and can't wait for your cookbook! :)
Ashley says
Thanks for your kind words and support, Tracey. It means so much. <3
Sarah | Well and Full says
This really does look like a PB&J in a glass! I love how you swirled the strawberry jam in the smoothie, it looks absolutely delicious!
Ashley says
Thanks, Sarah!
Celeste | The Whole Serving says
Love this, and I have been obsessing over strawberries lately.
Ashley says
Thanks, Celeste!
Lauren Gaskill | Making Life Sweet says
Love the pun, but love this smoothie even more!! Pinning and making soon! :)
Ashley says
Haha, thanks, Lauren! Hope you're enjoying the recipe!
Laurie says
Such a wonderful idea! I'm keeping this recipe in mind for when strawberries become ripe this summer, especially as my twenty-month old son lives smoothies.