This vegan toasted hazelnut salted caramel smoothie is divinely sweet, creamy, nutty, nourishing, and caramel-kissed. It garners its caramel notes from Medjool dates, which weave their natural sweetness throughout each and every drop. A pinch of mineral-rich sea salt draws out the dates' full potential, unveiling the depths of both their sweetness and rich caramel flavor, while roasted hazelnuts lend a creamy, soothing quality to this dreamy smoothie.
Sweet.
Caramel-kissed.
Creamy.
Nutty.
Nourishing.
This toasted hazelnut salted caramel smoothie may sound like and even taste like a dessert, but it's got a lot to offer to your morning routine.
It garners its caramel notes from Medjool dates, which weave their natural sweetness throughout every last drop. A pinch of mineral-rich pink Himalayan sea salt draws out their full potential, unveiling the depths of both their sweetness and rich caramel flavor.
Toasted hazelnuts lend a creamy, almost soothing quality to this smoothie, flecking its surface with a warm and nutty glow.
This seemingly decadent smoothie offers a generous dose of healthy fats, potassium, fiber, folate, vitamin e, copper, and manganese. It's naturally sweetened, offers a nudge of plant-powered protein, and has the most delightful nuttiness. So whether you call it dessert or call it breakfast, one thing's for certain: it's a surefire way to perk up any moment of the day. Get sippin'.
Toasted Hazelnut Salted Caramel Smoothie
Ingredients
- ¼ cup raw hazelnuts
- 1 frozen banana
- ¾ cup unsweetened plant-based milk*
- 2 to 3 soft Medjool dates, pitted**
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon Pink Himalayan sea salt
- ½ to ¾ cup ice (optional, to cool and soften the flavors)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F and spread the hazelnuts evenly in a small baking tray. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the hazelnuts are wafting a warm toasted scent.
- Add the toasted hazelnuts, frozen banana, plant-based milk, dates, vanilla, and sea salt to a high-speed blender. Blend on high for 1 to 2 minutes, or until completely smooth and creamy. Taste and if desired, add the ice (to cool and thin the smoothie), and blend for another 30 to 45 seconds. Pour into a glass (or two) and serve immediately.
Notes
**If your dates are firm (as opposed to soft and gooey) and/or you don't have a high-powered blender, soak them in hot water for 30 minutes before blending.
Sounds amazing! Would definitely try this out some time! Especially during winter when nice and cosy on the couch when it rains or something, haha, I can already picture myself drinking it! ;)
Thanks, Saska! You are so right, this would be the perfect smoothie to curl up on the couch with. Something about the warm, nuttiness makes it cozier than most. I hope you enjoy it!
Wow ! What a great idea to roast the nuts before adding them into a smoothie. I normally soak mine overnight :o)
Thanks, Janine! Toasting the nuts adds such a lovely flavor—hope you have the chance to give it a whirl!
Just made this today, doubled it for me and my husband, absolutely delicious. It's amazing how all the flavors meld together to taste like salted caramel. I usually peel my hazelnuts after toasting but no need to here with a high powdered blender it actually added some nice color. This is our new favorite.
So glad you're enjoying it so much!
Forgot to mention I love the video too...helpful and fun.
Thank you!! <3
I second that! The video really helps. I added ice cubes to get the mix chilled, but it lost its smoothiness, so just put in the fridge. At least that worked for me.