Almond Butter Strawberry Jam Swirl 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.
Servings: 1 to 2 smoothies
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 ⅔'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.