Acai puree and cherries make a deeply colored blend, while banana and cashews soften the body. Cashew milk supplies liquid and chia is optional. Acai is included as a fruit ingredient here, without making special health promises about the finished drink.
Healthy Smoothie Recipes
Cherry Acai Cashew Smoothie
Acai puree and cherries make a deeply colored blend, while banana and cashews soften the body.
Prep: 5 minutesServings: 1
Base recipe: 1 serving; the full base batch
Vegan
Category image
Measured ingredient amounts adjust with servings. “To taste” amounts and directions stay as written.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened cashew milk
- 1 tablespoon raw cashews
- 0.5 banana, peeled
- 0.5 cup cherries frozen, checked for pits
- 1 packet unsweetened acai puree, frozen (one standard 100 g packet)
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds optional
Directions
- Pour the measured liquid into the blender. Add the softer prepared ingredients first, keeping the frozen pieces separated so they can move toward the blades instead of forming a solid block above them.
- Add the remaining edible ingredients, including the measured fruit, nuts, seeds, or spices listed for this recipe. Blend until evenly combined. Use the machine instructions to choose a suitable speed, and stop before checking texture or scraping the jug.
- Taste a small spoonful after blending. If the mixture is too thick to pour, add cold water one tablespoon at a time and blend briefly again. Divide the base batch into 1 serving and enjoy promptly.
Notes
Contains tree nuts. Prepared ingredients are required; additional cooking, cooling, freezing, brewing, or soaking time is excluded from the active prep estimate. Serving volume and nutrition totals are not measured.
Adapted from Jen Hansard at Simple Green Smoothies.
Tips and ingredient notes
Choose unsweetened acai and check packet weight because brands vary. Break the frozen puree into manageable pieces. Evaluate the base before adding optional chia, which changes the thickness as the smoothie stands.
Inspect cherries for pits and fragments even when the package says pitted. Sweet and tart varieties have noticeably different flavors. Use the variety specified where possible, and record substitutions before deciding whether the drink needs a different balance next time.
Use plain unsweetened acai puree and check the packet weight rather than assuming every brand is identical. Break frozen puree into smaller pieces before blending. Sweetened acai blends may contain other fruit and create a different result from the ingredient specified here.
Ingredient health benefits
- Chia seeds provide fiber and plant-based omega-3 fat.
- Banana contributes vitamin B6, which helps the body process protein.
Nutrition references: Harvard Nutrition Source: Chia seeds; NIH: Vitamin B6. These are ingredient contributions; nutrition per serving has not been calculated.
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Recipe adapted from Jen Hansard at Simple Green Smoothies. Article text and directions written for Healthy Smoothie Recipes. Supplement omissions and preparation changes mean source nutrition totals do not apply.
