:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/20250917-SEA-BananaDateSmoothie-AmandaSuarez-08-54ef85204c284a8ca0fdfafa7208d717.jpg?ssl=1 "The Creamy Espresso-Date Smoothie I Make Each Morning")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/20250917-SEA-BananaDateSmoothie-AmandaSuarez-08-54ef85204c284a8ca0fdfafa7208d717.jpg)
Why It Works
- Soaking the dates in sizzling water softens their skins and flesh, guaranteeing they mix easily into the drink with out leaving chewy bits behind.
- Utilizing frozen bananas provides physique and creaminess and retains the smoothie chilly with out watering it down like ice would.
- Including a contact of salt sharpens the flavors of the smoothie.
Espresso and dates are a pure pair: The bitterness of the brew tames the fruit’s toffee-like sweetness. It is a mixture I come again to every day, consuming two dates alongside a cup of black espresso within the morning. This smoothie builds on that very same pairing, turning it right into a drink that is frivolously candy however balanced, and nourishing sufficient to face in for breakfast.Â
In spirit, this smoothie just isn’t so removed from the well-known Palm Springs milkshake you may discover alongside California’s desert highways—a mix of dates, milk, and ice cream that’s wealthy, cooling, refreshing, and extremely scrumptious. This reimagination channels the identical date-driven sweetness however retains issues lighter and extra balanced, making it simply as welcome very first thing within the morning as it’s within the afternoon.
On this chilly, creamy smoothie, espresso and dates are rounded out with frozen banana, milk, Greek yogurt, and nutty hemp hearts, then blended till easy and milkshake-thick. The espresso offers each spine and steadiness, and concentrated chilly brew works greatest—it delivers deeper, bolder notes that stand as much as the pure sweetness of the dates. That stated, a powerful batch of home-brewed espresso also can do the job if that is what you could have available.Â
Frozen banana provides the smoothie its thick, milkshake-like texture with out ice, so each sip stays creamy as an alternative of watered down. For much more creaminess, I like to make use of complete cow’s milk, however any unsweetened milk, resembling almond, oat, or soy, can be utilized as a replacement. Greek yogurt and nutty hemp hearts add physique, steadiness, and protein, making this smoothie extra sustaining. As a substitute of counting on protein powders, I want these complete substances to deliver taste in addition to substance to the smoothie.Â
Severe Eats / Amanda Suarez
A pinch of cinnamon pairs superbly with the dates’ pure caramel taste, whereas cardamom is a nod to Arabic espresso traditions, the place the spice is usually blended proper into the beans. Lastly, a contact of salt sharpens the smoothie’s flavors.
It is a easy mix, however one balanced sufficient to maintain me coming again each morning.
The Creamy Espresso-Date Smoothie I Make Each Morning
Prepare dinner Mode
(Hold display awake)
-
2 to three Medjool dates, pitted, and chopped (about 1 1/3 ounces to 2 ounces) (see notes)
-
1 medium banana, peeled, sliced, and frozen (about 5 1/2 ounces; 156 g)
-
1/2 cup (120 ml) unsweetened milk (see notes)
-
1/4 cup (60 g) full-fat strained (Greek-style) yogurt
-
3 tablespoons (45 ml) chilly brew focus or sturdy home-brewed espresso, chilled (see notes)
-
2 tablespoons (about 18 g) hemp hearts (see notes)
-
1/4 teaspoon floor cinnamon
-
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
-
1/8 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for desk salt, use half as a lot by quantity
-
In a small heatproof bowl, add dates and canopy with sizzling water. Soak till softened, about 10 minutes. Drain nicely.
Severe Eats / Amanda Suarez
-
Mix soaked dates, frozen banana, milk, yogurt, chilly brew, hemp hearts, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt in a blender.
Severe Eats / Amanda Suarez
-
Mix on excessive velocity till easy and creamy, about 60 seconds. Pour into 1 or 2 glasses and serve.
Severe Eats / Amanda Suarez
Particular Gear
Excessive-speed blender
Notes
For a sweeter smoothie, use 3 dates; for a much less candy model, persist with 2. Whereas Medjool dates are straightforward to search out, any selection will work right here—even drier ones, because the soaking step will soften them. Simply take into account that differing kinds have barely completely different taste profiles.
Any unsweetened milk of selection could also be used; nevertheless, complete cow’s milk yields the creamiest outcome.
Chilly brew focus provides bolder, deeper espresso notes than common brewed espresso, pairing particularly nicely with the toffee-like sweetness of Medjool dates.
Hemp hearts are the tender hulled interiors of hemp seeds. They are often discovered in lots of mainstream grocery shops, in addition to in well being meals shops, and on-line.
Make-Forward and Storage
Smoothies are greatest loved instantly after mixing, whereas they’re nonetheless chilly.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/20250917-SEA-BananaDateSmoothie-AmandaSuarez-08-54ef85204c284a8ca0fdfafa7208d717.jpg?ssl=1&description=The+Creamy+Espresso-Date+Smoothie+I+Make+Each+Morning){kind=link}