I am fairly certain that a morning without coffee is, well, not really a morning.
There is only one thing I appreciate in the morning as much as that cup of Java.
She goes by the name of: workout.
Over time, I’ve come to realize that the pair makes for one amazing duo.
I typically only do high intensity interval training in the mornings. Because I do it so early (6:30am or before), I only consume a little coffee because the gutsy stomach can’t tolerate anything else prior.
Once I swing open the front door to return home, though, a re-coop smoothie is often an immediate need.
The bonus? A little more of my beloved Java.
A smoothie is a great way to consume healthy calories post workout, and if you do it correctly with a low-calorie “milk” base, you won’t consume triple the calories you just worked off.
Almond Java Chip Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1.5 c. Silk Pure Almond Unsweetened (Vanilla)
- 1 cup freshly-brewed coffee poured over ½ c. ice cubes (to cool)
- 1 large ripe banana, sliced
- ¼ tsp. Stevia powder extract (or your choice of sweetener)
- ½ tsp. pure almond extract
- 2 tbsp. raw cacao nibs
- 1 tbsp. chia seeds
- ½-1 c. crushed ice
Directions
- Brew coffee and set aside for a few minutes to cool
- Add all ingredients (including coffee) to blender
- Blend until the mixture reaches consistency desired
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Note: I said “smoothie,” not “protein smoothie.” This smoothie naturally contains about 5 g of protein. If this were a post-workout (i.e. lifting, not cardio only) drink for me, I would always add a little more protein as well. I do not use protein powders anymore. I am yet to find a protein powder that doesn’t disrupt my gut healing process.
Disclaimer: I was asked to create healthy recipes as part of a sponsored campaign with Silk and Fitfluential, LLC. All opinions and recipes are my own.
Serves: 2
Nutritional Information (per serving)
| Calories | 179 |
| Protein (g) | 5.5 |
| Carbohydrate (g) | 24 |
| Fat (g) | 6.5 |
| Saturated Fat (g) | 1.5 |
| Cholesterol (mg) | 0 |
| Sodium (mg) | 141 |
| Fiber (g) | 10 |
Love your guts,
SKH
this sounds great and your pictures are gorgeous!
Thanks!
I love adding coffee to my smoothies! This looks wonderful. And Silk is my favorite way to get protein from “milk”!
Me, too, Melissa! Thanks…
OMG this sounds amazing.. Thanks for sharing =)
Thanks, AnnMarie!
This sounds so amazing!! Definitely going to pin and try this one out! Thanks for sharing Sarah!
Thanks, Amber! Enjoy!
Oooohhh, I’ve been wanting to create a coffee smoothie at home–this one looks delicious!
Thanks! Even my husband loved it!
This looks awesome! I wonder if teeccino would work just as well..? I’ll have to give it a try! Thanks!
Hope you love it!
i love coffee in smoothies! i have found that it really helps recover after a high intensity workout & also when mixed with other goodies (like chia- love!) – it doesn’t bother the guts as much! i don’t do soda but i like my caffeine fix & this is a great way to get it
going to Pin it now so all my followers can see it! thanks!
Love all your thoughts, Morgan. And yes, the caffeine does help me as well after some HIIT! I don’t do much caffeine anymore.
I am going to make this right now! Just missing the cacoa nibs…will see how it is without.
Well…how was it?!
Wow….this sounds amazing! I look forward to trying this recipe! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks! Enjoy:)
Have you tried a plant based protein powder?
Hi Michelle! I sure have…even plant-based protein powders are very hard for those with digestive disease and disorder to process, though. It’s okay. This was perfect without it:)
This looks heavenly! I always wondered if banana and coffee would be a strange combo..but the combo of almond extract, cocoa nibs and cofee sounds delish!
Thanks! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
looks sooooo good… but what r the sugars lookin like?
Hi Sabrina! I rarely eat any sugar:) The only sugar, for the most part, in this smoothie are the natural ones found via the banana. I always eat my bananas really ripe, too, as they are the easiest to digest. Hope you enjoy it!
This looks amazing. I must try.
Some questions. What type of HIIT training do you tend to do?
And if you were to add some protein to this, what do you add (since you don’t do protein powders)?
Hey Alejandra! Thanks for stopping by. I usually either do running HIIT or biking. If I do running it looks something like this: 20 seconds “on” (9.0-10.0) and 40 seconds “off” (5.0-6.0). I do that for about 20-30 minutes. I set the incline to 1 or 2%. I also do HIIT circuits or other things, too, to keep it fresh:) When it comes to protein, I simply don’t add anything to my smoothies really. I will opt for real food like meat or fish.
I’m not familiar with cacao nibs or chia seeds. Are they easy to find, or will I need to try a specialty store?
Also, I don’t tolerate artificial sugars very well (migraines). Has anyone tried it without the Stevia? If I can find the nibs and seeds, I will!
Hey Susan! You should be able to find them both at your grocery store. Just ask someone. Otherwise, specialty or amazon:) You don’t need to use the Stevia. Another recommendation would also be honey – do you use that?
Agave is really good and you only need a small amount.
Yes, agave can be a replacement. I just didn’t recommend it here, as it’s not one I often recommend for my clients with digestive issues.
Thank you, Sarah.
I’m not a big fan of honey, but I may give it a try. I love almond milk. I just don’t like it plain with my coffee. Adding these other tasty ingredients makes it sound enticing.
Hi Susan! Honestly…I think you will be good to go with just the banana. If I were to make it again, I’d probably leave the Stevia out anyways:)
Looks great! Have you ever tried Optimum Nutrition’s protein powder?
I have not…will look into it!
My stomach cannot handle any sweetners, but I SO want to try it. Would it be better to use brown sugar instead of regular sugar??? Also, where are the chia seeds and raw cacao available? I tried to look for it but cannot find it anywhere.
Hi Stefanie! If your stomach cannot handle any sweeteners, I would not recommend brown or white sugar. Can you do honey? You should be able to find the chia/raw cacao both at your grocery store. Just ask someone. Otherwise, specialty store or Amazon:)
Thanks so much for this recipe! Just curious where you got that precious initial mug?
Isn’t it adorable?! They sell them at Anthropologie!