My loves. Supposedly it’s fall. Last weekend, I even found this gorgeous leaf turning leaf on the sidewalk. But here in LA, it’s currently nearing 90º. My longing for chilly mornings wrapped in blankets, set to the tune of rain pattering on the window panes is nothing but a heat mirage.
Still, though. Seasonality is always my chief inspiration (yes, even coming from a place like Maui, where “there are no seasons”—there are, I promise, and the ocean knows it), even if in color and flavor. So here is my ideal rendition of a fall superfood smoothie, packed with the natural Nutella flavors of raw hazelnuts and cacao nibs, vanilla, and maca.
Ps, can we talk about the size of those cacao nibs? I’ve been swooning over this latest score from Moon Juice’s new Moon Pantry line. Much of my summer was spent working with Moon Juice founder Amanda Chantal Bacon on the labels for these products, and not only am I excited and proud to share them with you all, I am insanely, covetously, ravenously insistent upon using them all in my own kitchen. (They’re all available to be sent right to you, too.)
So. Back to the smoothie: Hazelnuts for vitamins E and Bs, and digestive and skin health (manganese power and alpha tocopherols, baby!). Maca for hormone balancing (um, yes please). Cacao for dopamine boosting (I need it, stat). Hemp seeds for protein and omega 3s. And lucuma for anti-inflammatory action. There is so much good in here it’s nuts (literally!).
Blend. Sip. Enjoy your fall moment, regardless of the temperature outside.
Ingredients
- 1 cup peeled frozen banana chunks
- 3-4 cracked ice cubes
- ¾ cup cold purified water
- tsp pinch ground vanilla or ¼ . vanilla extract
- 1 tsp . hemp seeds
- 1 Tbsp . cacao nibs
- 1 tsp heaping . maca powder
- 1 tsp . lucuma powder or a couple drops stevia (a zero glycemic sweetener, but not with the same health properties as lucuma), optional
- 8-10 raw hazelnuts
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 tsp . spirulina (optional not used in pictured version—it is hella good for you but will make your smoothie bright green and slightly alter its flavor)
Instructions
- Blend everything til fully incorporated and even in color, with small brown flecks. Top with extra cacao nibs if desired.
