(Get my homemade granola recipe here.)

This delicious smoothie is a great way to start your day with veggies, healthy fat, and protein! It even makes a nutritious dessert.

With about 5 minutes of prep work the day before, this breakfast comes together in just minutes.

Carrot Spice Smoothie

Serves 2

• 1 1/2 cups carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 cups milk, divided
• 4 dates
• 2 T. almond butter or pecan butter*
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/8 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• Stevia or maple syrup if you want it sweeter

Optional add-ins to boost the nutrition:

• 1 T. ground flax
• 1 T. maca powder
• 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
• 1 raw egg yolk (eggs yolks are safe and super-nutritious to eat raw if you get them from a trusted local farmer who raises his chickens on pasture)

The day before you make this smoothie, you need to do two things:

1. Steam the carrots until tender and then refrigerate.
2. Freeze 1 cup of the milk in an ice cube tray (leave the other 1 cup milk in the frig)

To make the smoothie:

Place all the ingredients in a blender (including the frozen milk cubes) and blend.  

Taste and see if it's sweet enough for you.  You can add maple syrup or stevia and blend again if you want it sweeter.  

Top with granola (like my homemade granola recipe), whipped cream, or extra cinnamon!

*If you aren't familiar with almond or pecan butter, it can be purchased in a store or homemade.  You can make it by grinding nuts in a food processor or blender until they become nut butter.  If you do not have almond or pecan butter, you can omit it from the recipe.  Do not substitute peanut butter.