A creamy, delicious, banana-free smoothie (that uses squash instead)
Most people that buy a Vitamix are intending to make smoothies.
Smoothies are considered the gateway drug to healthy eating.
Why? Because they are:
- creamy
- delicious
- packed with nutrients
- filling
But what if you have an aversion to bananas?
So many smoothie recipes use frozen bananas to achieve that smooth mouth-feel.
Well guess what? Frozen butternut squash creates the same sensation!
There’s finally a go-to smoothie that is free from bananas, but still outrageously luscious.
It’s the Sa-Squash smoothie. Make one tomorrow morning (and then every day thereafter)!
A Vitamix Family Tradition
Last fall we had the pleasure of visiting Vitamix headquarters in Cleveland, OH.
We toured the plant, met with the social media team, played in the test kitchen, and got introduced to the new Ascent Platform.
But the absolute highlight was when we got the honor to interview Vitamix President and CEO, Jodi Berg.
She’s the third generation to lead the homegrown company, and she is an absolute gem.
We learned all about her cookbook and her daily smoothie.
Jodi happens to be one of those people who just doesn’t like the taste of bananas.
Her tips on using butternut squash instead:
- Cook it.
- Freeze it.
- Pop ’em in your Vitamix.
“You use it like you would with frozen bananas. You get a nice creaminess without the sweetness from other “secret” ingredients.”
Brilliant!
But, I have to be honest. It didn’t sound that delicious.
But hey, if the CEO of Vitamix tells me to put vegetables in my smoothie, I’m going to listen.
We created the Sa-Squash smoothie bowl with Jodi in mind. We knew this Vitamix recipe would make her proud 🙂
Recipe
Sa-Squash Smoothie Bowl
A thick and creamy smoothie bowl without banana.
Ingredients:
- unsweetened vanilla almond milk - 1 cup (240 mL)
- raw almonds - 1/4 cup (35 g)
- rolled oats - 1 Tbsp. (6 g)
- pitted date* - 1 whole
- frozen strawberries - 1 cup (150 g)
- frozen butternut squash cubes - 1 cup (200 g)
Instructions:
PREP:
- Bake your butternut squash until tender
- Cut into cubes
- Put parchment paper on a cookie sheet
- Lay out cubes in single layer
- Freeze overnight
- Put cubes in an airtight container and keep in freezer
BLEND:
- Add ingredients into Vitamix container in order listed
- Ramp from variable speed 1 to 10
- Blend on high for 60 seconds
SERVE
- Pour into a bowl
- Add your favorite toppings (granola, goji berries, coconut flakes, etc)
- Make it pretty and snap a pic, tag #lifeisNOYOKE
- Enjoy!
Useful tips for Sa-Squash Smoothie Bowl
The prep is the hard part.
Either cut a butternut squash in half and roast at 350F degrees (175C) for 60 minutes, let cool, and then cube. OR buy pre-cubed at your local grocery store and roast or microwave to save time.
In order to not have to use a hacksaw, the best method for freezing is to lay parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Place your cubed squash in a single layer on the sheet and freeze overnight. Once frozen solid, you can put them in an airtight container and freeze for up to one month. They shouldn’t stick.
The good news is once you cook and freeze, you’ve got several smoothies-worth stocked in your freezer.
*We used a pitted medjool date for sweetness. This smoothie (unlike many of our others) does need a little boost. If you don’t have dates, use a Tbsp (15 mL) of agave or pure maple syrup.
This mixture is deliberately thick. That way your toppings don’t sink to the bottom of your bowl. Detailed smoothie bowl post coming soon 🙂 For now, look how pretty this one turned out.
If you’d like to make this a smoothie instead of a bowl, add another half cup of almond milk. That should make it straw-worthy.
This smoothie does taste like butternut squash. The first spoonful is kind of surprising. But after the second, we both really liked the taste. It stops tasting just like squash and instead tastes as complex and fruity as any other smoothie.
We’re planning to make it again this weekend. You should too!
3 Vitamix FYI's
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