Apple Pie Smoothie
Photo by Mallory Dash
Apple Pie Smoothie
It's apple season! It's a particularly exciting time in Washington (where I used to live) and Oregon (where I live now) because these regions are known for apples. I grew up in New England where we only had about four varieties of apples to choose from at the time. Apples were never very interesting to me, but ever since I moved out West, I look forward to Autumn for the countless variety of delicious, even heirloom apples that there are to savor.
My beloved had his first apples of the season the other day - he said he'd been waiting six months for apples. He is a particularly big apple fan, having grown up in Washington on a farm where his family grew their own apples. So, with apples from the farmer's market, I created a spur-of-the-moment smoothie for him. He loved it!
As a nutritionist, I'm an advocate of a low sugar (including fruits) diet. Having had candida overgrowth for so many years and for general immune system health, I eat a low glycemic diet myself. So, this particular smoothie (with the dates, in particular) is not something I myself would drink on a daily basis. But, this smoothie is a tasty Autumn morning smoothie to be on your smoothie rotation. Or maybe just as a dessert one in a while.
A little tip is that Cinnamon helps to regular blood sugar, so it's not just for a wonderful flavor, but also functional in this smoothie. Cinnamon is also high in antioxidants. When added to the smoothie, it slows the rate at which it is processed in the stomach and prevents a blood sugar spike. There is actually only one true Cinnamon, it's called Ceylon Cinnamon. This is the variety I use and that's best for regulating blood sugar.
Ingredients
All Raw & Organic:
1 large apple or 2 small apples (my favorites are Pink Lady and HoneyCrisp - use your favorite)
5 dates (fresh dates, if possible)
2 handfuls of pecans ( I used 1 handful of walnuts and 1 handful of cashews because I did not have pecans, but pecans are ideal)
1 tsp vanilla Extract or 1/2 ground vanilla bean ( I like using ground vanilla bean)
1 - 2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 - 1/2 tsp nutmeg
a dash of Himalayan or Celtic Sea Salt
Roughly 2 cups of spring water (depending on how thick you like your smoothies)
Instructions
1. Soak the pecans (or whatever nuts you have) the night before or a few hours in advance. If you want it now and don't have soaked nuts, use un-soaked nuts - they are getting blended.
2. Drain and rinse the pecans
3. Pit the dates, cut in half or pieces
4. Core apple(s) and cut into pieces
5. Add all of the above and the rest of the ingredients to a powerful blender (preferably a Vitamix or similar). Blend until completely smooth.
6. Enjoy drinkable and healthy apple pie!
