Almond Butter Chia Smoothie

This 4-ingredient Almond Butter Protein Chia Smoothie provides a boost of antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, and makes for a healthful breakfast or snack.

This blog post is sponsored by Almond Breeze. The content and opinions expressed here are mine.

For those of you who are all about a quick and easy smoothie for breakfast or snack, this yummy Almond Butter Chia Smoothie packs a nutrient punch.

A boost of protein, a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and easy to digest carbohydrates, this simple smoothie recipe is like giving your body a big nutritious hug.

Did you know liquid clears your body four times faster than solid food? When I learned that nifty fact, I began drinking smoothies daily.

A great way to re-set your metabolism is to annihilate a nutritious smoothie or creamy soup, such my Golden Beet and Fennel Soup. The body is very receptive to food in liquiform.

When we think of detox smoothies, we tend to think of the famous green smoothie. Green smoothies are awesome, and I’m all about adding a handful of spinach to my protein smoothies, but we also need protein and fat in order to support digestion.

You can absolutely add a handful of spinach or kale leaves to this smoothie to make it green!

I find that a ripe frozen banana and unsweetened almond milk is base camp for a sweet, healthy treat, so most of my protein smoothies are founded on this duo.

This almond butter chia smoothie recipe is just so silly simple.

Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for this healthy smoothie recipe.

Ingredients for Almond Butter Chia Smoothie:

Ripe Frozen Banana: The all star ingredient that adds creaminess and sweetness to the smoothie. I like to peel a ripe banana and freeze it in advance.

I often do this to multiple ripe bananas at a time so that I can store them in a zip lock bag in the freezer for those times I need a delicious smoothie. If your banana isn’t frozen, toss some ice cubes into the blender so that it turns out nice and cold.

Milk of Choice: Pick your favorite milk for smoothie making. I like almond milk, oat milk, cashew milk, or coconut milk. Unsweetened vanilla almond milk is always a great option.

Unsweetened Almond Butter: Almond butter adds healthy fats to the smoothie and also gives it a little richness. Peanut butter or cashew butter works here too. Add an extra 1 to 3 tablespoons almond butter to make this easy recipe more calorically dense.

Chia Seeds: One of the star ingredients, chia seeds add an infusion of omega-3 fatty acids. Just be sure to drink the smoothie immediately after preparing it or the chia seeds will thicken the smoothie. You can add flax seeds in addition to or in lieu of chia seeds.

Collagen Peptides or Protein Powder: Add your favorite protein powder or collagen powder to turn this into a meal in a glass. For plant-based protein, use hemp protein powder, pea protein powder, or rice protein powder instead of whey protein.

Optional Additions:

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp maca powder
• 1/2 to 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 handful baby spinach

This recipe as written includes 21 grams of protein. Not too shabby for a healthy breakfast first thing in the morning!

Occasionally, I’ll toss in some oats for added thickness, flavor and fiber!

How to Make This Smoothie Lower in Carbohydrate:

Looking for a lower sugar or lower carbohydrate smoothie? Simply replace the frozen banana with frozen cauliflower. I prefer using frozen cauliflower that was previously steamed, as I find cooked cauliflower is easier on my digestive system than raw.

Be sure to sprinkle in some extra cinnamon, a touch of vanilla extract and/or cocoa powder for added flavor if you go with cauliflower.

Recipe Additions:

I always have the ingredients for this smoothie on hand, and it’s perfect to use as a blank canvas for other smoothie add-ins, such as maca powder, hemp seeds, cacao powder, and/or your favorite fruit and leafy greens. 

Add any of your favorite fruit to change up the flavor. I prefer leaving it on the creamy/almond butter/chocolate end of the smoothie spectrum.

How to Make Almond Butter Chia Smoothie:

Add all of the ingredients to a high powered blender and blend until completely smooth. Taste the smoothie for flavor and make any adjustments you’d like. You can add more almond butter, more protein powder, cinnamon, vanilla extract, etc.

Pour into a glass and enjoy! Note that the smoothie will thicken as it sits due to the chia seeds. For the best results, drink the smoothie soon after preparing it.

If you love making smoothies, here are some of my favorite smoothies

More Healthy Protein Smoothie Recipes:

• Immunity Boosting Tropical Smoothie
• Good Digestion Smoothie
• Liver Detox Smoothie
• Pineapple Green Protein Smoothie
• Adaptogenic Protein Smoothie

Enjoy this banana almond butter smoothie for the perfect breakfast!

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