The last few years has had a growing trend of green smoothies. It’s simply an ingenious way to enjoy a sweet, healthy, refreshing smoothie – and sneak all those much needed veggies in too. In terms of kids, well…they often shy away from those healthy veggies. With this recipe however, the colors are so bright and vibrant, it will speak right to their color-loving hearts! We started this recipe with the traditional start of what you’d use for a smoothie right in the blender, then combined it with some gluten-free dry ingredients to take this smoothie into the land of muffins. After baking, we topped with some dried mango, for a pop of color and sweetness. These disappeared from our kitchen rather quickly, but by packing punches of flavor, color and the bonus of being dietary friendly (nut-free, gluten-free, and vegan!) it’s not a surprise they disappeared. Conveniently portioned for the lunch box, and quick out-the-door breakfasts – your smoothie game just got an upgrade.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup baby spinach
- 1/2 cup baby kale
- 1 banana, ripe
- 1/4 cup almond flour (also known as almond meal or ground almond)
- 3 tbs sugar (can substitute for maple syrup)
- 3 tbs coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (we used gluten-free!)
- 1/2 cup grated carrots
- Dried fruit topping (optional - we used dried mango pieces)
Equipment
- Blender
- Muffin Pan
- Muffin Liners
- Mixing Bowl
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In your blender, blend together your applesauce, banana, almond meal, sugar, coconut oil, kale & spinach until smooth. Set aside.
- In your mixing bowl, combine your baking soda, baking powder, salt & all purpose flour (again, we used a gluten free variety!).
- Next, pour your green smoothie mixture from the blender into your dry ingredient mixing bowl, and mix together until well combined.
- Add your grated carrots, mix.
- Using a greased 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop out the mixture evenly into the 12 prepared muffin cups.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until it's baked through (check with a toothpick, and they're ready when it comes out clean!).
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