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This delicious and healthy Strawberry Shortcake Dessert Smoothie is made without milk, yogurt or banana! With just a handful of simple, whole-food ingredients, it whips up in a cinch and will tantalize your tastebuds with a creamy, dairy-free blend of strawberry and vanilla.
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Thanks to the wonderful cashew nut, you can make this healthy strawberry shortcake smoothie without milk! Yes, you read that right. Not even dairy-free milk is required. So, if you're all out, there's no need to fret. A creamy, refreshing Strawberry Smoothie is still in order!
What Makes This Strawberry Smoothie Healthy?
As mentioned above, this Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie is made with a handful of whole-food ingredients, requires no milk and is free of refined sugars. However, that's not all! This smoothie is packed with antioxidants, fibre, and skin-loving nutrients.
Health Benefits
Antioxidant-rich. Strawberries contain a unique and very powerful flavonoid called anthocyanidins, which can be beneficial to heart health and help reduce inflammation.
Fibre-rich. Both strawberries and cashews make an excellent source of fibre. This smoothie alone provides 4 grams of fibre! That's 16% of the daily recommended intake for women.
Skin-loving. Strawberries are a rich source of skin-loving nutrients, including vitamins C, B1, B6, B5 and folic acid.
Seasonal Benefits
Spring is a great time reap the digestive stimulating benefits of sour tasting fruits, like strawberries.
Summer is the perfect time to enjoy this Smoothie with fresh seasonal strawberries and enjoy their refreshing and cooling properties.
How to Make a Strawberry Smoothie Without Milk
With a simple blend of cashews, strawberries, pure vanilla extract and water, making a Strawberry Smoothie without milk couldn't be easier! Follow the steps below or watch the video.
What You Will Need
Equipment
- Blender to create a smooth and creamy texture.
- Measuring utensils for accuracy.
- Sealable container for soaking the cashews.
Ingredients
- Strawberries provide the bulk of the flavour and sweetness in this this Smoothie.
- Soaked raw Cashews create a creamy texture without the need for milk or dairy.
- Pure Vanilla Extract adds an uplifting flavour that complements the strawberries.
- Pure Maple Syrup adds a touch of sweetness to balance the sour taste of strawberries.
- Ice helps to keep this Smoothie refreshing and cold. If using frozen strawberries, omit the ice.
- Water blends with the cashews to create a creamy, milky texture. However, you can use milk instead if you want an extra creamy Smoothie. I like using homemade almond milk, tigernut milk or coconut milk to keep it dairy-free.
Step 1: Soak Cashews
For the smoothest, creamiest results and improved digestibility, soak the raw cashews overnight.
To soak them overnight, fully submerge them in filtered water, leaving about an inch of room for expansion. Optionally, you can add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to further improve digestibility. Seal the container and store it in the fridge overnight.
You can also do a quick soak by soaking the cashews in warm water for at least 10 minutes. You can also add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to improve digestibility.
Once the cashews are soft, strain out the soaking water and rinse them well.
Step 2: Add Ingredients to Blender
Add the water, strawberries, pure vanilla extract, pure maple syrup and soaked cashews to a blender.
Step 3: Blend
Once all the ingredients are added, blend until smooth. If the cashews are soaked and softened, it shouldn't take more than 15 - 30 seconds to achieve a nice, creamy consistency.
My Top Tips
- Don't overblend to prevent your Smoothie from becoming warm.
- Use soaked cashews for the creamiest results.
- Use organic strawberries and cashews to avoid harmful pesticides and herbicides. Strawberries are typically high on EWG's Dirty Dozen list, so it's ideal to use homegrown, organic or pick them from a pesticide-free farm. Cashews can be prone to mould, so it is best to source them from reputable organic companies and choose the freshest that are available.
Substitutions & Variations
Use frozen strawberries and omit the ice for a colder smoothie. You can add an extra ¼ cup of water if your smoothie becomes too thick.
Nutritional boosters can be added, such as beetroot powder, pitaya powder, hemp hearts, grass-fed collagen powder or a fruit-based collagen booster.
Vanilla powder can be used as a substitute for the vanilla extract.
FAQs
This Strawberry Smoothie is best consumed fresh. However, it can be refrigerated for 8 - 12 hours if sealed in an airtight bottle or jar.
The month that strawberries are in season for picking really depends on your location. Here, in the northern part of the hemisphere, the prime strawberry-picking month is June. However, in more southern parts of the world, strawberry season can start as early as April.
You can make this Strawberry Smoothie thicker by reducing the amount of water. You can also add more strawberries or soaked cashews.
Additionally, you can add cashew yogurt, banana or natural unsalted almond butter. However, adding banana will make it sweeter, so you may want to omit the maple syrup. If using almond butter, it will add a nutty flavour.
For this Smoothie, 1 cup of fresh strawberries is used, which is approximately 8 - 10 whole strawberries. As mentioned above, you can add a few more if you want to make a thicker smoothie.
Recipe Highlights
Antioxidant-rich. Strawberries are a rich source protective flavonoids.
Skin-loving. Strawberries are an excellent source of skin-loving nutrients.
Cooling. Strawberries offer cooling properties that can help beat the summer heat.
Refined sugar free. Lightly sweetned with pure maple syrup, this Smoothie is free of heavily refined sugars.
Quick and easy. This Smoothie only takes a few minutes of hands-on time and is made with a handful of simple, whole food ingredients.
More Fruity Drinks
- Strawberry Lemon Infused Water
- Pineapple Coconut Smoothie
- Blueberry Lemon Infused Water
- Green Apple & Lime Soda
If you make this Healthy Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie, let me know how it turns out by leaving a comment and rating below. Also, make sure you're following along on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and Flipboard for more wildly nutritious recipes!
Healthy Strawberry Shortcake Dessert Smoothie (without milk)
Print RecipeEquipment
- Blender
- Measuring Utensils
Ingredients
- 1 cup Fresh Strawberries (*See Notes if Using Frozen)
- ⅓ cup Raw Cashews (Soaked)
- 1 cup Water
- 3 - 4 Ice Cubes
- 1 teaspoon Pure Maple Syrup
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- For the smoothest, creamiest results and improved digestibility, soak the raw cashews overnight. To soak them overnight, make sure they are fully submerged in filtered water with about an inch of room to expand. Optionally, you can add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to further improve digestibility. Seal the container and store it in the fridge overnight.You can also do a quick soak by soaking the cashews in warm water for at least 10 minutes. You can also add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to improve digestibility.Once the cashews are soft, strain out the soaking water and rinse them well.
- Add the water, strawberries, pure vanilla extract, pure maple syrup and soaked cashews to a blender.
- Once all the ingredients are added, blend until smooth. If the cashews are soaked and softened, it shouldn't take more than 15 - 30 seconds to achieve a nice, creamy consistency.This Strawberry Smoothie is best served fresh. It will keep for 8 - 12 hours in the fridge. However, it is best consumed right away.
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