Tahini Smoothie With Cardamom And Dates Recipe

Smoothies have become a popular breakfast or snack over the last decade and rightly so. They're super easy to prepare, full of nutritional value, highly customizable, and refreshingly delicious. Tahini, cardamom, and dates come together in this recipe to create a delicious and creamy smoothie. 

If you're not familiar with tahini, it's a paste made from ground sesame seeds. It has a creamy texture and a nutty flavor. Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe and says, "I am a huge smoothie fan and make one just about every day. I love getting lots of healthy ingredients all in one drink." 

This simple smoothie has just enough sweetness to also call it a dessert and is perfect after a light breakfast or lunch. Read on to learn how to make this delicious beverage.

To make this recipe, pick up some dates and bananas from the produce aisle. "Even though you'll find dates in the dried fruit section of the store, most stores also carry Medjool dates in the produce section. I think these are fresher and I store them in my fridge when I get home," Hahn explains. For the bananas, you don't need them to be perfectly fresh. If you like to freeze your bananas when they are turning brown, this recipe is perfect for using up the frozen bananas in your freezer. 

Then pick up some tahini, soy milk, cinnamon, and cardamom. Tahini is usually found in the nut butter aisle, and you can use any type of milk that you like whether it's dairy or non-dairy. Then you'll just need some ice to make the smoothie extra cold; if you are using frozen bananas, you can omit the ice from this recipe. If you want to top your smoothie with some chocolatey crunch, grab some cacao nibs.

The main sweetener for this smoothie is the dates. "I like to soften the dates before adding them to the blender so that we don't have bits of unblended dates floating around the drink," Hahn says. Put them in a small bowl and cover them with boiling water. You'll want to let them sit for about 15 minutes, then remove and discard the pits.

 "Since I make smoothies quite frequently, I usually soften about 20 dates, remove the pits, and keep them in a container in the fridge so they are ready to go. They stay nice and soft and this will be a time saver every time you want to whip up a smoothie," Hahn explains.

If your bananas are fresh, slice them into large chunks. If you are using frozen bananas, let them thaw for about 5 minutes so that they blend nicely in the blender. Then measure out the tahini, soy milk, cinnamon, cardamom, and ice. "If you are using a new jar of tahini, make sure to stir it really well so that you have incorporated the thicker tahini that has settled at the bottom of the jar," Hahn shares.

Now, go ahead and load up the blender with the softened dates, bananas, tahini, soy milk, cinnamon, cardamom, and crushed ice. Turn the blender on and blend for at least one minute so everything is broken down. The creamy smoothie is ready to pour into two small glasses or one large one. Top with cacao nibs if desired and enjoy your smoothie for breakfast, snack time, or dessert.