Red Velvet Smoothie (vegan, nut free)
Mar 02, 2021 • Updated Jun 20, 2023
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Vegan Red Velvet Smoothie
This Red Velvet Smoothie tastes like dessert, is good for the heart and makes for a balanced breakfast or snack. Sounds almost too good to be true right? It’s a gorgeous red smoothie with chocolate flavour. It’s vegan, gluten free, paleo, dairy free, refined sugar free, fruit sweetened, naturally coloured and has some secret veggies in it too. Beets add colour and a boost of nutrition and plant protein balances out the red velvet smoothie. A little pinch of cinnamon and some cacao nibs or vegan chocolate chips to top take this beet smoothie recipe to the next level.
How to Make a Red Velvet Smoothie
Making a red velvet smoothie is really easy and quick! The only prep step to keep in mind is the cooking of the beets. I highly recommend steaming your beets or purchasing pre-steamed or canned beets for convenience. They will become easier to blend and a little sweeter in flavour.
To prepare, peel and steam your beets and slice into chunks. The recipe calls for 1 small beet, and I recommend adjusting to taste. Add more beets for more colour and an earthier taste, or use less if you prefer it to be a little more hidden. I find that alongside the banana and cacao, I barely taste the beets, and I was able to work up to adding more over time.
To make the red velvet beet smoothie, add all ingredients into a blender along with a splash of plant milk and blend until desired texture is achieved. Use less plant milk for a thicker smoothie bowl-like result, and more for a pourable, sippable drink.
If you’d like to sweeten the beet smoothie recipe, I recommend adding in a medjool date or two. It will naturally sweeten the smoothie, especially if the banana you’re using isn’t super ripe.
Health Benefits of Beets in Smoothies
Beets are a nutrition powerhouse with lots of health benefits to boast! If a beet smoothie sounds a little strange to you, rest assured they complement chocolate very well, with a mild sweetness and an earthy flavour. The result is similar to the combination of coffee and chocolate in that it adds a depth of flavour.
- Beets are rich with essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, folate, vitamin b6 and magnesium, to name a few.
- They are a great source of fiber which supports digestive health.
- Beets have been linked to increased athletic performance, endurance and improved blood and oxygen flow. Consuming beets or beet juice a few hours before a workout has been shown to have a positive effect on the body.
- The nitrates found in beets have a blood pressure lowering effect, which is important for maintaining overall healthy blood pressure and heart health.
Best Protein Powder for Vegan Smoothies
To make this red velvet beet smoothie, I recommend either a vanilla or chocolate flavoured plant protein powder. Using chocolate will help to play up the chocolate flavour in this smoothie, and vanilla will complement the choocolate notes too, so take your pick! My personal favourite plant protein powder is Sprout Living’s Epic Plant Protein. Sprout living protein is formulated without any added gums, fillers or natural flavours which are commonly found in protein powders. It’s smooth, adds nice volume and texture to the smoothie and makes it more of a balanced drink.
More Colorful Plant-Based Smoothie Recipes
- Peach Pie Smoothie (No Bananas!)
- Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie Bowl
- Almond Joy Smoothie Bowl
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie
- Pitaya Smoothie with Protein
- Chocolate Banana Protein Smoothie (Detoxinista)
Red Velvet Smoothie (vegan, nut free)
Ingredients
- 1-2 frozen super ripe bananas
- 2 tbsp cacao powder or cocoa powder
- 1 small cooked beet roughly 1/3 cup, more as desired
- 1 serving chocolate or vanilla plant protein
- plant milk of choice to blend
- optional
- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- handful ice cubes to thicken
- handful raw cashews for extra creaminess
- sprinkle of cacao nibs to top
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth, adjusting plant milk to achieve desired texture. Enjoy immediately.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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