Please tell me you’ve seen the “My Kid Can’t Eat This” Instagram account?! Ben sympathetically showed it to me the other night after coming home from work to find me battling with Lincoln to eat his peas at dinner.
The Instagram account features images from parents of food their kids refuse to touch for one bizarre reason or another, such as a picture of a half peeled banana with the caption, #MyKidCantEatThis because mommy peeled it and he wanted it peeled by daddy. (been there!) and My kid can’t eat this because it has ugly bumps and isn’t a doughnut. accompanied by a picture of a Nutrigrain bar.
BAHAHAHAwahhh!!
I will say, Lincoln eats a decent variety of foods but we go through the whole, you literally couldn’t stuff peas into your mouth fast enough last night but tonight you won’t even look at them, routine like everyone else. Stinkers!
That said, one type of food I can always rely on to get my main man a blast of nutrients is smoothies. I like to stuff the blender full of spinach and chia seeds then sweeten it up with fresh fruit like in my Best Ever Green Smoothie or pack it with fresh, vitamin-rich berries and nuts that are high in healthy fats, protein, and iron like in my Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie!
Health reasons aside, we simply love this smoothie because it tastes freaking FANTASTIC!! It’s a spinoff of my Blueberry Muffin Smoothie which is a big hit with you guys. I gave it a desserty spin (without adding any sugar, I might add,) and came up with this version that highlights juicy, sweet strawberries, and tastes exactly like Strawberry Shortcake.
The strawberries are blended with almond milk (or whatever you have in the fridge,) half a banana, a splash of good vanilla extract, a teensy bit of fresh lemon extract (if you’ve had the Blueberry Muffin Smoothie than you know how key this is to making the smoothie taste like a baked good,) and a secret ingredient – cashews!
Guess it’s not so secret anymore. ;)
Why cashews? Well, raw cashews are a creamy and sweeter tasting nut that takes the place of yogurt in this smoothie, plus it mimics the flavor of shortcake. Lincoln is allergic to dairy so the cashews help give each sip a creamy, thick consistency, plus they’re loaded with iron which I’m a big fan of.
When all is said and done, this smoothie tastes like a big bowl of strawberry shortcake that neither of us can’t get enough of. We like to share a cup in the morning after breakfast, but this would be so perfect as a nighttime treat if you’re watching your refined sugar intake. Plus the cashews not only up the creaminess factor, but make the smoothie really satisfying too. In my experience, when I’m not satisfied I’m automatically back on the hunt for more food.
Sheesh, could I sell this thing any harder?! I just seriously love it!
Ok! Just one direction to this simple recipe – throw stuff in a blender and push on! ;) Said “stuff” includes 1/2 cup almond milk (or again, whatever you have in the fridge,) 1 cup sliced strawberries, 1/2 banana, 2 heaping Tablespoons raw cashews, a splash of good vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest. You can skip the zest but it totally makes this smoothie!
Here are the cashews I use. Make sure you’re not using roasted cashews, rather we want the creamy, sweet raw ones.
Add 1/2 cup ice on top of the other ingredients then blend, blend, blend until ultra smooth.
Pour into a glass then enjoy!
free email bonus
Dinner Made EASY
5 days of simple yet flavorful recipes that take the stress out of dinnertime!
Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie
Description
Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie is a sippable gluten and dairy-free version of Strawberry Shortcake with no added sugar!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
- 1 cup sliced strawberries (about 8 strawberries,) fresh or frozen
- 1/2 banana, fresh or frozen
- 2 heaping Tablespoons raw cashews
- 1/2 teaspoon good vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 cup ice
Directions
- Add ingredients to a blender listed in the order above then blend until very smooth.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Honestly you’re going to flip your lid for this smoothie. Sweet and decadent tasting yet no extra sugar (or baking!) required. I can’t wait to turn these into popsicles too. Oh right, I’m declaring this the summer of popsicles. Lincoln’s gonna love it! (Ok me too.) :)
[…] Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie […]
[…] strawberry shortcake smoothie from Iowa Girl Eats is gluten and dairy-free, with no added […]
I looooooooooove your smoothie recipes. Could pls make some more?
[…] Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie from Iowa Girl Eats […]
Would this work without the nuts? (I’m allergic) I’m still going to make this with or without the nuts though ;)
Absolutely! You might lose a little bit of that “baked goods” flavor but it will still be absolutely delicious. :)
[…] Iowa Girl Eats – Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie […]
I LOVE your blueberry muffin recipe and can’t wait to try this one! I don’t usually have lemon zest, but tried a couple drops of lemon essential oil. . . SO GOOD!!! Can’t wait to try it in this recipe too. Thanks for sharing!!
My little guy has the same pajamas! They’re so funny…and random! This might be a stupid question but Ive been looking everywhere for raw nuts (ive never eaten them!). How would I know they are raw (I dont see it written on the package)? And also, where did you buy them? Thanks!
Raw nuts are usually sold in the “health food” section of the grocery store. They’re really hard to find gluten-free though (due to cross contamination at packaging plants,) so I always order mine from Nuts.com!
After 4 or 5 attempts at eating cashews, I have sadly accepted the fact that I have an intolerance serious enough that I throw up every time I eat them. Can you suggest a substitute that will provide the added creaminess and flavor to this smoothie? I have no problems with any other food.
creamy and
Hi Tonya! I would use Strawberry Greek Yogurt. I think it will lose a bit of the “shortcake” flavor but it will still be delicious. :) Enjoy!
So…just so you know, I made this and added 1/2 cup of frozen peas instead of ice. No one was the wiser. :D
Hehe! Good idea, Brooke!
This is delicious! I’m on my third morning straight of having this for breakfast, with the addition of frozen blueberries. Love the zing the lemon zest gives it. I’m going to try it with cashew milk once my almond milk runs out. Thanks for a great recipe!
Gluten and dairy products have become a no go area these days in my daily diet,as for vegetables and not liking them i made my daughter a juice which contained mainly fruit but i put three kinds of vegetable in the mix.
She is very fussy when it comes to eating veg,alongside pineapple,grapes,apple and ginger and lemon i added spinach,carrot and celery.
She drank it and said it was nice to my happy surprise,i am going to try and make some of these beautiful smoothies for her especially now it is summer here in the U K.
[…] these Strawberry Shortcake Smoothies from Iowa Girl Eats for breakfast—so refreshing and tasty! The many faces of Bryce-a-roni…seriously, I could just […]
[…] Strawberry Shortcake Smoothies or Breakfast […]
I thought you had posted that Lincoln was allergic to cashews. Did I imagine that?
This sounds amazing! I have been looking for new breakfast ideas. I just worry about the calorie count of smoothies. Do you have any idea how many calories this has in it?
This looks so refreshing! And my son would drink it! Win-win! Can I use lemon extract in lieu of the lemon zest? And if so, how much?
Hey Kristin! Hmmm, I’m not 100% sure since I haven’t tested it but I’d start with maybe 1/8th teaspoon?
Jack loves peas and will even eat them as a snack. On the other hand, he is super finicky about all forms of meat. Yep, toddlers keep it interesting!
MMM, strawberries… delicious!
sounds like a perfect thing to eat/drink while falling out of bed in the morning :-O