Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie is a sippable gluten and dairy-free version of Strawberry Shortcake, with no added sugar!
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.
Peas first because if he tastes something savory like meatballs, ain’t no WAY peas are happening. Before fruit too, because if anything sweet enters his system, game over. No other foods need apply!
Anyway 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!!
Who knew feeding a teeny tiny toddler is such a delicate dance of pleading and praying? I guess I thought since Ben and I are foodies, our tiny person would be too. Ah, a girl can dream. ;) I will say Lincoln eats a decent variety of foods, and the fact that he devours chips and salsa like his Mama (aka with abandon) makes my heart burst with pride, 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 Back On Track Green Detox Smoothie (not just for holiday overindulging!) 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!
Ok – health reasons aside, we simply like this smoothie because it tastes freaking FANTASTIC!! It’s a spinoff of the Blueberry Muffin Smoothie I posted almost a year ago which was 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 the cashews? Well, raw cashews are a creamy and frankly sweet tasting nut (twss) that take the place of yogurt in the smoothie, and mimic 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 always worry he’s not getting enough of (oh hi, peas!)
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!
Shrimp and Avocado Taco SaladStrawberry 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.) :)
Have you tried giving him things to dunk his veggies in? My now Mr. 7 went through a phase where he wanted to dunk everything, so I used yogurt a lot for dunking ;)
Love this! Your green detox smoothie and blueberry muffin smoothie are both favorites of mine, so I can’t wait to give this one a go!
I appreciate your laid back attitude about venturing through the “what will my child eat” experience. I admit I find it annoying when a parent has a kid that will literally eat everything, and they take total credit for it. Every child is a little different, and some kids are just easier in this regard. But for most they go through phases, and for many it gets harder at preschool and higher as many of them become more limited at that time.
Mine is in the middle…. he is somewhat okay about variety, but picky at the same time. I count my blessings that he likes veggies and fruits to some degree, and just keep looking for those bright spots and try very hard to not make food a big deal. My main focus is that he understands moderation when it comes to treats, and that he gets some healthy food in his diet.
Have fun!
I have never thought about adding cashews to a smoothie! I have a huge bag in the pantry so I’ll have to make this tomorrow!
Yum, this smoothie looks so good and I love the addition of cashews! Cashews are my favorite type of nut, so I think they would be excellent in a smoothie!
I “mustache” you where you got Lincoln’s pajamas from.
Hehe! Carters! :)
Have you ever considered posting calorie count on your recipes?
This smoothie looks great. Can’t wait to give it a try! I can’t wait for the weather to finally make up its mind and warm up for good.
OMG I just followed that Instagram account. So funny (but I have little cousins, so I totally get that it’s true and frustrating)! And I love that you added cashews to this smoothie. I’d never have thought of it, but it makes perfect sense. I can’t wait to make this :D
Yummy, looks tasty! Need to try this.
This is perfect! I have been needing a good smoothie recipe! Thanks! :)
I don’t know which I love more – Lincoln’s crazed look in his eye for that smoothie or your “twss” comments! :P
Oh my goodness, my sister just sent that site to me yesterday! I loved the one where he wouldn’t eat it because it was on a green plate! It reminds me of the #whymykidiscrying site! Toddlers are just not rational in any way, shape or form. Too cute! I adore this smoothie – the cashews are an awesome addition for more protein!
The tag line on the bag of cashews “love the curves” totally made me giggle. I love cashews and their ability to adapt to a smoothie ingredient! Can I just say your Lincoln (that’s my son’s name too although he mostly goes by L.J) has the cutest dag-on smile ev-a!!
the tricky ‘twss’ made me LOL at work – to the point my coworkers asked me what was so funny. sneaky and hilarious – this is why I have you bookmarked. :)
Cashews, brilliant! Looking forward to trying this recipe.
In terms of tricks to veggies, we like to freeze our peas. The kiddos think they are a frozen little treat, especially in the summer.
I will definitely make this, but add some greek yogurt.
Can’t tell you how much I love that this recipe makes one serving. So many smoothie recipes make 3-4 servings and they don’t seem to come out quite right when you adjust them. This also looks SOOOO yummy!!
This shake looks fabulous!! Cashews is one of my favorite nuts. I am a daycare provider (for 16 years) and I have had to feed picky eaters. But one surprising discovery that I have made is that the majority of the kids LOVE broccoli! Who knew?
One of my absolute favorites.
sounds like a perfect thing to eat/drink while falling out of bed in the morning :-O
MMM, strawberries… delicious!
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!
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?
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?
I thought you had posted that Lincoln was allergic to cashews. Did I imagine that?
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[…] 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 […]
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.
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!!
[…] Iowa Girl Eats – Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie […]
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. :)
[…] Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie from Iowa Girl Eats […]
I looooooooooove your smoothie recipes. Could pls make some more?
[…] strawberry shortcake smoothie from Iowa Girl Eats is gluten and dairy-free, with no added […]
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