This Boosted Tahini Espresso Smoothie is made with banana, cacao, tahini and boosted with maca, collagen, mushroom coffee. Not only is this smoothie packed with nutrients, it’s thick enough to eat with a spoon! Jump to recipe.

You know that phrase “once you know, you can unknow” that I use so often? Smoothies fall into that category for me. When I went into my nutritional therapy program back in 2013 — I was convinced that a green smoothie packed with frozen fruit was one of the healthiest breakfast options in front of me. What I didn’t know? Fruit laden smoothies aren’t necessarily great for someone with a history of blood sugar issues and no matter how lovely the ingredients, if you’re not chewing your food, you’re not releasing salivary amylase [the enzyme that helps you break down carbohydrates and triggers the cascade of digestion].

My favorite smoothie hack? Add some crunchy goodness to the top of your smoothie that compliment the flavor and take a few bites before you dive in with your reusable straw!

This Boosted Tahini Espresso Smoothie has all the flavor you’d expect without a ton of sugar. With my family history of blood sugar + metabolic issues, I always opt for a low sugar option. Fruit-laden smoothies tend to spike my blood sugar and leave me feeling like dirt — so you best believe this recipe is packed with healthy fat, fiber, and protein to support digestion + blood sugar balance.

I boosted the nutrient density of this smoothie by adding raw cacao, gelatinized maca, Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides, beef protein isolate and Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee! This particular mushroom coffee blend from Four Sigmatic has Lion's Mane and Chaga as well as the high quality shade-grown coffee and rhodiola.

My tips for thick, creamy, and well-balanced smoothies:

Use a high power blender! If you’ve never owned a high power blending like a Vitamix — you truly don’t know what you’re missing. It has truly transformed the texture of my smoothies and made blending so much more efficient. I have the Explorian E320 from Costco — it’s a great, budget-friendly option for those of us who don’t want to spend $700+ on our first high-speed blender and it comes with a 7-year warranty.
For easier blending, start with your liquid, then add frozen veggies & fruit, then finish with boosts, powders, and fiber.
Add some healthy fat and a complete protein to create a balanced meal — I like this grass-fed beef protein isolate from Equip Foods and this pasture-raised goat whey protein from Mt. Capra. Collagen, however good for your hair, skin, and gut is more of a nutrient boost than a complete protein since it doesn’t have a full amino acid profile.

BOOSTED TAHINI ESPRESSO SMOOTHIE

SERVES: 1-2 | PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES | COOK TIME: 0 MINUTES | TOTAL TIME: 5 MINUTES

This Boosted Tahini Espresso Smoothie is made with banana, cacao, tahini and boosted with maca, collagen, mushroom coffee. Not only is this smoothie packed with nutrients, it’s thick enough to eat with a spoon!

INGREDIENTS:

¾- 1 cups unsweetened almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)*
½ frozen banana* OR 3-4 drops stevia extract & 4 ice cubes
1 cup frozen riced cauliflower (or frozen zucchini)
1 tablespoon raw cacao or unsweetened cocoa powder
1 packet four stigmatic mushroom coffee (lions make & chaga) or 2 teaspoons espresso powder
1 scoop Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides
2 scoops protein powder of choice
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon maca
pinch of sea salt
sprinkle with cacao nibs & toasted sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS:

Starting with the almond milk first, add all of the ingredients to your high speed blender.
Blend until smooth and creamy — this may take a moment, so be patient!
Pour into your favorite bowl or cup, top with cacao nibs and sesame seeds, and enjoy!

*NOTES:

Start with ¾ cup milk (if using frozen bananas) and increase as needed.
If you don't have frozen bananas on hand, just use fresh bananas, 4 ice cubes and about 1 cup almond milk instead, adding more as needed.
I use this grass-fed beef protein isolate from Equip Foods and this pasture-raised goat whey protein from Mt. Capra

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