I think I might have been a squirrel in a past life. 

Aaaand I just fell down an Internet rabbit hole searching for a squirrel emoji. Evidently there isn’t one, though there is a koala emoji (?), a poodle emoji (?), and a water buffalo emoji (?).

But I digress. The reason I think I might have been a squirrel is that when we moved, I had to clean out my kitchen cabinets and I found about a million different almost-finished bags of nuts, seeds, coconut flakes, granola, etc. It was completely ridiculous. Like, why can’t I be more organized and not save five walnuts in their own separate bag for two years? 

A better person (like Marie Kondo) would have thrown them all out, or created some kind of system for keeping them neat and tidy. But nope, not me. I piled everything into a box, brought them all to our new house, and stashed them back in the cabinets just as they were. Ugh.

But at least I am trying to use them up. And a great way to do that is by making smoothie bowls. ↓↓↓

It’s kind of odd how into smoothie bowls I’ve been lately. I like creamy peanut butter, not crunchy. And I prefer classic vanilla Haagen-Dazs to overloaded Ben & Jerry’s. But when it comes to smoothie bowls, I’m like, bring it. The more toppings the better. Hemp seeds, pepitas, blueberries… I want it all. 

This time I also wanted all the spices. Cinnamon. Cardamom. Ginger. Cloves. I mixed up a quick and simple DIY chai spice blend. You’ll only need 1/2 teaspoon for this smoothie bowl, but save the extra in a little jar. It lasts forever and is delicious stirred into oatmeal, yogurt, or hot chocolate. 

My friend Kaitlin (Hi, Kaitlin!) commented on one of my recent smoothie posts, asking about substitutions for the banana. It was a great question. For this recipe, I would suggest trying frozen mango or strawberries. You might also replace the almond milk with Greek yogurt to ensure it stays nice and creamy.  

March is maple sugaring season in New England, and since I’m originally from Massachusetts, I always crave maple syrup at this time of year. I’ve been having this smoothie bowl for breakfast on repeat lately. I just can’t get enough. Which is a good thing, considering all the nuts and seeds I’ve got to get through. Consider it spring cleaning. ?

Maple Chai Smoothie Bowl

2016-03-03 17:45:07

Serves 1

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For the smoothie bowl

1. 1 large banana, peeled, frozen, and cut into chunks
2. 1 tablespoon maple syrup
3. 1 tablespoon chia seeds
4. 2 teaspoons almond butter
5. 1/2 teaspoon chai spice blend (below)
6. 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
7. 4-5 large ice cubes
8. Toppings: gluten-free granola, hemp seeds, toasted unsweetened coconut, pumpkin seeds, nuts, and/or berries

For the chai spice blend

1. 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2. 1 tablespoon ground cardamom
3. 1 tablespoon ground allspice
4. 1 tablespoon ground cloves
5. 1 tablespoon ground ginger

Instructions

1. To make the smoothie bowl, combine the banana, maple syrup, chia seeds, almond butter, chai spice blend, almond milk, and ice in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl and add desired toppings.
2. To make the chai spice blend, whisk all the ingredients together. Store in an airtight container indefinitely. (Makes a little over 1/4 cup.)

By Turnip the Oven

Turnip the Oven http://turniptheoven.com/