I’m such a fan of sweet potato. I used to eat whole sweet potatoes all by myself, multiple times a week, every week. Oh, the good days. Now, I sync food with my cycle phases so I mostly consume sweet potatoes during my luteal phase. The more I cycle-sync, the more I’ve adapted my cravings to phase appropriate foods. So, this shake is a mash-up of WomanCode recommended luteal foods like sweet potato, cauliflower, and peach. More deets about cycle-syncing here, but you don’t need to follow WomanCode to enjoy this smoothie!
The Sweet Potato Cinnamon Peach Smoothie does require a bit of prep work for the veggies but once you have these items in your freezer arsenal, you will be able to reap the benefits of many future smoothies! So, I promise it’s worth it!
First up is the cauliflower. Raw cauliflower can wreak havoc on the tummy so I steam and freeze it for smoothies. It’s also easy to rinse and chop cauliflower and then stick it in the microwave for 3-5 minutes until tender. Let it cool to room temperature before freezing it on a tray to avoid clumps. Then, move it to a freezer bag or container. In a frozen state, the cauliflower makes a neutral and thick base!
Is there anything more delicious than roasted sweet potato? I think not. Roasting brings out the natural sweetness and caramel-like flavors in sweet potatoes so don’t skip this step. Once roasted and cooled, you can slice it into large cubes (to make it easier on your blender later) and freeze. The sweet potato can be used roasted and cold but frozen creates thickness to make this smoothie shake-like.
I also throw some dark leafy greens into my smoothie. Be warned: fresh ones will have a greener taste. Frozen greens, on the other hand, can hide their taste a little better in the smoothie. Both methods, fresh or frozen, and any leafy green should work.
I always prefer frozen over fresh produce for smoothies because frozen goods make a cold and frosty smoothie. Though, for this recipe, I’m taking advantage of summer peaches and using it fresh. The fruit is extra sweet when used fresh, just like how the fresh leafy greens taste extra green. I haven’t tested with frozen peaches but be sure to add more liquid if you go that route.
I cut out the flesh from aloe vera leaves (as shown) and throw it into my food processor. Once blended, the aloe becomes a sticky liquid which I pour into an ice cube tray. I fill each slot 3/4 of the way so that I can easily pop a cube into my smoothies each day.
Aloe Vera is the last and the optional addition to the Sweet Potato Cinnamon Peach Smoothie. Lately, I’ve been into adding a tablespoon’s worth of frozen aloe Vera gel to my smoothies. Supposedly the plant has crazy health benefits. My Mexican ancestors used to vouch for the spectrum of benefits cactus has. It can help everything from your skin to your digestion and even help your immune system. Though, store-bought aloe should also work if you want to incorporate it into this smoothie (or any other smoothie recipe)!
- 3/4 cup frozen sweet potatoes
- 1 cup frozen cauliflower florets
- A large, fresh white peach
- 2 tbsp almond butter
- 1 cube frozen aloe vera gel, optional
- A handful of greens
- 1 scoop vanilla protein
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp maqui berry powder, optional
- About ½ cup water or milk (plus, more to thin to desired consistency)
- To make the layered smoothie, start with the base of sweet potato, cauliflower, peach, almond butter, aloe, and cinnamon. I like to blend these up with water before adding the protein powder. Otherwise, the protein powder seems to absorb the liquid without leaving any for smoothing out the ingredients.
- Next, add the protein powder, and blend again, scraping down the sides if necessary.
- Once smooth, pour almost half of the mixture into a serving glass. To the blender, add the maqui berry powder and blend again.
- Add half of the maqui berry layer to the top of the first layer in your glass. Reserve the remaining contents for the green layer.
- Scrape down the sides of the blender and add the handful of greens. The smallest splash of water also helps get the mixture going. When the greens layer is smooth, pour it into your glass.
- The top layer will taste very GREEN so be sure to stir it up after taking a picture 😉