A healthy, energizing breakfast smoothie.

I am always bemused when I go to Starbucks. The biggest coffee chain, like, in the world, and people are primarily drinking… milkshakes. I don’t care if there’s a shot of espresso buried in there, if its made in a blender and its got whipped cream on top its basically a milkshake.

Don’t you people like coffee?

Not that I am in a position to judge. Those drinks were my gateway drug. I used to love iced hazelnut lattes, which then progressed to non-iced hazelnut lattes, which then progressed to straight up unsweetened lattes. Which may one day progress to straight espresso shots but eeeew no, I don’t like coffee that much.

So, this smoothie is a little nod to those iced hazelnut milkshake thingies, but it is way, way healthier, without a drop of artificial flavoring in sight. The hazelnut comes from actual hazelnuts, in the form of hazelnut butter- this stuff is so addictive! A banana and oats make it super filling, which is why it works really well as a breakfast smoothie.

A healthy, energizing breakfast smoothie.

There’s a shot of espresso hiding in here, which in conjunction with the hazelnut butters adds a nice roasty flavor – but I did something kinda weird here, and used decaf. Why? Because as much as I love the taste of coffee in here, I wanted to try using maca powder as the energy booster instead. Maca is a Peruvian root which you can buy in powdered form, which is famed for giving energy boosts which feel similar to caffeine, but crucially, without any crash afterwards.

So there’s a little bit of mind trickery going on, because the taste of coffee makes you expect a little energy buzz, but when you get it, it will be from the maca and not caffeine.

Enjoy!

A healthy, energizing breakfast smoothie.

Hazelnut Maca Mocha Breakfast Smoothie

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1 cup ice
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 1 Tblsp cocoa powder
  • 1 shot decaffeinated espresso, cooled down with a few ice cubes
  • 1 heaped tsp of maca powder
  • 1 Tblsp hazelnut butter
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tsps maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup oats

Instructions

  1. Blend in a high speed blender until smooth.
Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 0Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g
© Christine Melanson