Name: Banana Almond Matcha Smoothie
Prep time: 5 min
Yield: 1 smoothie
Ingredients: 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice); 1 T. almond butter; 1 large frozen banana; 1 T. matcha powder; 1/2 t. almond extract; 1 t. honey, agave, or maple syrup

I’ve been on a little bit of a green tea/matcha kick this week. I started by baking these delicious Almond Matcha Biscotti with Chocolate Chips, which make the most wonderful breakfast treat or snack. Today I am blending up the matcha and adding it into this delicious, super healthy Banana Almond Matcha Smoothie.

This smoothie is completely dairy free, vegan if you use agave or maple syrup in place of the honey, gluten free, and paleo! It is so creamy despite the lack of dairy and the almond and matcha flavors really shine through.

To make the smoothie I started with a cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk. If you aren’t interested in making this dairy free, any milk you have on hand will work. I like using almond milk in smoothies and baking because it is low in calories, higher in protein, and has a nutty taste, which I enjoy.

To the almond milk I used a tablespoon of my favorite almond butter, one large frozen banana, half a teaspoon of almond extract, a tablespoon of matcha powder, and a teaspoon of honey. If you are vegan simply replace the honey with agave nectar or maple syrup. The smoothie tastes creamy and almondy with a subtle matcha flavor as well. This smoothie makes a great breakfast thanks to the combination of protein from the almond butter and milk and the carbs from the banana. As I mentioned on Monday the matcha is full of amazing health benefits which makes this smoothie even more appealing. If you need a quick breakfast, but want one that will give you energy and fill you up then give this Banana Almond Matcha Smoothie a try!