Almond Joy Smoothie + Milkshake
/That’s right, two lusciously thick + creamy, drinkable recipes in one post! After seeing your excitement over the Vanilla Bean Shamrock Shake I’ve been trying to come up with another variation just as enticing as that.
And I think I got it.
- coconut milk
- shredded coconut
- almonds
- chocolate
- medjool dates
ALMOND JOY milkshake!!! And smoothie! I wanted to create a dessert version and a breakfast version. And let me tell you, I can’t decide which I like more.
If you aren’t a fan of the Almond Joy candy, not to worry, this is no where near as coconutty + sweet as that. It has a smooth + mild coconut flavor from the coconut milk + shredded coconut, a light sweetness from the sticky + caramel-like dates, a hint of almond flavor from the almond butter, and a nice punch of chocolate from, well, chocolate!
However, if you want a more robust coconut or almond flavor feel free to add in coconut and/or almond extract to your liking. I tried to make these as simple as possible, choosing to leave those ingredients out.
Also, did I mention??
No ice cream needed!! Just an ice cube tray to freeze the milk and a blender powerful enough to crush ice!
I’m not excited about this at all…
To keep the smoothie version a bit lighter I used lite coconut milk and cocoa powder, instead of full fat coconut milk and dark chocolate.
Still quite indulgent tasting, but definitely breakfast worthy.
Finished with a toasted coconut topping and an extra-wide straw.
Now for dessert.
Milkshakes have to be one of my favorite treats ever. I would take a milkshake over cookies or cake or pie. I’m not sure what it is about milkshakes that I love so much. I’m a definite ice cream girl, which obviously has something to do with it. It may also be a product of my child-like habit of stirring my ice cream into a pool of ice cream soup. Maybe it’s because you can pack so many flavors into one drinkable treat? Maybe it’s because they’re so easy to make?
I just don’t know!!
But it doesn’t really matter.
Can I stop for a moment to talk about the photographing of this milkshake?
Ice cream can be a challenge to photograph. And milkshakes + smoothies, even more so. This is because of the melt factor. You have to be READY! Everything set up. Camera in place. Pour, click, done!
You have a little more time with scooped ice cream in comparison to milkshakes, though. Once you pour the milk shake [or smoothie] a thin liquid almost immediately starts to pool around the rim of the glass. This also happens with things like marinara sauce. It’s not the most appealing look as it resembles a watery liquid.
So, I was all ready with this empty glass. I poured the milkshake while simultaneously clicking the shutter button on my camera.
I scooped the coconut whipped cream from a bowl and miraculously got that adorable little peak to form just before sliding it off the spoon.
I was nervous as it slid onto the top of the milkshake because as you can tell I filled the glass to the brim.
PLOP!
The coconut cream landed.
The glass overflowed.
And then it froze in time.
No, seriously.
I must have photographed this thing for 5 minutes.
The overflowing drips didn’t move. The coconut cream stayed perfectly in tact right on top. It was like a photography dream!
Time froze.
Or maybe it’s just that thick.
Yup.
Almond Joy Smoothie
gluten-free, vegan // yields 1 smoothie
both recipes adapted from: vanilla bean coconut shamrock shake
- 1 cup lite canned coconut milk
- 1/2 – 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded/flaked coconut
- 1 1/2 tablespoons creamy almond butter
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 medjool dates, pitted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Shake the can of coconut milk then pour 1 cup of milk into an ice cube tray and freeze until solid.
- Once frozen, place the ice cubes, 1/2 cup almond milk, and all other ingredients in a high powered blender.
- Blend and stir/scrape the sides until fully smooth. Add more milk as needed to thin out.
- Serve and top however you like. ie: raw chopped almonds, toasted coconut, cocoa powder, melted coconut butter, etc.
Almond Joy Milkshake
gluten-free, vegan // yields 2 milkshakes
- 1 can full fat coconut milk
- 3/4 – 1 1/4 cups lite canned coconut milk
- 6 tablespoons unsweetened shredded/flaked coconut
- 1/4 cup creamy almond butter
- 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4-6 medjool dates, pitted, or 3-4 tablespoons honey, agave, brown rice syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate, vegan if needed
- Vigorously shake the can or whisk contents in a bowl until the liquid and solid are combined, then pour into an ice cube tray and freeze until solid.
- Once frozen, place the ice cubes, 3/4 cup lite coconut milk, coconut, almond butter, cocoa powder, dates, and vanilla in a high powered blender. Reserve the chocolate until the end.
- Blend and stir/scrape the sides until fully smooth. Add more milk as needed to thin out.
- Add the chopped chocolate and pulse until chocolate is finely chopped throughout the smoothie, keeping some of the crunchy texture.
- Serve and top however you like. ie: coconut whipped cream, toasted coconut, chocolate coconut butter magic shell, etc.
tips/substitutions: For a more robust coconut flavor, toast your coconut before blending. You can do this by spreading coconut on a baking sheet and broiling over low with the oven door cracked. Stir frequently and watch the entire time as it burns very quickly. Coconut extract will also add a stronger coconut flavor. The dates are used to naturally sweeten both drinks and they do add to the thickness. If you can’t find dates use your favorite liquid sweetener. If your dates are not fresh and soft you’ll want to soak them in water for about an hour. Drain the liquid and then remove the pit.
The crunchy, chocolaty bits were my favorite part!
Now…
Drink up!
Ashley
