This strawberry shortcake smoothie combines delicious sweet strawberries with cashews, oats and your favourite milk. It’s phenomenally creamy and honestly tastes like a dessert! The recipe is easily kept gluten free and/or dairy free as needed.
I don’t often go totally crazy over a particular smoothie recipe – not that I don’t love them, it’s just I often chuck random combinations together or just fall back on my banana, espresso & maca smoothie (because I know my husband will always want to share that one with me!). But I am SO in love with this strawberry shortcake smoothie recipe that I am making immediate plans to store bags and bags of sliced strawberries in my freezer so that I can always make it.
What makes this strawberry shortcake smoothie so good? Well, firstly it’s packed with strawberries, giving you a rich, sweet flavour. Usually I’ll add strawberries into a smoothie along with other fruit and/or veggies, but in this smoothie the strawberry flavour truly shines. Then it’s paired with cashews, oats and milk, for the ultimate creamy factor. Soooo creamy. So good. These ingredients also help to add protein, healthy fats and fibre to the smoothie to make it more of a balanced snack. (You can also add protein powder to the smoothie for an extra protein hit – I recommend using a vanilla flavour).
As with all fruits, strawberries have many nutritional benefits. They’re an excellent source of vitamin C (1 cup of sliced strawberries will hit your daily requirements, if not a little more). Strawberries are also a good source of fibre and folate and are rich in antioxidants, particularly anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are responsible for giving strawberries their beautiful pigment – you’ll also find them in other deeply pigmented purple/red fruits and vegetables like other berries, plums or purple cabbage.
The trick to getting this strawberry shortcake smoothie so deliciously sweet, thick and creamy is to freeze those strawberries before using them in the smoothie! You can buy frozen strawberries from the supermarket, or alternatively stock up on the fresh ones if they’re in season where you are. To freeze them, slice into pieces and place the pieces on a large tray lined with baking paper. Pop the tray in the freezer then wait for the strawberries to freeze solid before transferring them to a zip lock bag or other container for easy storage. This stops them from sticking all together as one lump if you chuck them straight in a bag!
Any milk will work in this smoothie but my favourites are to use either almond milk or just regular cows milk (I use lactose free milk but use whatever suits you). Obviously use a plant-based milk to keep it dairy free and vegan friendly! A light coconut milk (carton, not canned stuff) would also be really nice. For a gluten free smoothie, use certified gluten-free oats or simply leave the oats out if you can’t tolerate them, as not all gluten-free people can eat oats.
If you make this strawberry shortcake smoothie I would love to see your creation on social media! You can find me on Instagram @nourish_everyday – tag me in your smoothie pictures so I can find you! 🙂
Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie
Ingredients
- 2 cups sliced strawberries frozen*
- 1/2 cup cashews (raw)
- 1/3 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup milk of choice
- 2 tsp maple syrup or honey
- 1 cup ice cubes
- 1 tsp vanilla extract - optional but lovely
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder - optional for a protein boost
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender together with about 1/2 cup water, and process until super smooth. Serve immediately! Add a little extra milk or water if it's too thick for your liking.
Notes
Hi. Could you use Qunioa Flakes instead of Rolled Oats to make it GF? Thanks
Hi Bernadette, absolutely you can do that 🙂