as so many people do, i tend get super overwhelmed (probably something i totally do to myself) by deadlines, and everyday life stress. a couple weeks ago frank and i found out the new apartment we were planning to move into would not be available until the following month. while it's something that i'm sure happens frequently, i was completely thrown. what i had planned and scheduled for had totally gone out the window. and as a result, i found myself getting into bad routines and eating poorly; noshing on too many snacks, and finding solace in an apple and peanut butter for dinner. i definitely don't punish myself for these indulgences, because i totally feel like our bodies need an extra food-hug every now and then. but i was finding that these short cuts were having an affect on my concentration, definitely testing my patience, and just leaving me generally moody.
i can often fall into these rhythms and i think we can all relate to the ebbs and flows of life and how that impacts our choices and diet. getting back into a more mindful mental state and knowing that what we put in our body really really matters. i've been really making time and focussing more on wholesome home-cooked meals, drinking more fluids and making more smoothies and juices.
my pals over at Bai5 have helped me tremendously in that department. their selection of juices are super low in sugar (hello, natural stevia!) and have a boatload of antioxidants thanks to (new-to-me) coffee fruit! so when i add it to smoothies i get the sweetness without the sacrifice. while frank and i have been making our fair share of kitchen sink smoothies with some Bai5 blends - ones where i add too many chia seeds and it quickly becomes a smoothie bowl - i also wanted to highlight the juice in a wholesome, satisfying and snack-y way. i mostly made a milkshake because while i'm making a concerted effort to stay away from sugary things, i still wanted a substantial chocolatey dessert with a cozy feeling to it. it contains a good amount of Bai5's molokai coconut juice, which is somewhat of a sweet coconut water, making that coconut-y flavor really shine through in the shake. i added soaked cashews for a thick creamy base, frozen bananas for that ice cream-like texture, and raw cacao for a super lush chocolatey flavor. that's right, no added sugar in this babe; the molokai coconut juice and banana provided every ounce of sweetness this shake could ever need. and having grown up drinking new england frappes, this vegan version far exceeded my expectations - xo!
coconut-cashew milkshakes (raw + vegan)
if you don't have frozen bananas on hand, regular bananas will be just as good, but result in a less ice cream-like consistency, and more of a smoothie-like consistency.
| makes 2 cups |
- 2/3 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
- 1 cup molokai coconut Bai5
- 1 small frozen banana
- 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
toppings
- coconut whip
- toasted coconut chips
- cacao nibs
- cacao powder
method
- drain cashews and place them in an upright high-speed blender. add molokai coconut juice, banana, and cacao powder, blend on high for 1 minute, until thoroughly blended and smooth.
- divide shake between 2 cups, top with coconut whip, coconut chips, cacao nibs, and cacao powder and enjoy!
- milkshakes will stay good covered with cling wrap or in a lidded jar for up 2 days in the refrigerator.
*this post is in partnership with Bai5, all opinions are my own
more recipes like this:
cacao nib coconut macaroons
coconut citrus sunshine smoothie
coconut blue-barb ice cream