Cherry Vanilla Almond Smoothie

A high protein smoothie that tastes just like Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia. Delicious and nutritious and full of cherry vanilla flavor.

Confession: The only Ben & Jerry’s flavor I’ve ever tasted is Cherry Garcia.

Fact: This smoothie tastes just like it.

If you’re anything like me you have 5 pounds of cherries sitting in your fridge, you’ve been too busy at lunch time to think of putting together much more than a smoothie and yet you want something that fills you up.

If that’s your dilemma, this is your solution.

I have been in love with the cherry and almond combination ever since trying Ashley’s buckwheat bake months ago.

Having 5 pounds of cherries in your fridge seems like a good occasion to recreate that flavor in smoothie form, no?

It’s high in protein and filling. The only thing missing is some vegetables, otherwise it’d be a complete meal.

I thought about throwing in some spinach for that reason alone but, I really hate what spinach does to the otherwise beautiful color of a fruit smoothies.

Plus, fruit > spinach in the summer when cherries are in season in my opinion. Save the leafy greens for winter when you need a cold busting smoothie.

I actually left this smoothie kind of chunky instead of blending it to a smooth consistency. With the pitted fresh cherries and whole almonds, I kind of wanted a “chew factor” to the smoothie.

Chewing my drink also makes it feel more like a meal than a snack and that hopefully means I won’t be raiding the pantry an hour after.

So, if you have cherries on hand, I suggest you make this and if you don’t, I suggest you go buy some cherries.

Cherry Vanilla Almond Smoothie

Author: Gina Matsoukas

A high protein smoothie that tastes just like Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia. Delicious and nutritious and full of cherry vanilla flavor.

4.6 from 23 votes

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 5 minutes mins

Servings 1 serving

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 almond milk
• 1 cup pitted cherries
• 2 tablespoons whole almonds
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup ice

Instructions

 

• Put all ingredients into blender and pulse if you want a textured/chunky consistency like the ice cream. If you want it smoother, just blend until smooth.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1SERVING | Calories: 382kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 155mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 25g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.

Cuisine American

Course Drinks

Keyword cherry garcia smoothie, cherry vanilla almond smoothie

TRIED THIS RECIPE?COMMENT + RATE BELOW!

What’s your favorite Ben & Jerry’s flavor? Obviously, cherry garcia for me since it’s all I’ve ever had!

Or, favorite ice cream flavor in general? I’m usually a mint chocolate chip fan but, the mint can’t be too “fake” tasting.

Gina Matsoukas

About

Gina Matsoukas is the writer, founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients as much as possible. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.