Cinnamon Espresso Smoothies

Banana, almond butter and espresso concentrate are just a few of the simple ingredients in my new favorite way to do my morning coffee – Cinnamon Espresso Smoothies. Thank you to Oster for sponsoring today’s post!

Espresso Smoothies

I’m one of those people who goes to bed excited about the possibilities of my next meal. Should I have soft scrambled eggs? Avocado Toast? An acai bowl? Overnight oats? It’s consistently one of the last things I think about before my brain officially shuts off and lets me drift off to sleep.

Unlike my food intake, my coffee ritual remains redundant day after day. A black coffee with a splash of almond milk, unless I’m treating myself to a drive-thru fancy coffee. A treat I’d admittedly love to indulge in every day.  But why should a paid iced coffee be the only way I can have something extra special in the morning?

Homemade Cinnamon Espresso Smoothies are the answer and my new favorite way to do coffee in the morning…and they’re almost as easy as that black cup of joe.

I simply throw everything in our go-to Oster Blender, turn her on and watch as each ingredient almost instantaneously blends together.  What results is an ultra smooth blended coffee/smoothie that has the most delicious foamy topping without any whipped cream in sight.

Using a banana in addition to the espresso, almond milk and cinnamon flavoring make this a double duty coffee drink that will also help to fill you up a bit. Add in a dollop of creamy almond butter and squeeze in a little bit of protein as well.

Ingredients in Espresso Smoothies

Banana. I’m kind of a banana freak when it comes to, well anything. I love to start my day with one, I love it in desserts, smoothies, and now I love them in my coffee. Make sure to use a fresh banana. I find older bananas to have an odd, too sweet taste when it comes to smoothies.

Also, if you can remember, pop the banana in the freezer the morning of or the night before. It’s not a deal breaker if you forget.

Ice. Ice is what is going to help make the espresso smoothie a frothy, blended drink.

Almond milk. I always used unsweetened vanilla almond milk in my smoothies. I don’t like any added sweetener but if you like things extra sweet feel free to use sweetened.

Almond butter. Adding a bit extra protein and fat to the espresso smoothie is a must for me to make it a meal. Make sure to use unsalted, smooth almond butter.

Espresso. Since this is an espresso smoothie, I like to use pre-brewed espresso concrete that’s refrigerated. You can find it at pretty much any grocery store these days. If you have an espresso maker at home, you can use your own brewed espresso. Just make sure to chill it before adding it.

Cinnamon. Even just a dash of cinnamon adds a really lovely flavor and compliments the coffee really well. Start with the amount we list in the ingredients and add more to suit your taste.

Brown sugar. I find brown sugar to have a deeper flavor than regular sugar but maple syrup will also work.

Let’s make Espresso Smoothies.

First things first. You need a great blender. We love to use our Oster Power Reversing Blender with Touchscreen Technology. This guy has a super powerful 1000-watt motor that crushes pretty much anything within seconds. I love the touchscreen that allows me to simply push the smoothie button and let the machine do all the work.

Another awesome feature helping to easily blend ingredients is the ability of the blade to switch directions mid-way through blending. This allows the ice or larger, more difficult ingredients to be drawn down into the blade to blend it more efficiently.

I like to put the ice and banana at the bottom of the blender, then pour the liquid on top followed by any other ingredients. In this case that would be the almond milk, espresso and cinnamon. Push the smoothie button and watch as the mixture transforms into the creamiest, smoothest blended coffee drink.

Pour into your favorite cup, pop a straw in and enjoy!

Do I have to use espresso?

No you don’t. But you do need to use the same amount of liquid. So if you are using coffee, make sure it’s strong and reduce the amount of almond milk.

What if I don’t like bananas?

You do not have to use a banana. You can just add more ice.

Substitutions and Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success

• Make sure all your ingredients are cold. The banana should be frozen. Almond milk chilled. And espresso cold.
• Swap out almond milk for oat milk or coconut milk.
• In place of brown sugar, feel free to use maple syrup or honey.
• Use any favorite nut butter

Other Favorite Breakfasts!

• Light, fluffy and extra delicious, Blueberry Pancakes are always our go-to when making weekend breakfast. Make a big batch and eat throughout the week!
• Stuffed with sweet cream cheese and juicy berries, our Blueberry French Toast is the perfect way to indulge on a slow Sunday morning.
• Chilaquiles are without a doubt, my favorite breakfast on the planet. Easy to make and sure to impress.