Jenny’s Salted Blueberry Tahini Smoothie is a smoothie for people who don’t like smoothies. This savory blend of frozen blueberries, banana, dates, ginger and tahini is gorgeous to look at and instantly addictive. Resist the urge to buy that same old smoothie at the local smoothie shop and give this a try. The recipe makes enough for today’s smoothie plus extra for tomorrow.
Smoothies for People Who Don’t Like Smoothies
I’m not a smoothie person. The main reason is probably because I don’t love fruit. I’ll eat a banana now and then and I adore mango and papaya (especially if I’m in Costa Rica) but when it comes to melons and berries, I’m not interested.
I remember when Smoothie King first opened and everyone was going crazy for Angel Food. I tried it, it was just okay. I’m pretty sure Smoothie King didn’t offer anything like this Salted Blueberry Tahini Smoothie or I would have been a more loyal customer.
Finding a smoothie that hit more savory notes than sweet was a tough challenge. Eventually, I created Salted Blueberry Tahini Smoothie by piecing together ideas I saw from other blueberry smoothie recipes.
Tahini in a Smoothie?
Lots of people add a scoop of protein powder to their smoothie. For me, that just adds cost and detracts from flavor. I’d rather get my protein from actual food.
The addition of a generous amount of tahini in Salted Blueberry Tahini Smoothie not only adds protein, but it tones down the tartness of the blueberries and mellows the banana which, IMO, can get overwhelming quickly in a smoothie.
You can sub peanut butter if you don’t have tahini.
Making Salted Blueberry Tahini Smoothie
For best results, add the ingredients in the order list. I add the tahini after the milk, otherwise it drips down and sticks to the sides of the blender and never gets fully incorporated.
The Right Tool for the Job
The key to making a great smoothie is the right combination of ingredients and the right blender. I am OBSESSSED with my Oster blender. Check this out:
What makes this blender special is the reverse function is uses when you have it set on the smoothie setting. It starts blending, stops, reverses, blends again, stops, reverses.
It does this just enough to make sure no chunks get stuck on the blade and you find them unblended when you pour it out. Genius!!
No Bananas? Banana Milk!
You know those days when you go to the grocery and you want a nice ripe banana but they’re all green? Like not even close to ripe? So green they’ll probably never get fully ripe, but certainly not before you lose the inspiration to make a Salted Blueberry Tahini Smoothie?
It happened to me today. I was all set to grab bananas at the store until I realized it was the Sunday after New Year’s and that everyone else was stocking up on bananas for the week too.
I went to the frozen fruit section thinking for sure they would sell a bag of frozen bananas, but no. What to do? I was determined to improvise.
Instead of buying oat milk which is what my recipe calls for, I decided to try using banana milk. And guess what? Not only did it work, it was probably better than the OG.
Salted Blueberry Tahini Smoothie
This recipe is a great addition to your lunch rotation if you are trying to eat healthier. The recipe makes 2 servings that are 1 cup in size (which to me is enough for a smoothie serving). You get 10g of protein in one serving.
I recommend making a double batch if you have enough blueberries because I promise you are going to want more than 2 servings.
Equipment
- blender
Ingredients
- 1 cups frozen blueberries
- 1/2 whole frozen or fresh banana, peeled and cut into pieces if frozen (skip if using banana milk)
- 1 inch fresh or frozen ginger, peeling optional
- 3-4 medjool dates, each cut in half
- 2 cup oatmilk, cashew milk or lowfat milk (or use banana milk but skip the banana above)
- 4 tbsp tahini
- 1 pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in your blender in the order listed. Ensure you add enough milk to cover everything.
- Process until desired consistency and prepare to be addicted. This recipe makes 2 1-cup servings. I recommend a double batch if you have enough blueberries. Using frozen bananas will give you more of a frozen smoothie result. I prefer using fresh bananas or banana milk (if using banana milk, omit both the 1/2 banana and the oat milk).
Notes
This is my adaptation of a similar recipe I found in Bon Appetit by Molly Baz. I like an easier to drink smoothie vs. super thick. I’ve tried it with both oat milk and cashew milk – equally delicious. I also prefer less sweet smoothies which is where the ginger and tahini come in.
Can’t find ripe bananas? Use banana milk in place of the banana and the oat milk. Delish!
This recipe will make 2 1-cup portions.
Nutrition
If you liked this recipe, you might also enjoy my Pineapple Banana Oat Milk Smoothie and you can follow the same banana milk shortcut for that one.
