Why Sweet Potato in a Smoothie?
After testing so many Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes, my fridge has been filled with leftovers! Cooked sweet potato adds a silky creaminess to final smoothie, plus a touch of naturally sweet flavor, so you don’t need as much fruit or other sweetener to get a pie-like flavor.
Benefits of Sweet Potatoes
Adding sweet potato to your smoothie adds extra nutrition to your morning! Here are some of my favorite things about them.
They’re loaded with beta-carotene, an antioxidant that is thought to promote eye health. They may help boost immunity, thanks to that beta-carotene being converted to Vitamin A, which is critical to a healthy immune system. They contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. Fiber-rich diets may help to lower risk of colon cancer and constipation, and may also help to promote overall gut health.
What I especially love about cooked sweet potato is that it blends easily into a smoothie, even if you don’t have a high-speed blender. My children can’t even tell if I add a bit to my go-to smoothie recipe for kids.
How To Make a Sweet Potato Smoothie
I tend to make this smoothie when I already have some leftover baked sweet potato on hand. If you don’t have any, you can use a canned version (sweet potato or pumpkin both work!), or simply bake a sweet potato until very tender.
Once you have the sweet potato ready, measure out a half cup of the cooked flesh (I just use the middle; not the skin). Blend it with your favorite milk, like homemade almond milk, fresh ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, and a couple of pitted dates for sweetness. The dates make it taste like a holiday pie, but I’ve also made this smoothie with a frozen banana instead, if you’d prefer to go that route. Recipe Notes:
If you’d prefer to skip the dates, feel free to use any other sweetener you like. I’ve made this smoothie with a frozen banana instead, and with a splash of orange juice, and it’s hard to go wrong. (However, using the dates is my favorite version by far.)
As always, if you make any modifications to this recipe, please leave a comment below letting us know what you tried! We can all benefit from your experience. – Reader Feedback: Have you tried adding sweet potato to your smoothies before? Let me know how else you use them in the comments below!
