If you know me at all, chances are you’re familiar with my slight major love for nut butter. Peanut, almond, hazelnut butter–> you name it and I probably can’t resist it. Last week I came across this article on 18 Things You’ll Only Understand If You F**king Love Peanut Butter last week and it made me laugh given I could relate to every single point #NoShameInMyGame. While I’ll add nut butter to just about anything, the one food I prefer not to is smoothies. Reason being is that for the smoothie to taste even remotely peanut buttery, you need to add a few tablespoons worth…which can easily translate into an extra few hundred calories solely from nut butter.
Fortunately I’ve stocked up on the perfect replacement: Peanut Flour. For those of you unfamiliar with it, peanut flour is essentially powdered peanut butter. In a nutshell, the process involves pressing peanuts to remove much of the oil and fats. As a result this leaves the taste but reduces the fat & calories, leaving you with a peanut powder that can be reconstituted in water. Fortunately peanut flour is relatively dense in protein & fibre, and is also naturally gluten-free.
Given the reduced fat content, faux peanut butter (i.e. peanut flour combined with water) is nowhere near as creamy as peanut butter. As a result I wouldn’t use it on toast or as a dipping sauce or anything which requires peanut butter’s texture. However when I’m just after the peanut butter flavor (e.g. in smoothies, yogurt bowls or baked goods), peanut flour has become my go-to ingredient.
It’s become ridiculously hot in Mumbai and unsurprisingly, I’ve been drinking smoothies on the reg…I can’t get enough. While I love fancier combinations like my Salted Chocolate Protein Smoothie & Peanut Butter Cup Protein Smoothie, lately I’ve been enjoying simpler combinations like this Vegan PB & Banana Smoothie.
It’s thick, creamy and tastes oh so dreamy! Fortunately it’s also quite filling without leaving me feeling weighed down. Going by the nutritionals, I can’t say I’m too surprised: each smoothie packs in a whopping 6g fibre & 10g protein…pretty damn good for a smoothie that doesn’t contain protein powder or dairy!
Vegan PB & Banana Smoothie–Serves 1
- 1 large ripe banana, peeled & frozen
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 (=15g) tablespoon peanut flour
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum –optional
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon toasted coconut flakes
Method
- Add the first 5 ingredients to a high-speed blender & whizz until smooth.
- Transfer to a glass & top with coconut flakes.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I do 😋!
Peanut flour is the best, especially in smoothies. We actually prefer it to PB.
My all time fav smoothie is one that includes PB (or peanut flour), banana, and instant coffee. Tastes like dessert!
Love the idea of adding coffee into the smoothie- definitely going to try next time :)!
That article… omg! It’s crazy hot here. I imagine it’s not as bad a Mumbai though… either way, I want this smoothie.
You must make it- I’m already looking forward to making it tomorrow morning ;)!
I made this with cashew milk, a frozen banana, pb powder, a date, maca powder, ashwaganda, and chia seeds. Tasted delicious! Thank you for the inspiration!
Thank you so much for letting me know and I’m thrilled you enjoyed it :)!