It’s amazing what the right smoothie can do.
This one gives me energy and makes me feel refreshed and revitalized.
Partly because it’s not a super sweet smoothie. I used Montmorency tart cherries, which have a unique sour-sweet taste. The slight tartness wakes up my tastebuds and cuts through the cobwebs in my brain without needing to pour a cup of coffee.
It’s a great smoothie pre- or post-workout, or any time you need a little pick-me-up. It’s vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, and packed with tons of bold flavor.
The tart cherries are rich in vitamin A and for fruits and vegetables, a sour taste is often a cue for more phytonutrient compounds inside. Montmorency tart cherries contain anthocyanins, a flavonoid that contributes to the ruby-red color and distinguishing taste.
Tart cherries are available in dried, frozen and juice forms so you can enjoy these superfruits year-round.
The banana is packed with potassium, and coconut water is like nature’s sports drink and naturally balances and replenishes electrolytes.
The cherry flavor is bold yet tempered by the smooth, creamy banana. Bananas are such workhorses in smoothies. I always keep a stash of banana chunks in the freezer so I can toss a few into the blender for smoothies. No need for ice that way, either.
I sweetened it to taste so that it’s sweet-yet-tart like a glass of lemonade should be. It’s refreshing and zingy without having to pucker up.
It’s interesting that expert trend trackers say sour is the new spicy, which will no doubt change the food industry. To learn more about going tart instead, and to find recipes and serving ideas for tart cherries, visit choosecherries.com
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Cherry Revitalizer Smoothie
Ingredients
- 2 cups Montmorency tart cherries, frozen
- 2 medium/large ripe bananas, previously frozen in chunks is ideal
- 1 cup coconut water, water may be substituted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
- sweetener, to taste (granulated sugar, agave, stevia, zero-calorie sweetener, etc.)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in the canister of a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Serve immediately. Extra portions may be frozen in freezer-safe (plastic) glasses for up to 3 months. Allow to soften at room temp before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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A Year’s Supply of Dried Tart Cherries and Tart Cherry Juice
A KitchenAid 7-Quart Mixer
Le Creuset 4.5- Quart Dutch Oven
Anthropolgie Apron
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I was asked to participate in the National Cherry Month #GoTart Campaign as a member of the Healthy Aperture Blogger Network. I received free samples of tart cherries mentioned in this post from the Cherry Marketing Institute. I was compensated for my time. Opinions expressed are my own. #GoTart Giveaway
Yummy, and such a pretty color!
Tart cherries in a pie or with vanilla ice cream sounds delicious!
I love the color of these smoothies!! I would love a glass of this right now.
That smoothie looks delicious! I’d love to try it!
Such a beautiful smoothie. This smoothie sounds like a great way to start the week. Can’t wait to give this a try. Your photographs are always amazing!!!
Actually, one of my favorite smoothies is vanilla cherry! I want to try this one now with coconut milk.
Dried cherries with white chocolate in oatmeal cookies!
OOOH CHERRRIE SMOOOOOOOOOOTHIES ROCK!!
Tart cherries have such great inflammation-fighting properties as well, making them a perfect addition to our diets! Thanks for the great post to get us thinking about cherries.
Hard to choose one way – I could eat raw cherries all day everyday, plain, in cereal, yoghurt etc., but also love dried cherries as a snack or in salads :)
How fun is this smoothie?! Love the pretty red color! xo
This looks amazing, and it could be my new favorite way to enjoy cherries. Right now it’s fresh and shoveled into my mouth by the fistful, or dried in cherry pecan granola bars.
I was hoping you would come up with a cherry recipe. We are fortunate to live in a region known for its cherries and I have lots of them in my freezer right now, but needed a less-fattening recipe (love pie … but my body doesn’t always love it!). Also, thanks for the cherry link. I read the above comment about choosecherries from the woman from Lansing–I’m about 1 1/2 hours from there. Can’t wait to check it out. (Can you tell we Michiganders are passionate about our produce?)
Awesome prize & LOVE the shake!! xxoo
I love smoothies! Especially green smoothies.
I love them in granola!