Carob & almond brownie smoothie

Carob has a mild chocolate flavour with caramel undertones. Combined with almond milk here, it’s like a chocolate brownie in smoothie form.

Carob & almond brownie smoothie Credit: Chris Middleton

• serves

  2

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Carob powder is available from good health food stores and some supermarkets.

Ingredients

• 60 g (2 oz/½ cup) crushed ice 
• 2 peeled bananas, frozen and roughly chopped 
• 25 g (1 oz/¼ cup) carob powder
• 1 tbsp chia seeds (optional)
• 125 ml (4 oz/½ cup) unsweetened almond milk
• honey, to taste

Caramelised almonds and honey

• 20 g (3⁄4 oz/¼ cup) flaked almonds
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds 
• 1 tbsp honey 

To serve 

• chopped banana edible flowers bee pollen
• honey (optional)

Instructions

To make the caramelised almonds and honey, heat the almonds and sesame seeds in a small frying pan over medium heat. Cook for 2–3 minutes or until golden and fragrant. Add the honey and cook for a further 2–3 minutes, stirring and shaking the pan constantly, until the mixture is well coated and the honey starts to darken slightly in colour. Spread onto a baking paper-lined baking tray and set aside to cool. Break into pieces. 

Whiz the ice, banana, carob powder, chia seeds (if using) and almond milk in a high-speed blender or small food processor until smooth. Scrape down the inside of the blender or processor bowl if required. If the mixture isn’t moving well in the blender, add a tablespoon or two of water or almond milk, being careful not to add too much liquid. 

Taste the smoothie and add a drizzle of honey to adjust the sweetness to your liking. 

Spoon the thick smoothie mixture immediately into two chilled bowls and top with banana, the caramelised almonds, flowers and a sprinkling of bee pollen. If you like, finish with a drizzle of honey. 

Note:

•  To make vegan, swap the honey for rice malt syrup, pure maple syrup or a couple of drops of liquid stevia and leave out the bee pollen.

This recipe is from Breakfast Bowls (Smith Street Books). Photography by Chris Middleton. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Carob powder is available from good health food stores and some supermarkets.