I really love freshly squeezed made carrot juice. I think part of that stems from the fact that it reminds me of my childhood and the countless glasses that my parents would make for me to “help me get my vitamins in,” but I also love it simply because it makes me feel pretty darn fantastic. Sweet, refreshing, cool, and energizing, each sip tastes like liquid life.
Is that weird? Liquid life? I feel like that sounds a little weird. Either way, I’m a big fan of the stuff — both for the taste and the great health benefits that come with it.
The only thing I’m not a huge fan of is the actual process of making it. First, you need a juicer, which is a problem for someone who’s really picky about what kind of appliances they clutter their kitchen with.
A coffee maker is an obvious must. As is a blender, a food processor, and a toaster oven. But a juicer? That could go either way.
Second is the issue of having to clean the juicer. If you’ve ever made fresh juice then you’re probably well aware of the large amounts of pulp that get left behind… pulp that usually winds up in the trash can.
There are some creative ways to reuse it, but most people would rather throw it out than take the time to turn it into dehydrated crackers or fruit leathers. Which is sad because that’s a lot of perfectly good fiber going to waste!
Luckily there’s an easy way to enjoy the great taste and health benefits of carrot juice without having to go through the hassle of actually making it yourself. And no — I’m not talking about buying it at the store.
I mean, have you ever looked at the prices of those juices? They’re ridiculous! What I had in mind is a lot more budget friendly and equally as wonderful. Smoothies!
If the idea of tossing carrots into your blender sounds a little strange to you, then I’ll have you know that it sounded strange to me as well at some point…
But I’ve been so pleasantly surprised by so many odd recipe experiments over the years that I’ve learned not to knock ’em before I try ’em, so into the blender the carrots went.
The only thing I will say about blending carrots is that you’ll probably want to use a high speed blender to do it. Either that or lightly steam your carrots before you blend them to make sure you aren’t left with little carrot chunks floating around in your smoothie. That could feel a little awkward.
But other than that, this is just like your standard smoothie! It’s cool and creamy with the perfect amount of sweetness and spice. The carrots add an awesome boost of vitamin A, and the date and banana make for a great source of natural sweetness.
You can bulk it up a little more by adding a scoop of protein powder or a few tablespoons of walnuts, but I have to admit that I love it light and fresh the way I’ve listed it here. Enjoy!
- 1 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 ripe banana, frozen
- 1 Medjool date
- 1 to 1½ cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk, depending on desired consistency
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- pinch of nutmeg
- pinch of cloves
- If you do not have a high speed blender, steam and cool your carrots prior to blending to soften them and make them easier to blend.
- Add all the ingredients into your blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a glass and top with extra cinnamon and graham cracker crumbles, if desired.