Berry Coconut Smoothies (dairy free)

BTT and I had to create a dairy free version of our 
smoothies for an event today. This is what we came 
up with and we were quite happy with the result. Better 
yet, the women who ate them seemed happy, as well.

INGREDIENTS 

 •Splash of almond milk, 1/4-2/2 cup 

•1 can coconut milk or equivalent amount coconut cream  

•1 pint of canned peaches, drained or fresh peaches (frozen could work too but you might have to adjust the amount of liquid)

•3-4 cups of frozen berries: raspberries, strawberries, and/or blueberries

•Whipped coconut cream for topping (optional)

•Chia seeds

•Toasted coconut 

DIRECTIONS 

Dump the milks and fruits  into a blender and blend well . You can check/ taste the finished product and then adjust it to your liking. See below for ideas. Top with whipped coconut cream, and a sprinkle of chia seeds and toasted coconut. Even if you don’t have the coconut cream don’t skip the other toppings. The toasted coconut complements the coconut milk in the smoothies beautifully. 

A FEW IDEAS FOR A BETTER SMOOTHIE 

•Use the thickest coconut milk, the stuff that’s more like coconut cream than coconut milk. You can tell the difference by shaking the cans; the thin stuff will slosh around and the thicker stuff won’t move much or make much sound. Personally I like the stuff from Dollarama because I’ve found it to be consistently thick instead of runny. Also, drain off the coconut water and only use the creamy stuff off the top. If your coconut milk is thickened there should only be a tablespoon or two of water at the bottom to drain out. 

•Add more almond milk for a thinner consistency, but be careful not to add too much. BTT found that adding too much more almond milk made it too runny. 

•more coconut milk/cream will make it creamier 

•a dash of maple syrup could be  added for sweetness, although we didn’t try it. 

•if it’s too thin add more fruit to thicken

•these aren’t the sweet milk-shake -like smoothies of your childhood. They’re actually pretty healthy and not super sweet. Adjust your expectations accordingly.