Tropical Berry Smoothie

Smoothies are our go-to summer snack. Healthy, refreshing, and satisfying, they offer a wealth of opportunities for flavor combinations to suit any palate. This Tropical Berry Smoothie is one of current favorites, for its crowd-pleasing combination of berries and mango, and the sophisticated zing of ginger and citrus.

Frozen berries create a thicker, creamier texture for this smoothie, so even if you’ve bought yours fresh, freeze them for a couple of hours before making the smoothie. Then pop everything in the blender for about a minute, and you’ve got the perfect warm-weather breakfast or afternoon pick-me-up. You can also pour the blended mixture into a ice-pop mold and make your own sugar- and preservative-free popsicles. Or freeze it in ice cube trays and add a cube or two to a cocktail for a fruity kick.

Tropical Berry Smoothie

Makes 2 smoothies

Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen mango

• 1 1/2 cups berries

• Juice of 1 lime

• 1 tablespoon powdered ginger, or 2 tablespoons fresh

• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

• 1 cup coconut milk

• ½ to 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

• Shredded coconut, for topping

Instructions

1. Place the mango, berries, lime juice, ginger, flaxseed, coconut milk, and ½ cup almond milk in a blender. Blend on high until smooth, scraping down the sides to incorporate any extra pieces. If the mixture is too thick, add more almond milk.

2. Pour into glasses, sprinkle with shredded coconut, and serve.

Boozy Cranberry Raspberry Sauce

We love Thanksgiving and all its food-filled traditions. But we also believe that traditions are meant to be updated, which is why we’re always looking for new approaches to favorite recipes. Just in time for everybody’s favorite around-the-table holiday, we created this cranberry raspberry sauce, which blends the sweet-tart flavor of the original with the just-for-adults kick of wine.

Boozy Cranberry Raspberry Sauce can be served hot or cold (chilling it will thicken it to a more jellylike consistency), and spooned on top of turkey, mashed potatoes, roasted squash, and stuffing. It can also be served on the side, like a dip. Versatile and flavorful, cranberry raspberry sauce is great with cheese and crackers; on slices of toasted baguette; or served over pound cake, pumpkin pie, or almost any flavor of ice cream (we’re partial to maple) or sorbet (lemon makes a great counterpoint!).

The rosé imparts a light wine flavor. For a more pronounced—and grown-up—taste, use a fuller-bodied red like merlot or cabernet sauvignon. When stored in an airtight container in the fridge, Boozy Cranberry Raspberry Sauce will keep for three to four weeks; in the freezer, it’ll keep for several months. So if you make a double batch just before Thanksgiving, you’ll have plenty left by the time Christmas and New Year’s roll around.

Boozy Cranberry Raspberry Sauce

Ingredients

3/4 cup light brown sugar

3/4 cup water

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

3/4 cup rosé

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, mix the sugar and water until incorporated. Add the cranberries and raspberries and stir. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

2. Mash the berries and stir. As the mixture thickens, turn down the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.

3. When the berry mixture thickens to about the consistency of pancake batter, pour in the wine. Let simmer for 5 minutes more.

Vegan Banana Berry Muffins

Muffins are the ultimate portable breakfast or snack; just peel them out of their wrappers, pop a few in a bag or container, and go! We didn’t think it was possible to improve on the muffin concept . . . until we tried these Vegan Banana Berry Muffins—a fluffy, cakey delight bursting with sweetness and the bright flavor of berries. You can use a single type of berry—strawberries or blueberries, for example—for this recipe, but we love a mix.

Because overripe banana is richly sweet and works well as a binder in baked goods, this Vegan Banana Berry Muffins recipe calls for very little oil, and only a small amount of sugar. We’ve blended two different flours here—whole wheat for fiber and almond for protein and an extra zing of flavor, but you can substitute either with all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour (you may need to add more or less almond milk if you do this). Likewise, the nuts are optional, but we love their crunch and the added protein. The almond flour and nuts make these muffins a little more filling than those made with only white flour, so you won’t be tempted to overindulge in one sitting.

Serve these Vegan Banana Berry Muffins with vegan butter or cashew cream cheese, or a spoonful of lemon curd. They’ll keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week, or in the freezer for up to two months.

Vegan Banana Berry Muffins

Ingredients

1 flax “egg” (1 tablespoon flaxseed meal mixed with 3 tablespoons water)

3 medium ripe bananas (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup granulated sugar or coconut sugar

3 tablespoons agave

3 tablespoon canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoons salt (pink Himalayan sea salt is our favorite)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

3/4 cup unsweeted plain almond milk or coconut milk

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cup almond meal

1/2 chopped walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts (optional)

1 cup strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries, or a combination

Brown sugar (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper or silicone baking cups.

2. In a large bowl, make the flax egg. Wait 10 minutes, then add the banana, baking powder, and baking soda and beat until fairly smooth, with only small chunks remaining.

3. Add the sugar, agave, oil, salt, and cinnamon and beat on medium to combine. Add the almond or coconut milk and beat until combined.

4. In a medium bowl, mix the almond meal and flour. Add to the banana mixture and mix until just combined; don’t overmix! Gently fold in the nuts and berries.

5. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling completely. If desired, sprinkle a little brown sugar over the top of each muffin. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the edges of the muffins have turned golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes. Remove from the tin and allow to cool completely on a rack.

8 Raspberry Recipes to Enjoy This Fall

If you live in an area with local farm stands that grow fall raspberries—and we hope you do!—we’ve rounded up eight amazing breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert recipes that are perfect for weekdays or for serving to guests.

For a heartier breakfast on chilly mornings, use a half-and-half mix of whole wheat or almond flour and all-purpose in these Lemon Poppy Pancakes with Raspberry Sauce. Or use all almond flour for a gluten-free version.

Forget the jam; use this velvety Raspberry Butter on toast, pancakes, muffins, even fresh corn. Make a double batch and freeze half to use later.

This tangy Fresh Raspberry Vinaigrette goes with any salad—hot or cold.

Looking for a grown-up alternative to raspberry lemonade? Try Raspberry Basil Limoncello, a sophisticated combination of fruit, herbs, and liqueur.

A chewy, hearty flavor blast, this easy Black Rice and Raspberry Salad is also full of other healthy ingredients like sprouts and herbs.

The Chipotle Raspberry Sauce in this slow-cooker taquitos recipe can be used with almost any baked, grilled, or roasted meat or fish dish.

Light, fluffy, and bursting with crunchy almonds and sweet raspberries, this Raspberry Almond Cake takes just two bowls and a few steps to whip up.

Not for the short on time or patience, this multistep Raspberry Spice Cake recipe pays off in a huge way with a cake that looks as impressive as those at a high-end bakery, plus the unexpected combo of fall-friendly spices with delicate raspberries.