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.

Coconut Cashew Cream with Fresh Strawberries

When you’re craving something sweet and creamy, what’s the first snack you reach for? If you said ice cream, you’re not alone. In the United States, 90 percent of households eat ice cream—to the tune of 48 pints per person per year. But with an average of 20 grams of sugar per half cup, ice cream is best relegated to the “once in a while” snack category. Instead, when we’re in the mood for a sweet, creamy treat, we reach for this non-dairy, low-sugar coconut cashew cream, topped with fresh-from-the-fields local strawberries.

This recipe couldn’t be simpler, but it requires about an hour and a half for soaking and setting. It keeps in the fridge for up to a week, so you can make a batch on the weekend and have a protein-rich snack that also contains a number of vitamins and minerals—including calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and phosophorus—throughout the week.

Coconut Cashew Cream with Fresh Strawberries

Ingredients

3/4 raw cashews

1/2 can (about 7 ounces) coconut milk

1/2 cup unsweetened almond, soy, or oat milk

1 tablespoon agave or honey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Salt

1/4 teaspoon agar agar

1/2 cup strawberries, sliced

Instructions

1. Soak the cashews in hot water for an hour, or in cold water for at least 4 hours. Drain.

2. In a blender, pulse the cashews, agave, coconut milk, almond milk, salt, and vanilla. Once the cashews are broken down into small pieces, blend until it achieves a smooth consistency. Add a splash of additional almond milk if the mixture is too dense.

3. Pour the mixture into a bowl or container, cover, and store in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, until it reaches a scoopable, ice cream-like consistency. If the sides have hardened but the center is still soft, break up the sides with a spoon, stir well, and put it back in the freezer.

4. Scoop 1/4- to 1/2-cup portions into bowls and top with fresh strawberries.

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.

6 Strawberry Recipes You’ll Love for Spring & Summer

For us, spring hasn’t truly arrived until the first crop of strawberries is here. Since they’re almost here, we rounded up six fantastic appetizer, entrée, and dessert recipes for using your favorite fruit from now into summer.

Breakfast Flatbread with Ricotta and Strawberry-Basil Jam

A breakfast version of pizza that combines the crunch of warm flatbread with the mild savoriness of ricotta and the floral-sweet flavor of a strawberry jam punched up with basil? Yes, please.

Blue Cheese Stuffed Strawberries

Strawberries are a natural counterpoint to tangy cheeses. This simple recipe, with the extra zing of balsamic vinegar, makes an easy yet unexpected party hors d’ouevre. Save the scooped-out strawberry centers for making compotes, smoothies, or strawberry ice cubes.

Citrus Steak Salad

With its mix of oranges and strawberries, this take on sirloin is light, bright, and filling, and looks impressive, too.

Strawberry Horchata

A twist on the classic Latin rice-based milk drink, this berry version of horchata will satisfy the sweetest of palates. Make it vegan—and a bit more grown up—by substituting half of the condensed milk with coconut milk and half with a cream liqueur, such as Amarula or Guappa.

Chocolate Strawberry Slump (Cobbler)

Perfect for when you need a dessert that looks and tastes impressive but doesn’t take sophisticated kitchen skills—or a lot of time—to put together.

Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Fudge

Why let peanut butter, chocolate, or maple have all the fun? Strawberries make a delicious flavor and texture complement to this fudge, which is made entirely in the microwave.