Sweet Potato Smoothie
A thick but drinkable sweet potato smoothie with frozen banana, Greek yogurt, cinnamon and cardamom, blended in five minutes and poured into a tall glass.
Servings 1 tall glass
Ingredients
For the Smoothie
- ½ cup roasted sweet potato flesh cooled completely
- 1 small frozen banana peeled and broken into pieces
- ½ cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- ⅔ cup whole milk plus more to loosen
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom optional
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch fine salt
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup only if needed
Instructions
Roast the Sweet Potato
- Prick a few medium sweet potatoes and bake at 400F for 45 to 55 minutes until they slump and leak a little dark syrup. Cool completely, then scoop out the flesh. Never use raw sweet potato in a blender.
- Measure ½ cup of the cold flesh for this smoothie and freeze the rest in ½ cup portions for future glasses.
Blend and Pour
- Pour the milk into the blender first, then add the yogurt, the cold sweet potato, the cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla and salt. Put the frozen banana pieces in last, on top.
- Start on low for 5 seconds, then blend on high for 45 seconds. Stop, scrape the sides down, and blend another 15 seconds.
- Check the pour: it should fall from the jug in a smooth unbroken stream and settle level in the glass. If it comes out in a lump, blend in more milk 2 tablespoons at a time.
- Taste, add the maple syrup only if it needs it, and pour into a tall glass. Drink it right away, no spoon needed.
Notes
- Never raw: raw sweet potato is starchy and chalky, a home blender leaves grit, and it is hard to digest. Cook it and chill it first.
- Roast, do not boil: boiling waterlogs the flesh and washes out flavor, and it shows in a cold drink.
- Frozen banana, not ice: ice adds volume and dilutes flavor. Frozen banana thickens and sweetens at the same time.
- This is a drink: it should pour in a smooth stream and settle level. For a spoonable version, halve the milk and make a smoothie bowl instead.
- Freezer packs: bag the sweet potato, banana and spices together, then blend with milk and yogurt for a two minute breakfast.
- Do not freeze it blended: it thaws icy and grainy.