Carrot cake smoothie: the dessert flavor that loves your morning back

Some mornings call for something that tastes like a treat, and this one delivers that in a glass. Carrot juice and banana carry the warm spice of carrot cake, with no flour and no refined sugar, just whole ingredients doing the work. It is breakfast that feels like a small kindness.

Carrots are a rich source of beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A and which is involved in immune function and the health of mucosal tissue, including the gut lining. Banana adds potassium, a mineral involved in fluid balance and muscle function, and the raisin garnish is a small, sweet finishing touch rather than a main event. Cinnamon, clove, and mace bring the warmth, and all 3 are welcome on AIP Core.

Pour it into a real glass, top it as the recipe does, and let the first sip be unhurried.

Ingredients

• 1 cup carrot juice
• 1 cup coconut yogurt (the AIP-compliant dairy-free choice)
• 1 frozen banana
• 1/2 tsp minced ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves (permitted on AIP)
• 1/8 tsp ground mace (permitted on AIP)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons raisins, for garnish

Omit: the source's 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Vanilla extract is alcohol-based and is left out for strict elimination. Use a pinch of vanilla powder if you want that note and tolerate it.

Method

Add everything except the raisins to the blender and run until completely smooth. A high-powered blender purees the carrot most evenly.

Pour into glasses, scatter the raisins on top, and serve cold.

*Adapted from a-clean-plate*

*Lower-sugar note: use unsweetened coconut yogurt, and if you like it less sweet, use less of the fruit that flavors it.*