It’s amazing what the right smoothie can do.
This one gives me energy and makes me feel refreshed and revitalized.
Partly because it’s not a super sweet smoothie. I used Montmorency tart cherries, which have a unique sour-sweet taste. The slight tartness wakes up my tastebuds and cuts through the cobwebs in my brain without needing to pour a cup of coffee.
It’s a great smoothie pre- or post-workout, or any time you need a little pick-me-up. It’s vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, and packed with tons of bold flavor.
The tart cherries are rich in vitamin A and for fruits and vegetables, a sour taste is often a cue for more phytonutrient compounds inside. Montmorency tart cherries contain anthocyanins, a ๏ฌavonoid that contributes to the ruby-red color and distinguishing taste.
Tart cherries are available in dried, frozen and juice forms so you can enjoy these superfruits year-round.
The banana is packed with potassium, and coconut water is like nature’s sports drink and naturally balances and replenishes electrolytes.
The cherry flavor is bold yet tempered by the smooth, creamy banana. Bananas are such workhorses in smoothies. I always keep a stash of banana chunks in the freezer so I can toss a few into the blender for smoothies. No need for ice that way, either.
I sweetened it to taste so that it’s sweet-yet-tart like a glass of lemonade should be. It’s refreshing and zingy without having to pucker up.
It’s interesting that expert trend trackers say sour is the new spicy, which will no doubt change the food industry. To learn more about going tart instead, and to ๏ฌnd recipes and serving ideas for tart cherries, visit choosecherries.com
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Cherry Revitalizer Smoothie
Ingredients
- 2 cups Montmorency tart cherries, frozen
- 2 medium/large ripe bananas, previously frozen in chunks is ideal
- 1 cup coconut water, water may be substituted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
- sweetener, to taste (granulated sugar, agave, stevia, zero-calorie sweetener, etc.)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in the canister of a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Serve immediately. Extra portions may be frozen in freezer-safe (plastic) glasses for up to 3 months. Allow to soften at room temp before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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A Year’s Supply of Dried Tart Cherries and Tart Cherry Juice
A KitchenAid 7-Quart Mixer
Le Creuset 4.5- Quart Dutch Oven
Anthropolgie Apron
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I was asked to participate in the National Cherry Month #GoTart Campaign as a member of the Healthy Aperture Blogger Network. I received free samples of tart cherries mentioned in this post from the Cherry Marketing Institute. I was compensated for my time. Opinions expressed are my own. #GoTart Giveaway
Definitely cherry pie!
I love fresh cherries. Sour Cherry Lemonade sounds delicious though.
been loving dried cherries in my trail mix lately, and would love to see how they turn out in smoothies
I would turn them into a sauce and put it over vanilla ice cream!
I would enjoy them in my yogurt !
Plain ole dried cherries all by themselves! However, cherries with almost anything are okay with me.
Ooh! I love Le Creuset!
Cherry Cookies!!
I have never used them before but would love to. This smoothie looks awesome and am going to try it if I can find the cherries.
Beautiful! How vibrant do these look. I seriously went from craving cake and all sorts of unhealthy things to craving this tart, refreshing smoothie in an instant. My body thanks you :)
I haven’t used tart cherries before, so I don’t have a favorite way! But, if I did, I would definitely go with a smoothie recipe, and probably add a bit of honey or agave nectar and definitely some blueberries—even if they were frozen!
I have tart cherries in my post run smoothie, and make my tart cherry juice into popsicles during the summer. Wait…what’s summer again? I forget.
Dried in a trail mix!
Tart cherries are best served in an almond meal cherry pie. Yummy!
Cherries are great in oatmeal.
I love cherries just straight up by themselves!