Beverages

Stick with me here — we’re adding vegetables to a breakfast smoothie, but I promise you can’t taste them! This Cauliflower Smoothie is sweet, filling, and tastes like a cinnamon roll in smoothie form.

Check out some of our other favorite breakfast smoothies for your next delicious drink — these Green Smoothie Recipe, Immune Boosting Smoothie, or Oatmeal Smoothie recipes are each packed with good ingredients and best of all, totally tasty!

Overhead image of Cauliflower Smoothies garnished with cinnamon.

Cauliflower Smoothie

I know, this is going to require some trust on your end, but really, you can’t taste the cauliflower in this smoothie. Instead, it acts as a thickener and is a hidden way to add satiation and nutrients to a smoothie. This isn’t a recipe where you’ll finish and already be raiding the fridge/pantry for something else to eat; it’s surprisingly filling.

In just about every smoothie (and acai bowl recipe) I’ve shared on this site, we rely on frozen bananas for thickness and consistency. That’s a real bummer for anyone that doesn’t eat bananas. So today, I’m debuting the first banana-free smoothie, and thanks to cauliflower we still have a totally craveable consistency!

Process shots-- images of the dates being soaked before adding to recipe.

Can you taste the cauliflower?

While I’ve never been able to taste the cauliflower in this smoothie (we’ve made this recipe a lot lately!), I will say you can detect that there are cauliflower chunks if the smoothie isn’t well blended. Be sure to use a high-powered blender and thoroughly blend the smoothie until it’s 100% smooth. You may need to blend this smoothie longer than usual to get that smooth consistency.

Process shots-- images of all the ingredients being added to the blender.

Cauliflower Smoothie Ingredients

  • Medjool dates: To get a great natural sweetness in this smoothie, we rely on dates. The dates blend up nicely and add nutrients and sweetness to the smoothie. (By the way, did you know dates are actually a fresh, not dried fruit?!) If you’ve got some leftover dates, use them in these Granola Bars or Gluten-free Zucchini Muffins!
  • Frozen cauliflower: it’s important the cauliflower is frozen– not fresh– for smoothie consistency and coldness.
  • Milk: Any milk works, but we prefer plant-based milk in this smoothie. Personally, macadamia nut milk is my favorite and unsweetened vanilla almond milk is a close second.

QUICK TIP

To ensure the dates blend up nice and smooth, we soak them in boiling water first. Start the smoothie prep by getting the dates soaking and they’ll be soft and ready by the time everything else is in the blender. They only need a few minutes in the boiling water to soften. Be sure to remove any pits from the dates before blending!

Image of the Cauliflower Smoothie in the blender.

Ingredients, Continued

  • Almond Butter: Almond butter adds lots of flavor, protein, and good-for-you fats, helping to ensure this smoothie is satiating. As far as almond butter goes, I recommend a slow-roasted and lightly salted almond butter you enjoy eating straight from the jar. If it’s not a tasty almond butter on its own, it won’t add a whole lot to this smoothie.
  • Old-fashioned oats: This is another addition focused on satiety. The oats add thickness, nutrients, and make sure this smoothie is very filling.
  • Flavor enhancers: Vanilla, cinnamon, and a tiny pinch of salt add loads of flavor and emphasize the “cinnamon roll” taste of this cauliflower smoothie. Why salt? It helps intensify and balance all the ingredients in this smoothie — a little goes a long way!
  • Ice: The ice ensures a super cold and a thick smoothie.

Up-close image of the smoothie in a cup.

Cauliflower Smoothie Tips

  • If needed, add a little maple syrup, stevia, or honey to further sweeten this smoothie. (I find the dates sweeten it enough, but it can vary depending on the sweetness of the dates used.)
  • Measure: While it is much easier to just eyeball a smoothie and throw it all together, I highly recommend measuring ingredients the first few times, so you get proportions/quantities right. Throwing random quantities in a blender can often end up giving you way too much smoothie or tasting, well, nasty.
  • Blend. I mentioned this previously, but before transferring the smoothie to a glass, give it a quick stir to be sure everything is smooth. If you’ve got any chunks, blend it again.

Image of the smoothie in a cup with a spoon in it, ready to be served.

More smoothie recipes

Cauliflower Smoothie

Stick with me here — we’re adding vegetables to a breakfast smoothie, but I promise you can’t taste them! This Cauliflower Smoothie is sweet, filling, and tastes like a cinnamon roll in smoothie form.

Cauliflower Smoothie

Stick with me here — we’re adding vegetables to a breakfast smoothie, but I promise you can’t taste them! This Cauliflower Smoothie is sweet, filling, and tastes like a cinnamon roll in smoothie form.

Ingredients

  • Packed 1/4 cup (59g) pitted large Medjool dates (~3 dates)
  • 1 cup (250g) milk Note 1
  • 3/4 cup (88g) frozen cauliflower florets
  • 2 tablespoons (35g) dry roasted and lightly salted almond butter Note 2
  • 1/4 cup (25g) old-fashioned oats
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (scale up or down to personal preference)
  • Very tiny pinch of fine sea salt
  • 6 large ice cubes (90g of ice)

Instructions

  • SOAK DATES: Set dates in a small heat-safe (glass) bowl. Pour 1 cup of very hot (or boiling) water over the dates. Let stand for about 4-5 minutes or until the rest of the smoothie is ready to go. This ensures the dates blend up nicely. Once they’ve soaked, thoroughly drain and make sure the pits have been removed.

  • SMOOTHIE: Meanwhile, assemble the rest of the smoothie. Add remaining ingredients (including the dates) to a large blender jar. Blend until completely smooth. Give the smoothie a quick stir with a spoon to ensure there are no chunks. (Blend again if there is!)

  • ENJOY: Divide between two glasses and drizzle additional almond butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon if desired. Enjoy immediately. Leftovers don’t store well.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Any milk works here. We like using plant-based milk best. Personally, macadamia nut milk is my favorite and unsweetened vanilla almond milk is a close second. To keep this smoothie vegetarian or vegan, don’t use dairy milk.
Note 2: I recommend a slow-roasted and lightly salted almond butter you enjoy eating straight from the jar. If it’s not tasty almond butter on its own, it won’t add a whole lot to this smoothie.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 83mg | Potassium: 851mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 239IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 250mg | Iron: 3mg

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.