As the weather is warming up, I start to crave cold sweets. This is not to say I do not crave them in the winter, per se, but that the urge to eat more of them becomes irresistible in summer. This is a super easy way to have a creamy fruit smoothie ready whenever you want. The secret ingredient is what makes it creamy, and it’s also packed with protein to help keep you satisfied.

So, what is this ingredient? Silken tofu.

If your immediate response is: well, that sounds like a bad idea, I really recommend trying it first. I bet you’ll be surprised by the amazing texture silken tofu adds. Plus, it’s fun to have in the kitchen because it can be blended into all sorts of meals and desserts (read: more recipes with silken tofu to come).

Fruit Smoothie with a Surprise Ingredient

Recipe by Legume LadyCourse: Desserts, SnacksDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Cooking time

minutes

Fruit brings the sweetness and silken tofu (aka the secret ingredient) the creaminess to this delightfully simple fruit smoothie.

Ingredients

1 can (~15-oz.) of your favorite fruit, fruit and canning liquid – I used peaches in heavy syrup
1 package (~12-oz. or ~340 g) silken tofu
Honey or sweetener of choice (optional)

Directions

This recipe is super fast, but it does take a little forethought – you have to freeze the canned fruit in advance. I like to freeze canned fruit and keep it on hand for when the craving strikes, but you could also just freeze it the day before you plan to make this. Open a can of your favorite fruit (or you can even mix and match canned fruit to explore flavor combinations) and pour the fruit and liquid into a freezer-safe container and freeze.
When the fruit and liquid is frozen, add it to a high-powered blender or food processor with the silken tofu. Puree.
Serve cold!
If you have leftovers, you can freeze them. If you want leftovers to be creamier and not have an icy texture, let them thaw slightly before enjoying. You can also do this by microwaving in short bursts and stirring in between until your desired texture is reached.

Notes

If using fruit canned in 100% fruit juice and not syrup, you may want to add some sweetener.
You can use frozen fruit instead, but there is a chance it will not be as sweet (because it is not in syrup). Also, since there is no canning liquid, you will likely have to add in a liquid of your choice to get things to start blending and to reach a consistency you like.