Apple Pie Smoothie

I wanted to think of a super fun name for this concoction. Is it a smoothie? Is it a shake? Is there actually a difference?

I'm really not quite sure. What I do know is that this tastes like apple pie in a glass, minus all the partially hydrogenated oil (trans fat) typically hidden in pie crust and cups on cups of sugar in the filling. It's thick, it's creamy, it's sweet, it's nutty.  With ten grams of filling fiber, five grams of protein and only 238 calories, this would be absolutely perfect for breakfast.  I actually chugged it after a workout followed by ezekiel toast with avocado, scrambled eggs and some sautéed broccoli.

The oats, walnuts and flax give that nutty crust taste and texture while the apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla almond milk create the token apple pie flavor and sweetness. If you use a sweet apple, you shouldn't have to add much additional sweetener. K

eep it mind that the sugar content in the recipe is primarily the 16 grams of natural sugar found in apples, so don't fret over the 19 grams of sugar. (I did not include the optional added sweetener in the nutrition calculations.) I used a Gala apple, so I only added two drops of Trader Joe's liquid stevia. Feel free to add a bit of pure maple syrup or honey to taste depending on what kind of apple you have on hand.

In all honesty, I have really been neglecting smoothies lately. I'm officially in a smoothie rut. Does anyone else feel the same?  This rut made me realize how much I rely on green smoothies as a source of greens for the day. I'm not one to sauté a big bunch of spinach, so on days when I don't make salads, I do rely heavily on smoothies for my greens.

I honestly just haven't been in the mood for those fruity blueberry banana flavors. After I worked out yesterday, I whipped this up in an attempt to use up a sad looking Gala apple and to get my body some much needed fiber. It tasted fabulous, and I'll definitely be adding a huge handful of spinach to the mix next to I make it (AKA tomorrow).

On another note, is anyone else dying to go apple picking?? The girls I babysit just went to Lynd fruit farm, and the honey-crisp apples were hands down the best I had ever tasted. I'm totally going there next weekend. Then I'll come home and make a gigantic batch of fluffy apple cider pancakes. They's so fluffy I'm gonna dieeeeeeeee.

Go ahead and take a sip of fall.  I dare ya.

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For more apple recipes, check out my easy apple granola crisp, baked apple and tempeh stuffed squash and fluffy apple cider pancakes. I also made this butternut squash, carrot and apple soup last week and it's absolutely fabulous. Now go pick some apples!