By Late April. Lockdown week five. The household has been on a small adjusted breakfast routine across the past three weeks where Mama leaves for the seven-AM Dollar General opening shift with a smoothie in a thermos cup I have been making for her at six-fifteen, the kind of breakfast format that travels well and that delivers enough protein and fiber to hold her through the four-hour pre-lunch stretch on the register. The smoothie has been the small lockdown habit I have built into the mornings.
Sunday I formalized the smoothie recipe and called it blueberry muffin smoothie because the flavor profile lands at exactly the place a blueberry muffin lands but in a portable cold-drink format. Frozen blueberries, a banana, oats, almond butter, vanilla Greek yogurt, almond milk, a touch of cinnamon, a pinch of brown sugar, blended smooth. Topped with crumbled granola and a sprinkle of cinnamon. The smoothie tastes like a blueberry muffin in liquid form. The smoothie holds in a thermos cup for four hours without separating.
Mama has been taking the smoothie to work since Tuesday morning. She has reported back daily that the smoothie carries her through the four-hour pre-lunch stretch in a way the standard breakfast biscuit did not. She has also reported that two of the regulars at the Dollar General have asked her on Monday and Thursday what she has been drinking out of the thermos. She told them. She gave them the recipe. The recipe is now apparently in circulation among the Dollar General Broken Arrow store’s regulars, which is the kind of small organic-distribution that the kitchen sometimes produces without intending to.
Blueberry Muffin Smoothie
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 5 minutes | Servings: 1
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 1 medium ripe banana, sliced and frozen
- 1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup milk (dairy or unsweetened almond milk)
- 1 tablespoon honey or pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of fine sea salt
Instructions
- Soften the oats. Add the rolled oats to the blender first and pulse 4–5 times to break them down slightly. This helps them blend smoothly and keeps the texture creamy rather than gritty.
- Add remaining ingredients. Add the frozen blueberries, frozen banana, Greek yogurt, milk, honey, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt to the blender on top of the oats.
- Blend until smooth. Blend on high for 60–90 seconds, stopping once to scrape down the sides if needed. The smoothie should be thick, creamy, and a deep purple-blue. If it’s too thick, add milk one tablespoon at a time until it reaches your preferred consistency.
- Taste and adjust. Give it a quick taste. Add a little more honey if you’d like it sweeter, or a few extra blueberries for a more intense berry flavor. Blend again for 10 seconds.
- Serve immediately. Pour into a tall glass and drink right away for the best texture. If you’re on the go, transfer to a sealed jar or travel cup — it will keep in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours; just shake or stir before drinking.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 390 | Protein: 18g | Fat: 5g | Carbs: 72g | Fiber: 7g | Sodium: 120mg