This refreshing Apricot Almond Milk Smoothie is inspired by Curate’s Harmonious Blend snack bar. Sweet tart apricots are paired with protein-rich almonds and sweetened with a touch of honey.
You might think that as a work-from-home mom I have lots of time to prepare cute, thought-out snacks and lunches for Olivia and myself. However, most days are a whirlwind of making sure a particular someone is and stays dressed, emails, photo shoots, nap time fights, more emails, ring-around-the-rosies, photo editing, play dough art and more fun of this sort.
Needless to say, quick yet nutritious snacks are always welcome in our house. Especially when they come in fun and exciting flavors.
Luckily, Olivia is very easy going and loves her smoothies just as much, if not more than her mommy. Smoothie lunches are not a rare occurrence for us. But I still like to have something solid with my liquid meal. Wholesome snack bars are just right for that.
My most recent wholesome snack discovery are Curate bars. Made from fruit, nuts, and grains their bars are non-GMO, gluten-free, and contain no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. I say a big fat YES! to all of that.
For today’s smoothie recipe I’ve partnered with Curate and took flavor inspiration from the awesome combination of their Harmonious Blend bar. It features soft and sweet apricots with a little zest from lemons, marcona almonds and quinoa for protein and fiber. A touch of honey and balsamic vinegar to round out the flavors.
We have spent the last month visiting with my family in the beautiful Okanagan Valley which is known for it’s abundant fruit orchards. Very fittingly the stone fruit is starting to ripen. We’ve fully indulged on juicy sweet cherries in the last few weeks and local apricots have just started to become available as well.
Now you know why I felt so inspired by the apricot bar.
For the smoothie combined the sweet local apricots with almond milk. While the bars use lemons for a little zest, I chose frozen pineapple chunks for a little tropical ‘zesty’ sweetness. I also love to use at least one frozen fruit in my smoothies to make them cold and a little thicker.
Finally, raw local honey (my parent’s friends in Kelowna are beekeepers) and coconut oil add sweetness and boost the nutritional value of the smoothie. Be sure to follow my tip in the recipe below on avoiding coconut clumps in your smoothie.
One more little tip about the apricots. If you aren’t getting sweet ripe fruit from the orchard, make sure that you let your store-bought apricots ripen on the counter for a few days. Even better if they get some sunlight. This will make the apricots softer, sweeter and just so much more flavorful.
Recipe
Apricot Almond Milk Smoothie
Ingredients
- 4-6 fresh ripe apricots use 4 if apricots are big, or 6 smaller ones
- 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2-4 tablespoons raw honey
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- optional: 2 cups baby spinach
Instructions
- Remove the pits from the apricots and add to a blender together with pineapple, almond milk, and honey. Blend until smooth. While the blender is running, add the melted coconut oil in a steady stream, this way you’ll avoid it clumping in your smoothie.
- Add baby spinach, if you’d rather have a green smoothie without affecting the awesome flavor combination.
Pin Apricot Almond Milk Smoothie tutorial for later?
In case you are looking for the best blender for smoothies, check out this comprehensive guide to learn what to look for to find the best smoothie blender for you. I also included a detailed review of my 6 favorite blenders.
Thank you to Curate Snacks for sponsoring this post. All opinions are as always my own.
Random Questions
Almond milk is a popular dairy-free alternative that adds a creamy texture and subtle nutty flavor to smoothies. It also contributes to a smoother consistency.
To thicken almond milk smoothies, consider adding ingredients like frozen fruits, yogurt, nut butter, or oats. These additions enhance the texture and create a more satisfying drink.
Almond milk is often considered one of the healthiest options for smoothies due to its low calorie and fat content, along with its rich vitamin and mineral profile.
Yes, you can use other dairy-free alternatives like soy milk, oat milk, or coconut milk to create a similar creamy texture in the smoothie.
Yes, you can use fresh apricots in the smoothie. Ensure that the apricots are ripe and soft to enhance the sweetness and flavor of the smoothie.
Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron
We just got back from Sicamous and I was all. over. the. fruit. stands. I love love love this time of year! This smoothie looks absolutely delicious, and is so pretty, too!
Regina
Too funny, I just wrote about Sicamous in my road trip post. You don't go houseboating by any change?
And thank you! Not sure if you noticed (may be super obvious), but I totally took inspiration from your green smoothie for a few of the shots.
Laura | Wandercooks
Gorgeous photos! This smoothie sounds sweet, refreshing and delicious - my kind of combo. Can't wait for apricots to be back in season over here so I can try this! 🙂
Regina
Thank you so so much Laura! They are just in season here but I guess you are on opposite schedule?
Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry
This sounds very nutritious, such a lovely idea for a smoothie, high in protein too with the almond milk
Regina
Absolutely! This smoothie will keep you full for a while with it's protein.
Kushi
This smoothie looks refreshing and delicious!
Regina
Thank you so much Kushi
Jessica Knott
This sounds incredibly simple and refreshing! I'd love to make this on a hot summer morning! Love fresh apricots and almond milk used in this smoothie!
Regina
Thanks a bunch Jessica! Yes this is so so perfect for breakfast too.
Aish
Wow! Lovely pics. Healthy too
Regina
Thank you Aish. Yes it is!
Shelley
This sounds like a great way to get out of our snack rut. And isn't it funny how you never hear about how hard it is to *keep* them dressed lol
Regina
Haha... yes! Staying dressed has become a major issue around here 😐
Diana
Love the sound of this smoothie! Pretty pictures too!
Regina
Thank you so much Diana!
Krysten
This smoothie looks so good!
I can't wait to try it.
Somedays I am so busy with the baby, blog, photographing, that it's hard for me to get a lunch made.
I love quick things like smoothies!
Regina
Totally agree, on my day to day list of things to do, making lunch has very low priority.
Jovita @ Yummy Addiction
This smoothie looks divine. Apricot season is already here so I am surely making this. Thanks for the recipe!
Regina
Yay for fresh apricots!
J@BlessHerHeartYall
Oh yum! I love smoothies and I cannot wait to try this one! Yum!
Regina
It's a good one!