Cinnamon Matcha LatteEver wondered what those vibrant green lattes appearing all over your Instagram feed are? Let me introduce you to matcha. Although it has been used for centuries in Japan as a sacred ceremonial drink, this supercharged green tea powder only exploded onto the Western health scene in the last couple of years. If you’re looking to switch up your morning coffee for a more nutritious alternative, be sure to try my Golden Turmeric Tonic, Brain-Boosting Hot Chocolate with Magic Mushrooms and this Cinnamon Matcha Latte recipe below!

So what makes matcha so much more powerful than other types of green tea? It is grown in the shade for 20 weeks before being harvested, which gives a boost to it’s chlorophyll levels, as well as the compounds called catechins found in matcha and other green tea. It’s then ground into a fine green powder, so you consume the whole leaf as opposed to the water of a teabag, packing an extra punch.

Give the recipe below a try and you will start to experience the beneficial effects of this green tea, such as:

Cinnamon Matcha Latte

How to make a Cinnamon Matcha latte

I’m excited to share the recipe for my go-to matcha latte with you! The cinnamon helps keep blood sugar levels stable while also balancing out the taste of strong green tea. This makes a nourishing and antioxidant-rich replacement to coffee, leaving you calm with a gentle buzz. I’ve used matcha, cinnamon and coconut oil from Indigo Herbs.

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 cup other plant-based milk (I love oat milk/cashew milk for creamy texture)
  • 2 teaspoons matcha powder
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil
  • 1 heaped teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon date nectar or honey

Method

  1. Add all ingredients to a saucepan on a low-medium heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Use an electric whisk to create froth, or transfer to a blender and blend for about 20 seconds.
  3. Pour into mugs and serve hot.

I hope you are inspired to give matcha a try! If you make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @cerealandpeanutbutter and so I can see your creations!

Cinnamon Matcha Latte

Cinnamon Matcha Latte

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One of my absolute favourite ways to start the day is with a delicious green smoothie, or even better, a smoothie bowl – just pour it into a bowl, top with fresh fruit and granola and grab a spoon! It such a speedy way to knock off a couple of your 5-a-day before you’ve even left the house, and you can make it taste amazing at the same time.

Today I’m sharing 3 of my favourite green smoothie recipes with you. Feel free to play around and adapt them to your likes: swap another leafy green instead of spinach (kale?), replace peanut butter with almond butter, experiment with different fruity bases (mango/banana/avocado etc) and try another liquid – I love using my 2-Minute Pecan Milk but almond milk, cashew milk and coconut water all work well too!

For more smoothie recipes, check out my Mint Chocolate Chip Smoothie, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Shake, Zesty Passion Fruit Smoothie Jar and my Post-Workout Chocolate Milkshake!

1. Matcha, Mango & Spinach Smoothie

I love the gentle buzz matcha gives me – almost like a coffee but without the crash later. The mango gives a tropical sweet base, while the spinach adds a vibrant green colour! I added a dash of Supergreens powder to cram a bunch of extra vitamins and minerals into the blender. 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup chopped mango
  • 1/3 cup raw spinach
  • 1 tablespoon matcha powder
  • 1 teaspoon Supergreens powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup Homemade Pecan Milk (can replace with almond milk)

Method

  1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy, adding more almond milk for a thinner consistency.
  2. Pour into a bowl, top with granola and fresh fruit, and serve immediately.

2. Morning Moringa Bowl

No that’s not a typo – the Moringa plant is a natural antioxidant that can improve energy levels, mental clarity and a healthy immune system! I like to add half a scoop of my favourite protein powder from MissFits Nutrition – you can get £5 off your order with my code CPB5. I love the balance of sweet-meets-salty in here, with vanilla undertones and a touch of citrus.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 banana, chopped and frozen for at least 1 hour
  • 1 ripe pear, cored and quartered
  • 1/4 avocado
  • 1 heaped tablespoon natural salted peanut butter
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 25g (1 scoop) vanilla protein powder (MissFits discount code: Eli5)
  • 1 teaspoon moringa powder
  • 1/2 cup rice milk (can replace with drinking coconut milk)

Method

  1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy, adding more almond milk for a thinner consistency.
  2. Pour into a bowl, top with puffed quinoa/cereal, blueberries and coconut chips, and serve immediately.

3. Gingerbread Christmas Smoothie

This bowl is flavoured with all the best wintery spices, from cinnamon to nutmeg to ginger. The Xmas theme continues with the colour scheme, complete with fresh mint leaves and a handful of redcurrants (which could be replaced with any frozen berries depending on season).

  • 1 green apple, peeled, cored and cut in half
  • 1/4 cup green grapes
  • 1/4 courgette, chopped (raw/cooked/frozen all work)
  • 2 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
  • 1cm piece fresh ginger, peeled (or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 25g (1 scoop) vanilla protein powder (MissFits discount code: Eli5)
  • 2/3 cup Homemade Pecan Milk (can replace with almond milk)
  • 4 fresh mint leaves, chopped

Method

  1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy, adding more almond milk for a thinner consistency.
  2. Pour into a bowl, top with granola, redcurrants and fresh mint, and serve immediately.

Green Smoothie Bowl

I hope you love these 3 recipes as much as I do! If you try any of them, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @cerealandpeanutbutter – I love seeing you recreate my recipes!

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Milkshake topped with Homemade Banana GranolaEveryone who knows me can attest to the fact that I’m addicted to the classic combo of chocolate + peanut butter. They’re a match made in heaven, as proven by Reese’s peanut butter cups!

This milkshake requires just 5 simple ingredients and 5 minutes to make, and in my opinion it tastes just like a peanut butter cup in liquid form! So if you love chocolate + peanut butter + bananas, this shake has got your name all over it. The frozen banana provide an ice-cream-like base, while the dates add a touch of natural sweetness. Top it with melted peanut butter and homemade granola (try my Chocolate Chip Quinoa Granola, Almond Butter Coconut Granola or Banana Nut Crunch Granola) and prepare to be amazed.

It tastes so sinfully satisfying for that sweet tooth, you would never think to classify it as healthy! As well as it being vegan and free from refined sugars, it’s also jam-packed with health benefits:

  • Bananas = potassium + prebiotics
  • Dates = iron + fibre + low-glycemic index
  • Peanut butter = protein + healthy fats
  • Cacao powder = magnesium + 40 TIMES THE ANTIOXIDANTS OF BLUEBERRIES
  • Balanced macronutrients: high in protein, essential healthy fats and energy-boosting carbohydrate = perfect breakfast or post-gym snack.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Milkshake topped with Homemade Banana GranolaAll you need is a ripe banana, cacao powder (can be replaced with cocoa), a jar of peanut butter, almond milk or any other plant-based milk and a couple of dates for extra sweetness. If you’ve got all these ingredients at home (I always do), then there’s just 5 minutes standing between you and the highest form of utter bliss!

I like to enhance the rich chocolatey flavour of the cacao even more by adding half a scoop of chocolate protein powder from MissFits Nutrition – it’s insanely delicious and has no nasty additives unlike most protein powders out there, and the best news is you can get £5 off your order using my code Eli5 .

I’m convinced you will love this decadent milkshake as much as I do – if so, please let me know! 

While you’re here, be sure to check out my Mint Chocolate Chip Smoothie, Gooey Nutella Brownies and Triple Chocolate Popcorn Cake. 

Leave a comment and rate the recipe, and be sure to take a picture and tag me @cerealandpeanutbutter on Instagram!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Milkshake topped with Homemade Banana Granola

Ingredients

  • 1 ripe frozen banana (if you don’t have frozen banana just use a fresh one and add a handful of ice)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter (ideally 100% peanuts!)
  • 2 Medjool dates, pitted
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cacao powder (I get mine from myvitamins with code ELI25 for 25% off!)
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or try my 2-minute Pecan Milk)
  • Optional: 1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder – my favourite is MissFits Nutrition, use my discount code Eli5 for £5 off your order!

Method

  1. Add all ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth.
  2. Pour into a glass or bowl, top with copious amounts of Banana Nut Crunch Granola and a generous drizzle of peanut butter.
Don’t forget to tag me @cerealandpeanutbutter on Instagram if you recreate this recipe – I’d love to see!
 
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Milkshake topped with Homemade Banana GranolaChocolate Peanut Butter Cup Milkshake topped with Homemade Banana GranolaChocolate Peanut Butter Cup Milkshake topped with Homemade Banana Granola
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Milkshake topped with Homemade Banana GranolaChocolate Peanut Butter Cup Milkshake topped with Homemade Banana Granola
 
 
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Pecan Milk that takes just 2 minutes to make2-minute Pecan Milk
To be perfectly honest, I used to think that people who made their own nut milk at home were on another level of the domestic goddess scale. That was until I discovered that making your own nut milk has never been easier, with this super simple quick recipe.

Pecan milk doesn’t require straining or fancy equipment, unlike almond milk, and these nuts don’t even need to be soaked if you’re in a rush. However, soaking nuts makes them more digestible, easier to blend, and considerably improves the smooth texture in my opinion.

The result is a delicious, buttery yet rich flavour, not to mention that from a nutritional standpoint, it’s rich in protein, fibre and Vitamin E.

Perfect to sip on its own, blended into a Green Smoothie or a Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshake, poured over my homemade granola (like this Chocolate Quinoa Granola, this Coconut Almond Butter Granola or my classic Nutty Cinnamon Granola and whisked into a homemade Matcha Latte. See ideas for Upgraded Pecan Milk below!

Whilst I know that pecans are not the cheapest of nuts, I think they are worth every penny, and I’m sure you will all agree when you take your very first sip of this creamy deliciousness! To save a bit of cash, try switching up a third or half or the pecans for cashews. 

This was my first attempt at a pecan-based recipe, and turned out to be a mega hit, so I kept experimenting with this nut and came up with this Pecan Pie Granola, as well as Banana Bread Pecan Muffins which I’m obsessed with!

Ingredients

(Makes 2 tall glasses)

  • 1/2 cup raw or freshly roasted pecans
  • 2 cups water, divided
  • 1 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Sea salt, to taste

Method

1. Optional but recommended: soak your pecans in 1 cup of water for 2-4 hours. If you don’t have the time/patience, feel free to skip this step.

2. Rinse the pecans (soaked or not) under running water, then place the nuts in a blender and with 1 cup of water and blend until creamy (about 30 seconds).

3. Add the remaining 1 cup water, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla and a pinch of salt (to bring out the other flavours). Blend again to combine.

4. Best served chilled. This will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Stir before serving as pecan milk will separate over time.
UPGRADED PECAN MILK:

– Extra nutty: To enhance the intensity of pecans’ nutty taste, try using freshly roasted pecans instead of raw ones – just pop them in the oven on 170C for 5-10 minutes!

– Chocolate pecan milk: Add 1 tablespoon of cacao powder to the blender.

– Sweet pecan milk: Chop up a couple of juicy Medjool dates and add to the blender for some natural sugar.

Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @cerealandpeanutbutter if you try this recipe!

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This smoothie is a fabulous way to start your day as it incorporates all the major food groups – protein, natural carbs from the fruit and healthy fats from the coconut milk, as well as a wide variety of vitamins. It takes no time to whizz together and tastes absolutely delicious – let me know what you think on Instagram @cerealandpeanutbutter .
 

Ingredients:
1 passion fruit
1/4 papaya
1/2 lime
1/2 lemon
1 handful frozen raspberries
1 sachet vegan protein powder – I used Miss Fits Nutrition mixed berry flavour (use code “Eli5” for £5 off)
2/3 cup coconut milk

Method:
1. Cut the passion fruit in half and scoop out all the pulp.
2. Squeeze the lime and lemon juice, ensuring no pips fall in.
3. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

Check out my other smoothie recipes here:

  1. Mint Chocolate Chip Smoothie
  2. Açaí Bowl
  3. Top 3 Green Smoothie Recipes
  4. Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Milkshake
  5. Post-Workout Chocolate Milkshake
 
 

 

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