vegan smoothie

First time I managed to do a tart and luscious raspberry smoothie with a heavenly carob sauce!
Still I cannot decide: Is it really better than chocolate sauce.
As you know I’m a chocolate lover. Sometimes I feel like I am the only person, who craves chocolate twice or multiple times a day? How can people even just eat one piece of chocolate? Good thing, I don’t really like other sweets (candy, store-bought sweets, nut pies)
So to be honest: When you love chocolate, it’s hard to find a replacement with the same flavor and consistency. Making a carob sauce instead of chocolate sauce is a good alternative and the closest thing I could find when it comes to chocolate.
By doing some research about carob I found that carob is naturally sweet, low in fat and further high in fiber. Traditionally, it was used to soothe an upset stomach and this is why I got it back on the plate when I had this annoying stomach flu. Further benefits of carob include:

1) Carob tannins contain Gallic acid that works as an analgesic, anti-allergic, antibacterial, antioxidant, antiviral and antiseptic.
2) Carob improves digestion and lowers cholesterol level in the blood.
It is used for treating diarrhea in children and adults alike.
3) Since it does not contain caffeine, carob benefits people with high blood pressure.
4) Regular use of carob helps in preventing lung cancer.
5) The vitamin E content in carob helps in treating cough, flu, anemia and osteoclasis.
6) The Gallic acid in carob helps in preventing and treating polio in children.
7) Carob fights against osteoporosis, due to its richness in phosphorus and calcium.

(Source)

So, I usually pour sauce over my smoothie or Nana Icecream or yeah basically over everything:)
Since I feel like carob pairs up really well with raspberries, I made this combo!
I love the sweetness and freshness from the raspberries melting in with the herb “chocolaty” taste of the carob!

Don’t miss to try this recipe. It is simple, healthy, (can be made nut-free), vegan and sugar free!

Ingredients smoothie
1 Frozen Banana
1/2 Cup of Frozen Mango
1/2 Cup of Raspberries (fresh or frozen)
6 oz of almond milk (or a non-dairy nut free milk)
1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest

Blend all the ingredients for at least one minute in a blender. If you don’t have a strong blender I advise you to blend the bananas first and then add the rest of the ingredients. Or take the bananas out of the freezer and let them sit for some minutes.

Ingredients sauce
2 tbsp carob powder
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp warm water

In a mini bowl add all the ingredients and combine. If you like a more liquid texture as in my picture add the amount of water in the recipe. In case you fancy a more thick chocolate sauce just go with 1-2 tbsp of water. And one last thing. The smart brain sees that when compared with the picture there will be much more sauce. (After you took a pretty picture just pour ALL THAT SAUCE over the smoothie!)

EasyPasy