Raw Vegan Coconut Date Shake

I love a great date, and today I am not referring to the “romantic dinner and a movie” variety. Although, that is always a good idea! This shake would be the equivalent of speed dating. Quickly throw everything together, and in five minutes, you decide if you want to come back for more. It might just be the love you have been waiting for! For me, making a date with a vegan milkshake is always a good idea, and this coconut smoothie recipe sweetened with dates hits the spot. 

Fresh pitted dates would have to be one of THE great culinary pleasures of life. Dates are the oldest, and certainly the sweetest fruit, with the highest concentration of fruit sugars. They are so decadent and fabulous. I really try and eat them in moderation, as they can really spike my blood sugar levels. Having said that -- when I decide to indulge, I like to commit. Come on, nobody likes a cheap date! I LOVE putting dates in a vegan milkshake and they add a bit of magic to this coconut smoothie recipe!

The Middle East gets a bad rap in the media. But hey, they gave us the date! And thank you to the Spaniards, who brought this fruit of the Gods to Mexico and California, where we now enjoy them in plentiful amounts. There are literally hundreds of varieties of dates in the world. But there are really only a few varieties that are readily available in mainstream grocery stores and markets in the States. Typically the Medjool variety are on offer, as they yield a large sweet crop. They are absolutely fabulous as an indulgent snack, or to sweeten vegan shakes, sugar free smoothies, gluten free muffins, and allergy free cakes.

Throw some delectable dates in your blender with some bananas, almond milk and coconut water, and you have a sweet date that will leave you waiting for the next encounter. Almond milk gets an invite to this vegan milkshake date, and I have chosen to add coconut water (after all, it is a coconut smoothie recipe) for an added zing. Coconut water seems to be the latest fad drink of choice at the moment, and with good reason. It is nature’s wonder energy drink. Who needs Red Bull when you can smash open a coconut, poke in a straw, and be snouting with joy on a coconut smoothie in 5 minutes.

Coconut water is a high in protein, B Vitamins and Ascorbic acid; and loaded with electrolytes; and vitamins and minerals like magnesium and potassium. It is low in calories, is fat-free, and low in cholesterol. You know I always recommend making home made almond milk and cracking open coconuts to make this coconut smoothie recipe. But if you don’t have the time, or inclination, there are some great packaged almond milks and pure coconut waters at the health food store that make this vegan milkshake really quick and easy. You can substitute cashew milk if you want a richer more buttery vegan milk shake, and you could always add a spoonful of coconut butter and lecithin to make it this coconut smoothie recipe even more creamy. It depends on how indulgent you want your date to be!

This coconut smoothie recipe is one of those easy blender recipes you will be whipping up again and again and again. It is addictive. If you are looking for fantastic allergy free recipes or gluten and dairy free recipes this vegan milk shake is a winner. It is raw, vegan, gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soy free and refined sugar free. If you wanted to make this vegan milkshake nut free you could always use hemp milk, rice milk, or soy milk. It will yield a coconut smoothie of a slightly different personality, but it is still really really good. If you are looking for the best Vitamix recipes out there, this is one of them! Trust me, make a date with this vegan milk shake and you won’t be disappointed. It is absolutely piggilicious!