• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Full Helping

Vegan Recipes | Made to Nourish

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • About
  • Getting Started
  • Recipes
  • Books
  • Shop
  • Contact

Tess Masters’ Chai Tai Smoothie from The Blender Girl Smoothies Cookbook

July 24, 2015 Breakfast, Gluten Free, No Oil, Raw, Soy Free, Tree Nut Free

Blender Girl App

Many of you are already familiar with Tess Masters and her work. Perhaps you know Tess better as “The Blender Girl,” and you already follow her site, Healthy Blender Recipes. If not, you’re in for a treat!

As you might expect from her moniker, Tess knows how to work magic with a blender. A lot of the most enticing recipes on her website are soups, smoothies, dips, shakes, and nut milks. But she also loves to review and feature cookbooks, to host giveaways, and to share cool products and brands.

chai-rice-pudding

Tess’ first cookbook, The Blender Girl, demonstrated that her culinary talent goes above and beyond blends. That book featured a wide array of appetizers, mains, salads, and sumptuous desserts (check out her wonderful chai rice pudding), as well as smoothies and soups. Tess’ food is always easy-to-prepare and appealing, and her vivacious personality (Tess is an actress and a voiceover artist by trade) always shines through in her food writing.

masters, tess

Fans of Tess’ first cookbook will be happy to know that she’s now returning to her roots, so to speak, with the publication of a smoothie book. I’ve had such a great time exploring The Blender Girl Smoothies and its 100 creative and unusual blends.

Mast_Blender Girl Smoothies

One of the cornerstones of Tess’ approach has always been her inclusivity. In fact, her blog name originated in many years of health exploration. Having experimented with various dietary and wellness approaches to treating a chronic illness, Tess used a “blend” of guidance and wisdom and nutritional therapy to recover. Her blog is plant-based, but her recipes usually include a bunch of options for specific health challenges, including allergen-free, low glycemic, and paleo-friendly recipes. There’s something for everyone.

Her new smoothie book channels this same approach. The smoothies range from creamy dessert blends (one of which I’m about to share) to light and fruity summer elixirs to creamy, super-green concoctions. You’ll find lower fat blends, anti-inflammatory blends, nut-free, gluten-free, and unsweetened options. In addition to a lot of familiar flavor combinations, you’ll find smoothies that are off the beaten path, like a rosemary melonade (watermelon, rosemary, pineapple, strawberries), a “pomegranate slam it” (pomegranate juice, red bell pepper, arugula, avocado, and strawberries) or her grapefruit fennel fix (fennel, grapefruit, avocado, green apple).

Blender Girl App

Each recipe also includes three optional “boosters,” each of which will either enhance flavor or add nutrition. It’s a nice touch that makes Tess’ smoothies super easy to customize–and she definitely encourages readers to make the blends their own. One thing I’ll note is that stevia appears in a lot of the recipes as a means of reducing sugar for low-glycemic readers. I don’t use stevia, so I’ll add mango, banana, or another sweet fruit in its place.

Blender Girl App

As you can see, the book also has an attractive, minimalist aesthetic that emphasizes each smoothie’s unique color and texture.

Blender Girl App

As I was flipping through the book, I couldn’t resist being enticed by some of Tess’ richer and creamier smoothies and shakes. Since I featured her chai rice pudding in my last Blender Girl review, I thought it would be fun to continue with the theme and feature her “Chai Tai” smoothie today. It’s a blend of dates, almond milk, chai spices, and bananas (all things I love), as well as a hint of sea salt. It’s absolutely delicious–a perfectly satisfying treat on a warm day. Here’s the recipe.

Print Recipe

Chai Tai Smoothie From The Blender Girl Smoothies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup 240ml unsweetened almond milk or other nut, grain, or seed milk (strained if homemade)
  • 1 cup 240ml coconut water
  • 1/4 cup 43g chopped pitted dates (soaked, if using a conventional blender)
  • 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • Pinch of ground cloves
  • Pinch of natural salt optional, to bring out flavors
  • 2 medium frozen sliced bananas
  • 1 cup 125g ice cubes (optional)

*Optional boosters*: 1 tablespoon soaked raw almonds, 1 tablespoon chia seeds, or 1 tablespoon flaxseed oil

    Instructions

    • Throw all of the ingredients into your blender and puree on high for 30 to 60 seconds, until smooth and creamy.

    If you’re curious about exploring Tess’ blends, then I’m happy to tell you that Tess and her publisher, Ten Speed Press, have generously offered one Choosing Raw reader a copy of The Blender Girl Smoothies. The giveaway starts today and runs for two weeks, and it’s open to US and Canadian readers.

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

    Good luck! And if you’re interested in exploring Tess’ recipes according to your cravings, then you should check out her very cool new app! It allows you to search for smoothies according to your own dietary preferences and flavor requests, and it also features full color photography.

    I Feel I Need I Crave

    Recipe Page

    Finally, Tess is hosting a huge giveaway with KithenAid this month. One lucky US winner will receive a KA Gift Pack (Torrent Blender, Pro-Line Stand Mixer, and Pro-Line food processor) valued at $2,000. If you’re interested, you can learn more about the giveaway here.

    OK, smoothie lovers. I hope you enjoy the recipe and that you’ll enter to win a copy of The Blender Girl Smoothies to play with. In the meantime, I wish you a very happy start to the weekend! I’ll see you on Sunday for weekend reading.

    xo

    Recipe text and images: Reprinted from The Blender Girl Smoothies Copyright © 2014, 2015 by Tess Masters. Photographs copyright © 2014 by Erin Kunkel. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC. Author photo: Copyright © 2014 Anson Smart

    Don't miss a post- subscribe SUBSCRIBE

    Categories: Breakfast, Gluten Free, No Oil, Raw, Soy Free, Tree Nut Free Tags: beverages, cookbooks, giveaways, reviews, smoothies

    More Recipes

    • Strawberry Lime Sorbet from Everyday DetoxStrawberry Lime Sorbet from Everyday Detox
    • Chai Rice Pudding From THE BLENDER GIRL CookbookChai Rice Pudding From THE BLENDER GIRL Cookbook
    • Banana, Pear, Avocado and Hempseed SmoothieBanana, Pear, Avocado and Hempseed Smoothie
    • Strawberry Mache Salad from Kathy Patalsky’s Health Happy Vegan KitchenStrawberry Mache Salad from Kathy Patalsky’s Health Happy Vegan Kitchen
    • Best Banana Bread (or Muffins) From Dreena Burton’s Plant-Powered Families (Plus a Giveaway!)Best Banana Bread (or Muffins) From Dreena Burton’s Plant-Powered Families (Plus a Giveaway!)
    Previous Post: « Eggplant, Tomato, and Chickpea Curry with Chickpea Rice Flatbread
    Next Post: Weekend Reading, 7.26.15 (and News!) »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

      July 24, 2015 at 12:02 pm

      I’m always for a good blueberry smoothie or a tropical pineapple one!

      Reply
    2. Lena says

      July 24, 2015 at 12:35 pm

      Ah! This looks amazing! And so does the cookbook. I’m always looking for new flavour combinations for my smoothies.

      Reply
    3. Suzanne says

      July 24, 2015 at 12:56 pm

      The chai drink looks AMAZING!! Thanks for sharing (:

      Reply
    4. Bethany says

      July 24, 2015 at 1:07 pm

      My favorite summer smoothie combination is chocolate-cherry made with almond milk, chia seeds, spirulina, and hemp protein powder. Yum!

      Reply
    5. Terri Cole says

      July 24, 2015 at 2:06 pm

      One of my favorites is a mango lassi style green smoothie. It has almond milk, greens, frozen mango and banana, rosewater, cardamom, a squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt.

      Reply
    6. Alison says

      July 24, 2015 at 2:30 pm

      Limes,avocado,frozen banana, dates,coconut water!

      Reply
    7. Gillian says

      July 24, 2015 at 2:42 pm

      Hmm, I drink a lot of smoothies in the summer but I really get into a rut – fruit, some greens, silken tofu, hemp seeds, and almond milk. I could use a jolt of creativity!

      Reply
    8. Amanda says

      July 24, 2015 at 3:28 pm

      The chai tai smoothie sounds delicious. I can’t wait to try it! I crave tropical smoothies in the summer. Mango, pineapple and ginger have been a recent favorite.

      Reply
    9. Anna says

      July 24, 2015 at 3:31 pm

      I love green smoothies, especially with mango and banana in them!

      Reply
    10. Sarah says

      July 24, 2015 at 4:12 pm

      anything with pineapple! 🙂

      Reply
    11. MKH says

      July 24, 2015 at 4:18 pm

      Oh my thank you! Just went raw 5 days ago and was CRAVING a blended Chai tea!! I’m headed home to make this NOW!

      Reply
    12. Catherine says

      July 24, 2015 at 6:03 pm

      I love making a pear (or apple/banana) smoothie with peanut butter, cinnamon, greens, ginger, and almond milk!

      Reply
    13. Steph says

      July 24, 2015 at 9:02 pm

      I like a green smoothie with mint and cilantro

      Reply
    14. Constance says

      July 24, 2015 at 10:30 pm

      Love the recipe. Looks just yummy

      Reply
    15. Rose says

      July 25, 2015 at 3:06 am

      My fave smoothie right now is anything with raspberries and or coconut.

      Reply
    16. Dana says

      July 25, 2015 at 3:27 am

      My favorite summer smoothie would be bananas + chocolate + peanut butter.

      Reply
    17. adriana says

      July 25, 2015 at 6:06 am

      Peach mango

      Reply
    18. Donna says

      July 25, 2015 at 6:11 am

      I love the Blender Girl blog and this Chai Thai smoothie looks so cool and refreshing!

      Reply
    19. Mindy D says

      July 25, 2015 at 6:56 am

      In the summer, anything with fresh fruit!

      Reply
    20. cynthia says

      July 25, 2015 at 8:34 am

      pineapple, kale, oj and chia – yum!

      Reply
    21. Krista F says

      July 25, 2015 at 8:39 am

      My favorite summer smoothie combo is cherry and chocolate. I get a lot of migraines and cherries are supposed to help with pain so I try to make lots of cherry smoothies. And it helps that they are delicious.

      Reply
    22. Heather says

      July 25, 2015 at 8:39 am

      I like to add raspberries

      Reply
    23. Houston says

      July 25, 2015 at 10:19 am

      I love strawberriy and banana smoothies!

      Reply
    24. Karen says

      July 25, 2015 at 2:19 pm

      I usually make the same type every time
      Banana and cacao powder because I love chocolate. But this sounds good. I am going to give this a try. Thanks!

      Reply
    25. Emma says

      July 25, 2015 at 3:33 pm

      Any frozen fruit + lemon or lime juice + fresh basil = instant gourmet sorbet!

      Reply
    26. B says

      July 25, 2015 at 5:43 pm

      This recipe sounds so good–I love all things chai! Gotta check out this book since I’m always playing with my smoothie combos. Thanks for sharing, Gena!

      Reply
    27. Gabrielle says

      July 25, 2015 at 7:21 pm

      Raspberry lemon cheesecake sounds AMAZING!

      Reply
    28. Leslie says

      July 25, 2015 at 9:00 pm

      Great giveaway!! I love smoothies with peanut butter!

      Reply
    29. kelli says

      July 25, 2015 at 9:55 pm

      anything with papaya or acai.

      Reply
    30. Melissa K. says

      July 26, 2015 at 4:17 pm

      My favorite is a chocolate cherry smoothie.

      Reply
    31. Carrie says

      July 26, 2015 at 6:09 pm

      I can’t wait to try Tess’s smoothies! My favorite summer smoothie includes watermelon so it’s super hydrating!

      Reply
    32. DJ says

      July 26, 2015 at 6:31 pm

      I love banana, peach, mango smoothies.

      Reply
    33. Kara says

      July 26, 2015 at 6:59 pm

      I love chai and will have to try this smoothie. Tried a different chai smoothie recipe that I didn’t like much, so my figures are crossed!

      Reply
      • Kara says

        July 26, 2015 at 7:00 pm

        fingers*

        Reply
    34. JW says

      July 26, 2015 at 8:22 pm

      When it’s summer and the peaches are plentiful I love to throw one or two into my normal smoothies.

      Reply
    35. Candra says

      July 27, 2015 at 9:56 am

      Coconut orange and cardamom are some of my favourite flavours when making a smoothie! 🙂

      Reply
    36. Melissa says

      July 27, 2015 at 11:06 am

      I’m currently loving the good ol’ strawberry banana combination for my summer smoothies. With cashew milk and a whole lot of cinnamon.

      Reply
    37. [email protected] says

      July 28, 2015 at 8:56 am

      Chai seeds are so great. I’ve been using them as a topping with greek yoghurt but this looks very tasty as well!

      Reply
    38. Lisa says

      July 28, 2015 at 9:33 am

      Strawberry coconut pineapple!

      Reply
    39. Jessica says

      July 29, 2015 at 3:57 pm

      anything with bananas , dates, &/or peanut butter

      Reply
    40. JenniferAnne says

      July 30, 2015 at 3:05 am

      Mine is peanut butter and bananas

      Reply
    41. Jennifer says

      July 30, 2015 at 7:52 am

      When they get into season I like watermelon blend smoothies. Especially when they are spiked with tequila…. is that still a smoothie?

      Reply
    42. Kait St. says

      July 30, 2015 at 12:42 pm

      Avacado banana, and sometimes a bit of mango thrown in. These grow near my home, so I get the ingredients for free!

      Reply
    43. cel says

      July 30, 2015 at 8:59 pm

      that watermelon refresher sounds delish! i love raspberry vanilla macca right now 🙂

      Reply
    44. KC says

      July 30, 2015 at 11:50 pm

      I like mint chip “milkshakes” using almond milk, spinach, banana, cashews, fresh mint and cacao nibs! Tastes even better than the “real” thing and way healthier!

      Reply
    45. Amanda says

      August 7, 2015 at 6:30 pm

      Chai ANYTHING and I’m in….YUM!

      Reply
    46. Pearl says

      August 7, 2015 at 11:27 pm

      My favorite summer smoothie is a pineapple blueberry pomegranate smoothie with a mix of seeds and green powders for a super tasty and super good for you smoothie.

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome

    Hi! I’m Gena. I'm a registered dietitian (RD), food blogger, recipe developer, and cookbook author. In this space you'll find nourishing vegan recipes, reflections on mindfulness and self care, and resources to help you explore an informed and compassionate relationship with food.

    My Favorites

    Footer

    Instagram

    Instagram has returned invalid data.

    Unlock the fullness of everything I already share here – and then some.

    It’s my goal to help you approach vegan cooking with a sense of ease and confidence. Crafting a thoughtful, practical newsletter is part of that work! Each week, you can expect accessible recipes and links to thought-provoking articles.

    When you sign up for my newsletter, you’ll be able to...
    • Explore the best of The Full Helping archives.
    • Discover my digital recipe box and collect your favorites.
    • Explore my one-on-one nutrition counseling services, designed to help you find balance and support.
    • Further your knowledge of vegan cooking through my cookbooks, Food52 Vegan and Choosing Raw.
    • Weekend Reading
    • Eating Disorder / Food and Healing
    • Nutrition Counseling
    • Recipes
    • Privacy Policy

    Copyright© 2019 · The Full Helping Custom Theme by Shay Bocks