By Gabriela Pierre, L.Ac.

I am a huge fan of healthy, homemade smoothies in the morning.

They are nutrient-dense and easy to make then take on-the-go. But, my appetite for them precipitously declines during the wintery months. The last thing I crave is something cold when it’s cold outside. I realized that the reason my summer berry smoothies didn’t call to me in the winter was a matter of ingredients. This winter I discovered my favorite winter smoothie: the gingerbread smoothie.

This delicious holiday smoothie recipe is filled with healthy, warming spices from ginger and nutmeg to cinnamon and cloves. These spices really pack a punch when it comes to nutrition and taste.

This recipe features just the right combination of protein, fat and minerals, not to mention it will kick-start that sluggish holiday digestion you’ve been complaining about for weeks, thanks to the ginger. And it doesn’t have to be served chilled. It can be consumed at room temperature if your heart so desires.

The Gingerbread Smoothie

• 1 ripe banana, frozen or room temp
• 1-1.5 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 2 Tbsp. almond butter
• 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 2 Tbsp. molasses
• ½ tsp. vanilla
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tsp. ground ginger (or freshly grated)
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
• Pinch of ground cloves
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Thin with additional almond milk or water, if desired.

East Bay Acupuncture & Natural Medicine
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