Nobody loves a creamy, delicious smoothie better than I do. So when Williams-Sonoma invited me to help kick off their upcoming "Smoothie Week" with a couple of my favorite "Not Your Everyday Smoothies", I was super excited!
Last week I shared the delectable Chocolate Covered Matcha Smoothie. This week, I thought I'd jazz things up with a wonderfully colorful concoction we can all wiz up in our with whatever favorite fruits & greens we happen to have on hand.
Fresh smoothies are simple to make and incredible for our body, mind and spirit. I make them daily because they're absolutely delicious, alive and radiant… and they make me feel the same way! We all know how important it is to eat the rainbow daily and this delicious Eat the Rainbow Smoothie is a lip-smackingly yummy way to do just that.
So grab your favorite juicy berries, sweet bananas and bright colorful mangos & pineapples galore! (Feel free to choose frozen fruits. They're frozen at the peak of ripeness and, ironically, are often more nutritionally rich than fresh produce which is picked prior to fully ripening, followed by weeks of transport, store display, and time in our homes before ever being eaten) Add a handful of powerful, chlorophyll and mineral rich greens to tuck inside all that flavorful goodness… and you're ready to get blending. Simply layer it up in whatever manner you'd like. Optionally, top it with your favorite berries or superfood treats such as dried mulberries an goji's as I've done here… or keep it simple and leave it as is. Voila, you've got a perfectly luscious fireside treat for bundling up with in your favorite chair, all yours to devour 🙂
Recipe for Eat the Rainbow Smoothie (Serves 2)
Ingredients
4-6 frozen super ripe bananas
1 cup frozen or fresh berries (pick your fav!)
1 cup frozen or fresh mango or pineapple (or whatever you have on hand)
2 handfuls of greens such as spinach, romain, chard, parsley
1/2 a fresh lemon (optional)
dates, raw honey, stevia or your fav sweetener to taste
optional: additional fresh berries &/or superfood toppings such as mulberries and goji berries
Method
Blend the bananas and sweetener to taste in your Vitamix or other high speed blender til smooth and creamy.
Dump 1/3 the mixture into the bottom of your 2 favorite smoothie containers. Dump the other 2/3 into a bowl & set aside.
Add greens & optional lemon to the Vitamix along with 1/3 of the leftover blended bananas. Blend til creamy, taste to adjust sweetness as desired, and divide amongst your 2 smoothie containers.
Add berries to blender and 1/2 the remaining blended bananas. Blend and dump atop the first two layers in your containers.
Add your mango or pineapple and last portion of blended banana to the Vitamix. Blend and add to your smoothies.
Top with your favorite fresh berries &/or superfoods such as mulberries & goji. Or just leave it plain which is super yummy too!
Raw Vegan Neapolitan Nice-Cream Banana Split with Hot Fudge & Caramel
I'm not gonna lie, it's virtually impossible to not feel guilty eating such an insanely delicious Neapolitan Nice-Cream Banana Split with Hot Fudge & Caramel! Our brains are just conditioned to believe anything this utterly divine can't be good for us. And yet…
I'm enjoying this over-the-top decadence for breakfast, lunch, dinner – whenever I want -because this irresistible, melt-in-your-mouth lusciousness is actually completely amazing for us!
Dairy Free, Sugar Free Vegan Hot Fudge & Caramel Sauces in all their glory – Oh My Yum!
Whoever came up with the "You can't have your cake and eat it too" phrase definitely did not know what they were talking about! In fact, the more I learn, the more I realize the complete and utter falsity of that statement. It really appears as though the simpler we live – far, far and away from unnecessary chemicals, processing, faux scents, unnatural flavorings and animal derived products… and the closer we get to the flavor of REAL strawberries, REAL chocolate, REAL sweetness, with a REAL cherry on top, all of which have isn't it obvious SO much better flavor than some man-made replica… the closer we get to authenticity and the healthier and happier we make our bodies. The more living foods we eat, the more alive we become. Life force is that magic scientists still haven't been able to distinguish or identify! It's who we are. What makes us us. When we feed our cells fresh, beautiful, LIVING high-vibrational fruits, vegetables and plant based foods, we're putting that magic into our bodies, enabling us to operate on a higher level.
But hey, even if we're not interested in feeling, looking and living up to our absolute highest level – this sundae is so darn delicious, that's worth it alone 🙂
Complete with Chunks of Raw Vegan Fudge Brownies, Sprouted Walnuts & toppings galore!
So as if looking & feeling our best and sublime flavor weren't enough, I feel compelled to single out one more (super impressive) health benefit from the myriad we'll derive eating bananas, strawberries, coconut nectar, cacao, walnuts, almonds, dates and all the other healthifying/beautifying ingredients in this deceptively sublime dish of yum:
Banana Nice-Cream requires REALLY ripe nanas. I'm talking the kind covered in brown spots – in fact a fully brown banana is excellent because it means the banana is SUPER sweet and will make incredibly CREAMY Nice-Cream. Japanese scientists researching fruits and vegetables and their affects on health have discovered a substance in ripe (brown spotted) bananas called Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF), which increases immune capacity; leading to the conclusion that eating ripe bananas has the potential to help prevent lifestyle-related diseases and carcinogenesis.[1] TNF acts as an anti-cancer agent by stimulating the production of white blood cells helping to fight abnormal tumor cells in the body… Making a Neapolitan Nice-Cream Banana Split with Hot Fudge & Caramel an anti-cancer powerhouse!! Kaboom!
Of course by now you're used to hearing all about all the other hair/skin/nail boosting phytonutrients, antioxidants & vitamins, bone/teeth building minerals, heart healthy omega-3's, and all the protein, fiber and etc. etc. fabulosity found in living plant-based recipes such as this one – and yes ALL of those things are in this dish too! So, rather than write a book here, I'll close it on that. However, should you have any questions or want further details on anything do post your fine question in the comments below.
[1] “Differences in Biological Response Modifier-like Activities According to the Strain and Maturity of Bananas” – Department of Medical Life Chemistry, Japan, 2008.
Recipe for Neapolitan Nice-Cream Banana Split w/ Hot Fudge & Caramel
(Makes at least 2 large Sundaes with leftovers)
Ingredients
Neapolitan Nice Cream
12 frozen, super ripe bananas (PEEL your super ripe bananas first! Then freeze overnight. I peel & pack all of mine into a large BPA free plastic box, smoosh the lid on, then freeze. Each day I dump the whole block out on my cutting board cutting off the size chunk I need since frozen bananas are always sliceable. *PS. Super ripe doesn't mean you want to eat any nanas with cuts, scrapes or mold of course, as they would be harboring bacteria!)
10 ounces strawberries, frozen or fresh
2 Tbsp cacao (or sub carob powder)
your favorite healthy sweetener to taste (stevia, raw coconut nectar, raw honey, raw maple syrup, raw coconut sugar)
your favorite healthy sweetener to taste (I love raw coconut nectar & stevia)
optional: sea salt, cinnamon, vanilla powder
Caramel Sauce
3/4 cup raw coconut nectar(raw coconut nectar is low glycemic, non-toxic,low in fructose, improves digestion, boasts medium chain fatty acids which improve heart health, contains 17 amino acids, a host of minerals & vitamins B & C and is hypoallergenic, antiviral/antifungal/antiseptic/antibacterial & antiparasitic!)
Blend all the bananas using the tamper with your high speed blender (I recommend a Vitamix) until smooth and creamy, similar to softserve, but no where near totally melted like a smoothie. Alternatively, use a food processor. Dump 2/3 of the Nice-Cream out into a container and reserve in freezer for a moment.
Vanilla: You're done with the vanilla! If you want to add a bit of vanilla powder or sweetener to amp it up, go ahead. Dump into it's own container and place in freezer.
Strawberry: Dump 1/2 the reserved (2/3) mixture from step #1 into the vitamix. Add 10 ounces of strawberries and blend until creamy. Add sweetener to taste if necessary. Dump into its own container & place in freezer.
Chocolate: Without bothering to rinse your Vitamix, dump remaining 1/2 of the reserved mixture from step #1 into the vitamix and add 2 Tbsp cacao (or more if you like), a touch of sea salt, pinch of cinnamon if desired, and sweetener to taste. Blend until creamy. Place in a 3rd container in the freezer.
Hot Fudge
If your 1/2 cup coconut oil isn't already liquified (which it will be if your home is over 76F) place it in a glass mixing bowl over a barely steaming pot of water (creating a double boiler affect) and stir til just liquified. Remove promptly to keep raw.
Mix in the 1/4 cup cacao, sweetener of choice, sea salt and cinnamon to taste. Taste to adjust flavorings to your desired affect.
Pour into a lovely pourable container and set aside. *Store at room temperature to keep liquified. If solidification occurs just use the method above to liquify again- tho this won't be an issue unless you have leftovers.
Caramel Sauce
Coconut nectar is your amazing caramel sauce. Simply pour it into your lovely container of choice to serve alonside your Banana Split Sundae!
Assembly
Scoop 1 ball of each the 3 Nice-Creams into a sundae dish.
Slice a pretty banana in 1/2 and place halves on either side of the Nice-Creams.
Place 4 or 5 Raw Brownie Chunks around the dish.
Drizzle with Hot Fudge and Caramel Sauce
Sprinkle with a handful of chopped walnuts.
Add a dallop of Whipped Cashew Cream.
Top it with a REAL cherry and…
Enjoy!
Do you have a favorite sweet or savory recipe you'd like transormed into a beautiful raw vegan version?
Share in the comments below and I'll recreate it for you!
Strawberries-n-Cream Nice-cream with raw fudge brownie topping. Heaven.
Strawberries-n-Cream "Nice-Cream" with Raw Fudge Brownie Topping tastes too good to be true. So incredibly delicious on a hot summer day… Sweet, creamy goodness topped with chunks of rich chocolate brownie.
How did we get SO lucky?!
Proving once again…
we CAN have our
Smooth,
Rich,
Delectably sweet
"Nice-Cream" …
AND our
Moist,
Chewy,
Dark Chocolate
Brownies
& eat them too
AND devour every last delectable bite
with
absolutely. no. guilt.
Strawberries-n-Cream "Nice"-Cream with Raw Fudge Brownie Topping… um YUM!
In fact this luscious treat is a powerful meal like no other. Brimming with…
folic acid, magnesium, riboflavin, Vitamin E & tocopherols (almonds)
anthocyanins, which stimulate burning of stored fat & boost short term memory by 100% over 8 weeks (strawberries)
C-reactive protein (aka inflammation) lowering power (strawberries)
biotin to build strong hair & nails, & ellagic acid to protect elastic fibers in our skin to prevent sagging (strawberries)
And that's just the tip of the 'Nice'-berg! The astonishing benefits of this deceptively delicious meal go on and on. However, let's get straight to the recipe before our tastebuds go crazy from all that drooling 🙂
So simple.
unbelievably delicious.
&
fabulous for our bodies, minds & soul 🙂
Strawberries -n- Cream Nice-Cream makes us beautiful from the inside out!
Recipe for Strawberries-n-Cream "Nice – Cream" with Raw Brownie Topping
(serves 2)
Strawberries-n-Cream "Nice-Cream"
Ingredients
5 or 6 reaaaaallly ripe frozen bananas *TIP be sure to peel your nanas before you freeze them!
1 to 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries
Method
Blend all the bananas in a high speed blender such as a Vitamix, using tamper.
Scrape 3/4 of the mixture out of blender and set aside.
Add strawberries to remaining vanilla mixture to create a beautiful light-pink hue.
Layer into serving bowls/glasses in 3 layers, starting with a bit of vanilla "Nice-Cream" then the strawberry "Nice-Cream", ending with the rest of the vanilla "Nice-Cream" on top.
*This simplified recipe is absolutely fabulous as is. However, if you so desire, feel free to add some vanilla powder to the vanilla-cream base, & even some fresh, peeled lemon – yes, that's right, lemon! I love adding the lemon for a delish freshness you can't quite detect + more vitamin C power & it keeps the ice-cream from oxidizing too!
Raw Fudge Brownie Topping
Ingredients
1/2 cup walnuts (preferably soaked & sprouted scroll 1/2 way down link for instructions ~> here )
1/2 cup almonds(preferably soaked & sprouted scroll 1/2 way down link for instructions ~> here)
1 or 2 heaping Tblsp Cacao
7 or 8 pitted dates halved to assist food processor
pinch of sea salt
cinnamon to taste
vanilla powder to taste (if subbing vanilla extract instead, adjust amount of water added below)
Method
Pulse all the above ingredients in a food processor until well blended adding a Tbsp or 2 of water to moisten mixture so that it sticks together in a firm yet sticky mass.
Scrape mixture out and mold into one large rectangle using a pan to make it easier, or, alternatively, roll into balls.
Place in freezer for 15 minutes to set.
Cut into pieces to your liking, and top off Nice-Cream sundaes. Store leftovers in freezer.
Enjoy!
How is your Summer going?
Have you tried anything new (holistic health/food/art related or not) this Summer? I'm still learning about wild edibles, adding all the various types we've planted to our daily green drinks & salads. delish. and unbelievably energizing. And, at this point I can say I have become 100% Raw Vegan without even aiming for it. No more detoxing is occurring for me now- and that's a statement I once wondered if I'd ever be able to make! Here's to becoming a clean, mean detoxified machine 🙂
Another thing new I'm into is no more air conditioning! There's nothing like falling asleep to the soft, cool night breeze on my face, the sounds of owls, rustling leaves or a patter of rain in the night… awakening to the beautiful chorus of birds each morning. Bringing the outside in brings us in touch with the rhythms of the Earth, the Universe. That unity. experiencing the ebb and flow of temperatures throughout the day. no resistance. the night cools, the morning warmth. and the heat of the afternoon…
Are you reading anything you're loving? I'm loving The Essential Rumi. wow. on par with Shakespeare.
All Love,
Juliane
Thank you for visiting 🙂
Like, Comment, Subscribe & Share!
https://stylenectar.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/stylenectar.png00Juliane Porterhttps://stylenectar.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/stylenectar.pngJuliane Porter2014-06-18 10:41:182014-06-18 10:41:18Strawberries-n-Cream “Nice-Cream” w Raw Brownie Topping (Banana Ice-Cream)
