Salted Caramel Breakfast Smoothie

Combine cashew cream, almond butter, and chia seeds in blender and mix on high speed until blended. Add dates and maple syrup. Continue blending on high speed until dates are broken down into tiny pieces. Add sea salt and blend until well mixed.

Drop ice cubes into blender while it is on and blend until smooth. Add vanilla extract, if using.

If desired, serve topped with coconut milk, dates, or sliced almonds.

Note: To make the cashew cream, I soaked 1 cup cashews in warm water for about 2 hours. If you are thinking ahead, soaking overnight will soften the cashews even more, making them easier to blend. After soaking, I blend the 1 cup of cashews with approximately ½ cup water on low speed until well blended. I add more water as necessary, but only in small amounts so as to encourage blending without making the cream too watery. This process usually takes about 5–6 minutes. If you are planning to double this recipe, you can leave the entire cashew cream mixture in your blender and double all remaining ingredients, pouring them right into the same blender aaccording to the instructions.