Date and Almond Milk Smoothie with Cardamom

Name: Date and Almond Milk Smoothie with Cardamom
Prep time: 8 min
Total time: 8 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 8 whole (about 5 oz) (140 g) Medjool dates, pitted, torn in half; ½ cup (120 ml) hot water, just boiled, for soaking the dates; 2 cups (480 ml) unsweetened almond milk, cold, shaken well; ½ teaspoon (1 g) ground cardamom; 1½ cups (210 g) ice cubes; ½ teaspoon (2 ml) pure vanilla extract (optional); fine sea salt, a tiny pinch, to taste

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A creamy, naturally sweet Middle Eastern-inspired smoothie made with soft Medjool dates, cold almond milk, a pinch of cardamom and ice. Soaking the dates first makes it perfectly silky with no added sugar.

Prep: 8 min
Cook: —
Wait: 10 min
Total: 18 min
Makes: 2 smoothies (about 12 oz / 350 ml each)

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Steps

Before you start

Chill the almond milk in the refrigerator so the smoothie is cold and thick.
Boil about 1 cup (240 ml) of water in a kettle for soaking the dates.
Use a high-speed blender if possible; with a standard blender, soak the dates a full 15 minutes.
Check that the dates are pitted, or plan to pit them in step 1.

1
Pit and halve dates
- Slit each Medjool date lengthwise with a small knife, remove the pit and any stem cap, then tear each date in half.
- Place the pieces in a small heatproof bowl.
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Ready when: No pits or hard stem pieces remain.
Tip: Check each date twice for pits; one left behind can damage a blender or crack a tooth.
2
Soak the dates
- Pour the ½ cup (120 ml) just-boiled water over the dates, making sure they are mostly submerged.
- Let stand for 10 minutes.
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Ready when: Date flesh is very soft and squishes easily when pressed with a spoon.
Tip: Do not drain; the sweet soaking liquid goes into the blender.
3
Load the blender
- Pour the dates and all their soaking water into the blender.
- Add the cold almond milk, ground cardamom, a tiny pinch of salt, and the vanilla if using.
- Add the ice last, on top.
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Ready when: All ingredients are in the jar with ice on top.
Tip: Adding liquid first and ice last helps the blades catch everything and prevents air pockets.
4
Blend until silky
- Secure the lid and blend on low for 10 seconds, then on high for 45–60 seconds (60–90 seconds in a standard blender), stopping once to scrape down the sides if needed.
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Ready when: Smoothie is uniformly pale caramel-beige, thick, with no visible date flecks or ice chunks.
Tip: If it is too thick to move, add 2–3 tablespoons (30–45 ml) more almond milk and blend 10 seconds.
5
Taste and adjust
- Taste the smoothie.
- Add a pinch more cardamom or salt if desired, then blend 5 seconds to combine.
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Ready when: Flavor is caramel-sweet with a gentle floral spice note.
Tip: Add spice in tiny pinches; cardamom becomes overpowering quickly.
6
Pour and serve
- Divide the smoothie between two 12-oz (350 ml) glasses and serve right away.
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Ready when: Smoothie is cold and thick enough to drink through a wide straw.
Tip: Serve immediately; the ice melts and the smoothie thins within about 15 minutes.

Good to know

Tips

Do not skip the pinch of salt; it sharpens the caramel flavor of the dates.
For extra body, add 1 tablespoon almond butter or tahini.
Freshly grind cardamom seeds from 3–4 pods for the most fragrant flavor.
If dates are dry or hard, soak them for 15–20 minutes.

Make ahead

Soak and blend the dates with the soaking water and almond milk (no ice) up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate in a sealed jar. Shake, then re-blend with the ice just before serving.

Storage & reheating

Best fresh. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed jar up to 24 hours; shake or re-blend before drinking as it will separate. Freeze in ice cube trays up to 2 months and re-blend with a splash of almond milk. Not suitable for room-temperature storage.

Substitutions

unsweetened almond milk → oat milk, cashew milk or dairy milk. Use the same amount; dairy milk adds protein and a richer taste.
Medjool dates → Deglet Noor dates. Use 10–12 dates and soak 15 minutes; they are less sweet and firmer.
ground cardamom → ground cinnamon. Use ¼ teaspoon for a warmer, less floral flavor.
ice cubes → 1 cup (150 g) frozen banana slices. Makes it creamier and sweeter; reduce dates to 6.