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Home › Recipes › By Diet › Dairy-Free
★★★★★67 Comments

Vegan Strawberry Almond Joy Smoothie

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by Lindsay Cotter Posted: April 27, 2015

Dairy-FreeGluten-FreeVegan
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This Almond Joy smoothie recipe is vegan, gluten free, and tastes just like an Almond Joy candy bar, only it’s better for you. An ice cream smoothie with vegan chocolate almond ice cream, strawberries, and coconut. The perfect healthy substitute for a milkshake, too!

This Almond Joy smoothie recipe is vegan, gluten free, and tastes just like an Almond Joy candy bar, only it's better for you. An ice cream smoothie with vegan chocolate almond ice cream, strawberries, and coconut. The perfect healthy substitute for a milkshake, too!

You know what happens when an endurance athlete goes from training 35-40 hrs a week for Ironman to only swimming and light conditioning or short runs? Well, I’ll tell you. Major sugar withdrawals! Oh man, the body definitely still has it’s need to restore glycogen, but when you go from tons of training to “normal person” training, the mind doesn’t get the memo to reduce the cravings. Come on, I know you Boston Marathoners are thinking the same thing right now, right? Haha.

I guess you could say I helped feed this little craving though. I was the wife that used to put almond joy candy bars or snickers bars in the freezer for when the Kiwi came home from a long run or ride. Hey, calories are calories at that point, and those bars aren’t too shabby compared to other natural energy bars. Really! I also used to make a big “recovery” smoothie for him and add in some candy bar toppings. I know I know, but like I mentioned before, some of these candy bars have better ingredients that supplemental bars, just sayin.

Okay, were was I going with this? Oh ya, sugar intake.. um, withdrawals.

We obviously scaled back on the sugar and chocolate. But I felt like we could still get away with eating frozen candy in some form of another.  You know me, I like to “healthify” things or try to out smart unhealthy cravings. I mean, life’s too short to not eat chocolate and sugar, however, life’s too short not to take care of you nutritional needs too. Ya know?

That being said, I think I found our sugar fix solution. It’s vegan, gluten free, soy free but still oh so tasty! And it pretty much tastes like an almond joy candy bar dipped in strawberry jam. I have your attention now, don’t I?

GOOD!

Let me introduce you to our new obsession. This ALMOND JOY SMOOTHIE!

Craving an Almond joy candy bar? Try this layered Chocolate Almond Coconut and Strawberry Ice Cream smoothie that is vegan, gluten free, and tastes just like the real deal; only better for you. Th Perfect healthy substitute for a milkshake too!

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Dairy Free Strawberry Almond Joy Smoothie


★★★★★

5 from 4 reviews

  • Total Time: 5 min
  • Yield: 2 1x
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup frozen strawberries
  • ½ frozen banana
  • ½ cup coconut milk ice cream (we use chocolate almond flavor)
  • 1 tbsp of enjoy life non dairy chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips if you are not vegan
  • ½ tbsp almond butter
  • 1 cup coconut or almond milk
  • optional – coconut extract
  • optional – vanilla or chocolate protein

Instructions

  1. Blend banana, ice cream, berries, and milk first. Then add in your almond butter and chocolate chips last and blend on low to create a layered look. Top with extra strawberries, chocolate chips, etc. I added in a scoop of My Mix Vegan Protein as well.

Notes

feel free to use any form of ice cream, yogurt, milk, or chocolate if you are not vegan. Tasty either way!

  • Prep Time: 5 min

We have a new cookbook!

Allergy Friendly Recipes for Everyone Around The Table! Pre-order here

Most of you can make this Almond Joy smoothie right now with the ingredients in your fridge/freezer. But I’ve also given you substitutes for those who are not vegan or don’t have coconut milk on hand. Just in case!

This Almond Joy smoothie recipe is vegan, gluten free, and tastes just like an Almond Joy candy bar, only it's better for you. An ice cream smoothie with vegan chocolate almond ice cream, strawberries, and coconut. The perfect healthy substitute for a milkshake, too!

I won’t lie, Nadamoo is what makes this smoothie taste amazing! And we LOVE our LOCAL coconut milk ice cream. No they didn’t pay me to say that, it’s all my own gushing! There are tons of new and improved non dairy ice creams out there these days, but I’m all about the gluten free and organic ingredients in Nadamoo; and I’m all about sharing the AUSTIN owned love.

Nadamoo Coconut Ice Cream dessert (fair trade) - dairy free and gluten free. @nadamoo #austin owned.

Either way, add this Almond Joy smoothie and Nadamoo coconut milk ice creams to your must try list.

I promise you’ll get that candy bar craving fix and feel GOOD about it.

This Almond Joy smoothie recipe is vegan, gluten free, and tastes just like an Almond Joy candy bar, only it's better for you. An ice cream smoothie with vegan chocolate almond ice cream, strawberries, and coconut. The perfect healthy substitute for a milkshake, too!

This post is also dedicated to my friend JEN who 6 years ago nicknamed me ALMOND JOY. The name remains today! <3

[Tweet “Craving a Candy Bar? Make this #Vegan Strawberry Almond Joy #Smoothie instead! #fitfluential “]

What’s your favorite candy bar? Have you tried to make a healthier/less sugar version? Do tell!

 

signature1

 

 

 

p.s.

Big congrats to Tina and Katie for their races this weekend!

p.p.s

blending chocolate, almond butter, and berries will never make a pretty color. But I did my best. And it’s damn delicious!

 

 

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Categories: Dairy-Free, Drinks, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian Tags: bananas, coconut milk, ice cream, kid friendly, smoothies, strawberries

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Lindsay Cotter of Cotter Crunch

About Lindsay

Hi, y’all, I’m Lindsay Cotter, a Nutrition Specialist with a focus on Gluten-Free eating. I love creating delicious nourishing food that anyone can enjoy.

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Reader Interactions

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  1. Kate @KateMovingForward

    04/30/2015 at 8:56 PM

    YUM!! I’m so happy it’s smoothie season, I mean spring, again!

    Reply
    • LCCotter

      04/30/2015 at 9:12 PM

      for sure! we love spring here.. summer, not so much. HOT!

      Reply
      • Kate @KateMovingForward

        05/01/2015 at 10:32 PM

        Haha! Yeah…we lived in Texas for two years and summer quickly lost it’s place as my favorite season. 😛

        Reply
  2. Abby

    04/29/2015 at 2:21 PM

    This sounds sooo good! And like a great treat to satisfy a craving!

    Reply
  3. Lucie@FitSwissChick

    04/29/2015 at 12:11 AM

    I love being in the US currently and just be able to go to the supermarket and buy almond milk – not possible in Switzerland!
    Now you should come over to see me and Meghan and Laura and maybe Gigi and we all make a huge Almond Joy Shake Feast.

    Reply
  4. Natalie

    04/28/2015 at 10:26 PM

    Yum!!! I am definitely making this – the kiddos will be on cloud 100! 🙂

    Reply
  5. Laura @ Mommy Run FastL

    04/28/2015 at 7:42 PM

    Ohmygosh, drooling! And you nailed the post Boston marathon syndrome!

    Reply
  6. [email protected]

    04/27/2015 at 11:38 PM

    Your smoothie photographs look so good Lindsay. Smoothie photographs are a real challenge to me. I’ve done some more recently, but I’m still not convinced! Oh, and your recipe is fabulous too! 😀

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • LCCotter

      04/28/2015 at 6:58 AM

      haha it took A LOT OF PICS and the right lighting. LOL! so many ugly ones too.

      Reply
  7. Arman @ thebigmansworld

    04/27/2015 at 11:06 PM

    YES. I was just looking at the aussie protein bars and they made tim tams look like kale.

    1. your photos are gorgeous.
    2. Your photos are gorgeous.
    3. You are not almond joy. You are corn bread cotter.

    Reply
    • LCCotter

      04/28/2015 at 7:47 AM

      haha okay find. how about AJ cornbread cotter? 😉

      Reply
  8. katie

    04/27/2015 at 10:45 PM

    I have been getting better at cutting sugar and these would be GREAT to help me curb the cravings. My vices are Reeses, 3 Musketeers and Kitkat

    Reply
  9. Jess @hellotofit

    04/27/2015 at 4:42 PM

    Yum! This looks so tasty. My favorite candy is Reese’s, and I tried making a “healthier” version before. It was pretty good, but not as good as the original 😉

    Reply
  10. She Rocks Fitness

    04/27/2015 at 4:32 PM

    My favorite candy bar was Butterfingers! I also loved when my Mom would give us frozen Snickers to take with us skiing, when we were little. So GOOD cold! 🙂

    Reply
  11. Abby @ BackAtSquareZero

    04/27/2015 at 4:02 PM

    Yummy I love Almond Joys.

    Reply
  12. Jill @ Champagne for Everyday

    04/27/2015 at 2:54 PM

    Thanks for sharing this awesome smoothie recipe! I can’t believe how many granola bars I used to eat in college. While I try to avoid processed food as much as I can, I LOVE Quest bars because their ingredients aren’t as bad as some, but the Double Chocolate Chunk tastes better than a Cadbury bar to me!!

    Reply
    • LCCotter

      04/27/2015 at 4:26 PM

      I know! same here

      Reply
  13. Sam @ PancakeWarriors

    04/27/2015 at 1:55 PM

    Oh yum, I love the though of icecream in my smoothie! Way to take the day from boring to awesome in just a few minutes! I need to check out some coconut icecream – see what flavors there are! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  14. Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl

    04/27/2015 at 1:11 PM

    Those ice cream flavors sound legit! The maple pecan sounds right up my alley!

    Reply
  15. Cris

    04/27/2015 at 1:06 PM

    Love this smoothie. I am an endurance runner and I hear you LOUD :)) You’re damn right, I need to fuel my body afterwards. On my MUST-TRY Smoothies List already. Thanks, Cris xx P.S. I love your blog!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • LCCotter

      04/27/2015 at 2:29 PM

      ahh yes! so glad you can relate and glad we could connect! xxoo

      Reply
  16. Christine @ Love, Life, Surf

    04/27/2015 at 12:45 PM

    ohmygoodness this is me! I am still eating like I’m working out 5 days a week when really, I maybe take a walk. Gah! And absolutely that so many of those bars and granola bars are just packed with sugar. This looks delicious! I do need to dust off my blender.

    Reply
  17. Lily Lau

    04/27/2015 at 12:37 PM

    I just bought strawberries today, can’t imagine a better use! Thanks for sharing it with us 😀

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • LCCotter

      04/27/2015 at 2:29 PM

      yay! drink up Lily!

      Reply
  18. Amanda @ .running with spoons.

    04/27/2015 at 12:20 PM

    So what you’re saying is that it’s perfectly healthy to snack on candy bars… 😉 In all seriousness, though, I’ve noticed that about some of those protein/energy bars. Heck, even a lot of the granola bars are nothing but glorified candy bars. And to be honest, I’d much rather have something like this, especially since I’m looooooving the smoothies right now!

    Reply
    • LCCotter

      04/27/2015 at 2:35 PM

      funny how you posted bites and i posted smoothie today! we switched brains! but i think we should have a bite/smoothie meet up, yes?

      Reply
      • Amanda @ .running with spoons.

        04/27/2015 at 4:07 PM

        Switched brains, yes, except I wasn’t using mine because I totally forgot to include your bites! Biggest.brain fart.ever. So I had to go fix that 😉

        Reply
  19. Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner

    04/27/2015 at 12:11 PM

    I’ve never had coconut milk ice cream but how can that be bad? Thanks for linking up with us for MM.

    Reply
  20. Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious

    04/27/2015 at 12:02 PM

    Love this! And love what you said about it not being a pretty color. Sometimes the best things look like sludge but your pics more than make up for that.

    Reply
  21. Laur

    04/27/2015 at 11:58 AM

    Do dark chocolate reeses cups count as a bar since they are circles? lol!

    If I see a locally made form of whatever I am buying on the shelf next to the name brand, I will give the local one a try 90% of the time.

    Reply
    • LCCotter

      04/27/2015 at 2:39 PM

      you’d love this lauren! come visit

      Reply
  22. Hayley

    04/27/2015 at 11:34 AM

    Wow look at all those yummy flavors! This sounds so yummy! I have tried their ice cream and love it!

    Reply
  23. Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table

    04/27/2015 at 11:22 AM

    Yes please!!! I need to get my hand on some Nada Moo. I couldn’t find it in GA, but I bet they have it in CA!

    Reply
  24. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine

    04/27/2015 at 11:10 AM

    Give give give! Almond joy love x10000! (And o, I’ve always wanted to try Nada Moo! Jealous!)

    Reply
  25. Sarah

    04/27/2015 at 10:53 AM

    So jealous of your Nada Moo!!! Honestly I saw the container in the link up and knew! I had some last year and I am so bummed it hasn’t made it to stores here yet. This smoothie looks amazing!!

    Favorite candy bar… not sure I could pick just one. Right now if I had to pick just one probably peanut butter cups, not a bar though.

    Last week was crazy with the carbs my husband was consuming and then all of the food over the weekend. I’m not sure who is going to handle it worse this week him or the girls. I’m probably the only one to get back to a balance over here. I can’t imagine how your husband is handling it going from the training he did!?! I know I feel it going from what I was eating to being injured and after a couple of weeks realizing I had, still trying to, adjust things so I really can’t imagine if I thought that was hard.

    Reply
    • LCCotter

      04/27/2015 at 2:35 PM

      sherpa wife needs her balance first! haha, right?

      Reply
  26. Alison @ racingtales

    04/27/2015 at 10:51 AM

    That’s ridiculous! I mean, ridiculously good! I will have to make this…I’ve been making smoothies with frozen banana and kiwi 😉 lately so this will be a nice variation. Plus, I love Almond Joy!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  27. Jen

    04/27/2015 at 10:22 AM

    Now, I’m craving an almond joy! Hah! Haven’t eaten one in forever. I’ve never tried the Nada Moo ice cream, so that is going on my list! Can’t wait to try this one!

    Reply
  28. Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat

    04/27/2015 at 9:54 AM

    Ok, I know I’m supposed to be looking at the smoothie, but girl, I LOVE your wooden board/surface!! (#foodbloggerproblems!!!) I had to get rid of some of my blog props when I moved and am slowly replenishing my supply… I have blog prop envy right now! Anyways, fave candy bar: Reese PB cups. I know there’s like a million healthified PB cup recipes out there but I’m worried that if I start making them, I won’t be able to stop!

    Reply
    • LCCotter

      04/27/2015 at 2:37 PM

      haha james made it for me. see, if you were my neighbor, we could share everything! and sizzlefish!

      Reply
  29. JEssica Joy @The Fit Switch

    04/27/2015 at 9:12 AM

    Love the ‘PS’ notes. Yo, these look delish and NOT ugly whatsoever. Ha! I was just admiring your amazing food styling skills. YOWZ. Better than many-a-cookbook I have seen. Mmmkay, that ice cream blos my mind, and thanks for sharing it BECAUSE I have been wanting to opt out of dairy for awhile, but need my creamy fix. PERFECT. And, LOVE your nickname. : ) Cheers to a great week!

    Reply
    • LCCotter

      04/27/2015 at 2:53 PM

      haha thanks friend. You can call me AJ for short. LOL!

      Reply
  30. Shashi at RunninSrilankan

    04/27/2015 at 8:59 AM

    When I was in high school – I ate Almond joy bars after every swim practice – I hated swimming so I needed to end the session with something I loved! Speaking of love – lady, this smoothie is what my dreams are made off! Yay for dairy free coconut ice cream and milk!

    Reply
  31. misszippy

    04/27/2015 at 8:58 AM

    Your creativity has no ends! This sounds fantastic and I would be mom of the year around here for making it!

    Reply
  32. Giselle Schroer

    04/27/2015 at 8:50 AM

    I’ve got to find some of that ice cream! We LOVE coconut milk ice cream around here! Also love anything almond joys and strawberries 🙂 Perfection!

    Reply
  33. Krysten

    04/27/2015 at 8:32 AM

    This sounds AMAZING!! And that ice cream… I NEED it!

    Reply
  34. Jody - Fit at 57

    04/27/2015 at 8:00 AM

    OMG – YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have not had candy bars in such a long time! I used to as a kid – nestle crunch bars & mounds & 3 musketeers! 🙂

    Reply
  35. Maureen

    04/27/2015 at 7:23 AM

    I have never heard of Nada Moo in my life, and that MUST change! Looks delicious, my friend!

    Reply
  36. Michele @ paleorunningmomma

    04/27/2015 at 7:18 AM

    Almond joy is my favorite, totally drooling over this! Love the ingredients too. I haven’t had coconut ice cream in so long.

    Reply
  37. Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness

    04/27/2015 at 7:09 AM

    I NEED to get my hands on this Nada Moo! The hubby would go crazy for it! Plus, Almond Joys are his favorite, so this needs to happen in our house. Pinning!

    Reply
    • LCCotter

      04/27/2015 at 7:27 AM

      pretty sure we can get you some! let’s email!

      Reply
  38. Maryea {happy healthy mama}

    04/27/2015 at 6:54 AM

    What a great special treat! I love this.

    Reply
  39. Dietitianjess

    04/27/2015 at 6:54 AM

    Chocolate and coconut are second best only to Chocolate and PB! Although throwing in the strawberry definitely makes the competition closer!

    Reply
  40. Erin @ The Almond Eater

    04/27/2015 at 6:48 AM

    Haha! You’re definitely right about the candy bars being basically as good as certain energy bars. Plus they taste better soooo…. 🙂 These pictures are gorg! Pinning.

    Reply
    • LCCotter

      04/27/2015 at 7:26 AM

      that’s what i thought about your smoothie today! gah, we are so twins!

      Reply
  41. Brittany @ Delights and Delectables

    04/27/2015 at 6:43 AM

    I must try this Nada Moo!!! Looks to die for friend!

    Reply
  42. Laura

    04/27/2015 at 6:41 AM

    Yummmo!! Mostly I just want to try that ice-cream . . . Maybe it will eventually come to Canada:)

    Reply
  43. Annmarie Licatese

    04/27/2015 at 6:09 AM

    Love strawberry smoothies! They always taste like dessert to me!!!

    Reply
  44. SuzLyfe (@suzlyfe)

    04/27/2015 at 6:05 AM

    This strikes me as a banana split + coconut shake. You need to try Yummy Health coconut bars–taste just like a giant mounds bar. So minus the almond, but still. I was a sucker for Milky ways, but let’s be honest….

    Reply
    • LCCotter

      04/27/2015 at 7:27 AM

      okay i need! like now!

      Reply
  45. meredith @ The Cookie ChRUNicles

    04/27/2015 at 6:05 AM

    I always had a frozen chocolate stash in my freezer! Ugh so good!

    Reply
  46. Holly @ EatGreatBEGreat

    04/27/2015 at 5:50 AM

    I love almond joy candy bars! This smoothie sounds fabulous and I love the added stawberries! Oh and I think I need Nadamoo in my life…yummy!!

    Reply
    • LCCotter

      04/27/2015 at 7:28 AM

      wish i could bring these to you now and see those cute babies!

      Reply

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Lindsay Cotter of Cotter Crunch

About Lindsay

Hi, y’all, I’m Lindsay Cotter, a Nutrition Specialist with a focus on Gluten-Free eating. I love creating delicious nourishing food that anyone can enjoy.

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