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AIP Red Velvet Smoothie Recipe

Red velvet cake is definitely out for those following autoimmune protocol. Luckily, red velvet flavors are not! With this AIP red velvet smoothie, you can have all the flavors you love in a healthy, and sugar-free, package. Red beets and bananas form the backbone of this smoothie with coconut milk for added creaminess. Carob powder provides the chocolatey goodness you expect from red velvet and a spoonful of coconut cream tops it all off. This smoothie is healthy enough for breakfast and indulgent enough for dessert.

What Makes Red Velvet Red?

The original red velvet cakes were made without added coloring agents. Back then, cocoa was processed differently. Most cocoa found on today’s grocery store shelves is Dutch processed cocoa. Dutch process cocoa has a neutral pH of 7, so it doesn’t react with acid in the same way that natural cocoa, which is acidic, does. The reaction between the natural cocoa and the buttermilk used in the recipe produced a red-brown hue that gave the cake its name.

During World War Two, it became popular to add beets to chocolate cake to stretch the rationed sugar, flour and cocoa. This gave the cake a definitive red color, but it is unclear whether this phenomenon was related to the tradition of red velvet cakes.

In the early 1900s, red food coloring was also introduced to the market. This provides the vivid red coloring popular in today’s red velvet cakes.

Our smoothie uses beets to get a natural vivid red color. In addition to coloring the smoothie, beets also add body and sweetness.

Three Reasons to Make Smoothies Often

1. Smoothies are Easy to Make – What could be easier than throwing all of your ingredients into a blender and pressing a button? No cooking here! I love to make smoothies for breakfast because they are packed with nutrients and they are so easy to make.
2. Homemade is King – Lots of cafes and even fast food restaurants serve smoothies now. You can even buy premade smoothies from the grocery store. But beware of sugar and other hidden additives. If you make your smoothies in your own kitchen, you know exactly what’s in them every time.
3. Better than Juice? – Are smoothies better for you than homemade juice? While juicing is popular, smoothies have one major advantage over juice. They preserve all the fiber and nutrients of the fruit which are left behind in the pulp while juicing.

AIP-friendly Carob Recipes for All Occasions

• AIP Raw Brownie Bites
• AIP Avocado Pudding
• AIP “Chocolate” Cookies
• And more!

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