Key Lime Pie Smoothie

This smoothie really does taste like key lime pie. It has a strong lime flavor with a touch of sweet. The dates  and almond milk bring out flavors you’d find in a crust like almond, vanilla and maple while the banana and avocado give it a creamy texture.

Ingredients
1/4 cup homemade almond milk or milk of choice
1/4 cup pasture raised cream, coconut milk or another 1/4 cup milk of choice
3-4 dates, pitted (for softer, more blendable dates, buy them with the pits and remove before using)
1 tsp. pure vanilla
1 small or 1/2 large ripe banana, frozen and sliced
juice and zest from 1 lime (Be sure it’s a juicy lime and not a dud. It should yield about 2 Tbsp.)
1/2 medium avocado
1-2 tsp pure maple syrup (optional) I think this smoothie is sweet enough with just the dates and banana.

Procedure
Blend milk, cream and dates in a high speed blender until fairly smooth. (The dates will not be completely smooth, but blending them with the liquid ingredients before adding the solid will help.) Add the vanilla, banana, lime juice, lime zest, avocado, and optional maple syrup.  Blend on low to medium until creamy and well combined.

Note: A high speed blender like a Vitamix may be required for a smooth texture.