Cherry season is in full swing up here in the Midwest. It wouldn’t be August in our household without a trip to “Door County.” If you don’t know what the Door County experience is all about, I’ll quickly fill you in. Door County is a peninsula on the eastern side of Wisconsin. It’s a popular tourist/vacation spot known for its vast coastline, beautiful hiking trails, countless local wineries, and cherry orchards.
During my recent trip to Door County, I was able to spend the weekend overindulging on cherry wine, cherry pie, and cherry salsa. Who doesn’t like cherries?! It was a solid foundation for the recipe I am about to share with you today: The Cherry Cheesecake Protein Smoothie.
And if you had any doubts in your mind that I would run out of the cherries I brought home, fear not! The hubby and I are headed on an early anniversary trip next week. We plan to spend a few days in our favorite DC spot, Fish Creek!
But since I have a work week standing between me and my cherry (and wine) filled week, a cherry smoothie will have to do. Luckily for us, its creamy, decadent, and sweet. All you have to do is dump some frozen cherries, yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, and some flavorings into your favorite blender, process until smooth, and top with some graham cracker crumbs. Hopefully you’re luckier than me and realize you shouldn’t set your box of graham crackers down and forget them in the store.
Cherry Cheesecake Protein Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen cherries (I used fresh and then put in the freezer)
- 1/2 cup plain, fat-free Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice
- 1 tablespoon stevia, or sweetener of choice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon butter extract
- 1 teaspoon graham cracker crumbs (optional)
Instructions
- Combine cherries, yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, sweetener, vanilla extract, and butter extract in a blender.
- Mix ingredients until smooth and creamy.
- Pour smoothie into your cup of choice and top with graham cracker crumbs to garnish (optional).
