Cool, creamy, and ridiculously comforting! This Salted Caramel Cookie Dough Smoothie tastes indulgent but is made with healthy ingredients like dates and oats!
We’ve enjoyed beautiful sunny weather all week and then it decides to be cloudy and dark on the day I need to photograph a recipe. Typical. But after teasing you guys with visions of salted caramel cookie dough smoothies for a couple of days, I wasn’t about to hold off any longer — I’ll take a difficult photoshoot over the wrath of hungry readers any day 😉
That being said, I’m actually super happy that it’s cooling down. After the sprinkling of snow we got hit with a few weeks back, this past week saw us enjoying a slight heat wave which I didn’t really care for much. I mean… I want my sweater weather, dammit!
But I guess I can’t hate on the heat too much since that was what prompted me to create this freaking amazing smoothie. See, I wanted something that was cool and creamy but still comforting… meaning nothing overly fruity or fresh tasting. I thought about going the pumpkin route, but with the recent shortage and a few other recipes floating around in my head, I didn’t exactly have any pumpkin to spare. I did, however… have dates.
Fun fact: I didn’t actually have my first taste of dates until I was well into my 20’s (I grew up with raisins), and it was basically love at first bite. Not only are dates wonderfully sweet and gooey, but they also happen to taste a whole heck of a lot like caramel — hence the name of this smoothie.
Yup! This smoothie is made with dates. I apologize if you came here expecting actual caramel, but I can promise you that one sip of this healthier version will have you singing a different tune. It’s de-freaking-licious. The salt is, of course, optional, but highly recommended since it really helps bring out the sweetness of the dates.
As for the cookie dough part of the equation — again, it’s not actual cookie dough — but it is incredibly doughy thanks to the addition of raw oats. It’s also incredibly thick, creamy, and comforting. And if you’ve never tried adding oats to your smoothies, you need to change that stat because it will change.your.life. And why not start with a Salted Caramel Cookie Dough Smoothie? 😀
I’d love to know if you make this recipe! Leave a comment and rating down below to let me know what you think, and subscribe to our mailing list to receive new recipes in your inbox!
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Salted Caramel Cookie Dough Smoothie
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
Ingredients
- 1/4 frozen banana (2 – 3 small chunks, about 25 g)
- 1/4 cup (20 g) rolled oats
- 3 large or 5 small dates, pitted (around 1/4 cup, 45 g)
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) vanilla almond milk
- 3 – 4 frozen almond milk cubes (or ice cubes)
- 1 tbsp (16 g) almond butter (optional)*
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients into any standard blender and blend until smooth. This smoothie can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for extra thickness and creaminess!
Notes
* You can leave out the almonds and it will still taste amazing. These are just for added creaminess. Also, if you don’t have almonds on hand, a Tbsp. of almond butter will work too.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
Looking for more comforting smoothie recipes? Try one of these!
Chocolate Mousse Smoothie
Oatmeal Cookie Dough Smoothie
Thick and Creamy Chocolate Smoothie
Chocolate Overnight Oatmeal Smoothie
Banana Oat Breakfast Smoothie
Hey, I was just wondering how yours managed to fill the entire mason jar. Mine just went about 1/3. Nevertheless, it tasted wonderful. Love how it doesn’t taste healthy at all! Thank you!
I wonder if date syrup would work. I don’t have any dates but I did bring back some date syrup back from my trip to Israel. If you think it would work, how much? Obviously an equal 1/4 cup would be too much.
Made this this morning after my run. Super yummy! Will definitely be making it again. I’m with ya that I love smoothies but needed one that was a little more comforting now that it’s feeling like fall outside!
Confession: normally I turn my nose up at non-fruit smoothies. They’re just not my thing.
This though I could get down with. I just need to look at it like a milk shake and I’m in. Plus I still have tons of dates and loads of almonds.
Tons of dates?! I’m coming over! I just finished off my 2 lb. bag 😥
AMAZING. Love love love anything salty/sweet 🙂
This is he first smoothie I’ve ever had with oats in it and the first time I’ve ever used almond milk ice cubes. The consistency was just perfect! Also, I am completely out of almonds, so I love how you said to use almond butter instead. Great tip! Pinned. Definitely making it again!
I’m glad you liked it, Maria! Thanks for letting me know 😀
I didn’t have dates until I was older as well. But like you, one bite and I was hooked. 🙂
This smoothie sounds amazing!! Pinning now.
YUMMY! I have never added dates into my smoothies…I should pick up a big old box of them at Costco…It is “cooler” here in Houston meaning instead of 100 degrees it is 80 degrees. LOL! Happy weekend friend…XOXO
Can you drink dough? Oh, what the….! It looks delicious!
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i just made this for breakfast and it’s everything you said it would be! super thick and caramely and very very comforting to my sore throat. I added 1 tbsp coconut flour cos i had to increase the amount of almond milk (the vitamix works better with a bit more liquid in it) and i tossed in some more milk cubes. I can’t wait to try this again with cinnamon in it – i think it’ll taste just like a snickerdoodle!
I’m glad you liked it, Kathryn! And I hope you feel better soon!
My favorite dried fruit is those papaya spears orrr figs! I think the papaya spears, though, because they are pretty much a spear of candy. haha! I really love the thought of using dates as a “caramel” flavor. It’s definitely out of the box but so, SO true. They do taste a little bit like caramel!
The weather here is PERFECT right now. I wish I could have September year round, seriously! 70s and cool at night. My favorite.
I probably would have drooled over/made this smoothie if it was real salted caramel but the fact that this is healthy makes it even better!
I never really had dates as a kid either, except for in date squares (which I didn’t actually like back then for some reason!). They are hands down my favourite dried fruit now though!
The weather here is definitely getting chillier – it’s been between 12 and 18 degrees Celsius this week. I don’t mind if it stays around these temperatures for a while, but I am sooo not ready for anything colder!
Totally obsessed with how delicious this smoothie looks and sounds.. definitely need to recreate the recipe!
Gahhh yes!! BUT, confession: whenever a recipe calls for dates, I’ve been using prunes just because that’s what we have in the house and I thought they tasted the same. Since you say dates really do taste like caramel, I think I might just have to bite the bullet and get real dates eventually.
The weather in Boston was super chilly today! It’s supposed to go back up to mild summer weather on Sunday though… Mind tricks.
Noooo, nowhere -near- the same! I find prunes have a way stronger taste — kind of closer to raisins. Dates are more mild and caramelly.
I never would have thought that almonds would add creaminess to a smoothie – interesting!
I didn’t have dates until my 20s either. But now I love them! And they are so good in smoothies, aren’t they? This one looks delicious!
….It’s even prettier than I thought.
I’m full from brunch but legit got hungry again. going to try the day before trick. Thick and…okay that’s enough.
I have a giant container of dates I’m slowly working my way through…so thanks for letting me know what I should do with them 😉 looks fantastic love!
I need your giant container! I officially only have about 5 dates left from my huge 2 lb. bag 😥
Throw some almond butter in this and we’d really have a party now! I absolutely love the idea of freezing almond milk. Genius!
Umm WOW. I think that I have just three dates left over so you know what I’m making tomorrow!!!
Dates are awesome. I’m actually planning a recipe this weekend, using them. Love the salted caramel flavor… looks like a must try smoothie!!
considering its 100% humidity right now in TX, i’ll take huge mug of this please, extra salt!