As a southerner, I don’t think I could live without sweet potatoes. Not only are they delicious—they’re bursting with all sorts of nutrients. Like most orange-hued fruits/vegetables, sweet potatoes are chock-full of beta carotene. They’re also a good source of dietary fiber, protein, complex carbohydrates, vitamins A and C, and, surprisingly (to me, anyway), calcium and iron [source].

Early in my childhood, though, I was wary of these tubers (much like I was any food other than pasta, peanut butter, and corn). My mother convinced me that sweet potato casserole was actually a dessert (which, with all the sugar and toppings added, it may as well be!) so I would just taste a bite. After that, I was hooked, and I always looked forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners where sweet potato casserole would be in abundance.

Nowadays, I enjoy my sweet potatoes any way: baked with a bit of salt and pepper, roasted with cinnamon and coconut oil, seasoned with red pepper and baked into crispy fries, or, most recently, blended into this decadent, dessert-like smoothie.

Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie

serves 1

Ingredients

• 1 cup mashed (baked) sweet potato (cooled)
• ⅓ cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1 Tbsp almond butter (or other neutral-tasting nut/seed butter)
• 1 cup milk of choice
• 2 pitted Medjool dates
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ginger
• ⅛ tsp nutmeg
• crushed graham crackers and chopped pecans, to garnish

Directions

1. Add all ingredients (except garnish) to a high-speed blender and blend till smooth.
2. Pour into a glass (or bowl, if you prefer smoothies that way) and garnish with crushed graham crackers and chopped pecans. Heck, live on the edge and throw on a dollop of whipped cream—you deserve it!

*Edit: you might need to increase the amount of milk slightly. I refrigerated my smoothie overnight, and at breakfast, it was a bit too thick.*

Now you can have your pie and drink it, too!