With Easter fast approaching, we decided to get a little creative in our Morlife kitchen. We figured there’s always an excess of chocolate recipes (not that that’s a bad thing!) so we thought we’d try something different. Hot cross buns definitely come to mind when we think of Easter so we decided to combine that classic flavour with our go-to breakfast lately, and along came this Hot Cross Bun Smoothie Bowl.  This recipe is both gluten-free and vegan and is perfectly smooth and delicious, bound to satisfy all taste buds!

To create those delicious hot cross bun spice flavours, we’ve featured our exquisite ChaI’Q Latte. It consists of a deliciously soothing blend of authentic spices and is enriched with enlivening herbs; Ginkgo, Eleuthero & Bacopa. Our ChaI’Q latte is oh so creamy and delicious with notes of honey and vanilla, and adds an extra velvety quality to this smoothie bowl. Although we have stated this recipe is vegan, our ChaI’Q Latte contains coconut powder which may contain traces of milk solids or sodium caseinate (from milk). This has been a global supply issue, and whilst not every batch contains the milk traces, we would rather be safe than sorry. This means we are happy to say our Instant ChaI’Q Latte is vegetarian but not vegan. If you need a vegan option, check out our Chai Excell tea bags, which are vegan, caffeine-free and feature the adaptogenic herbs Bacopa and Ginkgo. Make Chai Excell into a vegan latte using your milk of choice. As another alternative, we would recommend using a heaped tablespoon each of mixed spice and cinnamon to replace our Chai'Q Latte in this smoothie bowl. 

Of course what’s a hot cross bun without the cross right? Before starting on the smoothie bowl you will need to make your cross. We made ours using raw cashews. We always recommend soaking the cashews in hot water for at least 20 minutes before using; this allows them to soften and create a more smooth and creamy texture when blending.  Once you’ve blended the ingredients together you will want to pour it into a piping bag. A little tip: if you don’t have a piping bag, that’s all good! You can easily use a zip lock bag and then cut the corner before piping. Pop your cross mixture into the fridge just to harden a little whilst you put the smoothie bowl ingredients together.

The smoothie bowl is super easy; it’s just a matter of blending and pouring into a bowl! This recipe makes two serves, however if you really want to treat yo’self you can make one big smoothie bowl!

Pipe your cross on the bowls, then top with extra cinnamon and our Morlife Certified Organic Cacao Nibs. Our Cacao Nibs have been grown in organic conditions and are simply the shelled and crushed beans from the cacao tree. Naturally gluten-free, they also provide a source of antioxidants and a little crunch.

Once you’re done, it's time to dive in and enjoy that spicy, creamy deliciousness all in one bowl! Happy Easter fam! 

HOT CROSS BUN SMOOTHIE BOWL

PREP & MAKE TIME: 15 mins

SERVES: 2

INGREDIENTS

CROSS
1/3 cup cashews, soaked for 20 minutes in hot water
3 tbsp coconut milk

SMOOTHIE MIX
3 frozen bananas
4 tsp Morlife Instant Chai'Q Latte
4 medjool dates
½ cup almond milk
1 tsp Morlife Cacao Nibs Certified Organic (for topping)

STEP BY STEP

1. To make the cross, blend the cross ingredients in a food processor until smooth and creamy.
2. Place into a piping bag then put in the fridge to chill and thicken a little.
3. Place smoothie bowl ingredients in a food processor or high-powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into 2 bowls then pipe on the cross.