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    Home » Recipes » Drinks

    Vanilla Beet Freakshake

    Published: Mar 31, 2017 · Modified: Jun 21, 2019 by Kate Hackworthy · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    Jump to Recipe

    Vegetables in a freakshake? Oh yes! In this healthier mega milkshake, made with fruit and vegetables, the beetroot gives it a wonderful purple colour. It also leaves a subtle flavour that pairs well with the vanilla.

    Mugs of smoothie topped with cream, cookies and straws.

    Commissioned post.

    Freakshakes

    Decadent freakshakes have been a trend for a little while now. Thing is, all that ice cream, cream and sugar being topped by cookies and doughnuts may look fun, but they're frighteningly unhealthy. I don't want my kids to miss out on the fun though, so I came up with a much healthier version - that's filled with fruit and vegetables!

    Let me tell you, they were THRILLED with these freakshakes. The flavour of the beetroot mingles with the banana, and pleasantly shines through with the vanilla. Instead of whipped cream for the topping, I whipped chilled coconut cream so it has another flavour dimension, but feel free to use whipped cream if you prefer. I made mine vegan, as my kids love almond milk, but you can use any milk you have on hand.

    You'll need to plan ahead a little for this recipe, simply by putting the tin of coconut milk in the fridge and freezing some over-ripe bananas. I always keep a stash of ripe bananas peeled and broken into chunks in a bag in the freezer. They're perfect for smoothies and milkshakes.

    As for the toppings, there are so many things you could use. My kids chose sprinkles, coconut flakes, mini Organix gingerbread men and apple rice cakes, but you could also use fruit, raisins, seeds etc...

    Vegan Vanilla Beet Freakshakes in glasses with coconut cream, sprinkles, chocolate sauce and cookies

    Cooking with Kids

    Getting kids into the kitchen, exploring ingredients and cooking together is a great way to get them interested in food. I've found that cooking together from an early age also means they’ll be much more likely to eat and try new foods.

    The way I see it, if my kids help me make parsnip lemon poppy seed muffins, then they won't be so scared of parsnips at the dinner table. When they help to chop peppers for a pasta sauce, they're used to seeing peppers. I never believe in sneaking veggies into food. To me, it's best for kids if they know what they're eating and are used to seeing vegetables. 

    Organix No Junk Journey

    Get the Vegan Vanilla Beet Freakshake recipe!

    Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how this vegan freakshake recipe turned out for you! Leave a comment and star rating below and share a picture on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook with the hashtag #veggiedesserts.

    Mugs of smoothie topped with cream, cookies and straws.

    Vanilla Beet Freakshake {Healthy Treats for Kids}

    Kate Hackworthy | Veggie Desserts
    Vegetables in a freakshake? Oh yes! In this healthier mega milkshake, made with fruit and vegetables, the beetroot gives it a wonderful purple colour. It also leaves a subtle flavour that pairs well with the vanilla.
    5 from 7 votes
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    Prep Time 15 mins
    Total Time 15 mins
    Course Drinks
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4
    Calories 354 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 3 frozen bananas see note
    • 1 cooked beetroot I used vacuum-packed in water
    • 350 ml almond milk
    • 1-2 tablespoon maple syrup depending on sweetness of bananas
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Whipped coconut cream (or substitute whipped cream)

    • 1 can can coconut milk (400ml/15oz can) chilled overnight in the fridge
    • 1 tablespoon powdered icing sugar

    To decorate

    • Chocolate syrup
    • Other optional toppings: berries sprinkles, dried fruit, biscuits (I used Organix mini gingerbread men and mini apple rice cakes)

    Instructions
     

    • First, make the whipped coconut cream. Scoop the thick, chilled coconut cream (leaving behind the coconut water*) into a large bowl. Add the icing sugar and whip for a few minutes or until smooth and thick. Refrigerate it to thicken further and until ready to use. The thickness of the cream can vary from can to can, but if it’s too soft even after whipping, beat in a teaspoon of cornflour/cornstarch to thicken it, but use sparingly so it can't be tasted.
    • For the vanilla beet milkshake, add all ingredients to a blender and whiz until smooth.
    • To serve, divide the beet milkshake between glasses, top with the whipped coconut cream and add toppings!

    Notes

    Don’t bin the coconut water, it’s is a refreshing drink on it’s own or you can add it to smoothies.
    I always look out for over-ripe bananas discounted at my locan greengrocers or the supermarket. Just peel them, break into chunks and freeze them. They’re perfect for smoothies, milkshakes and whizzed into ‘nana ice cream’.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 354kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 4gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 21gSodium: 146mgPotassium: 657mgFiber: 5gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 55IUVitamin C: 11.5mgCalcium: 134mgIron: 2mg

    The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @kateveggiedesserts or tag #veggiedesserts! I love seeing your recreations.

    Two glasses of vegan Vanilla Beet Freakshakes - bright purple tasty milkshakes topped with coconut cream, chocolate sauce, sprinkles and cookies.

    Organix No Junk Journey

    As part of the No Junk Journey with Organix, I've been working with them to highlight healthy eating for kids. I feel that a big part of encouraging healthy eating is to get kids involved with the cooking. Both of my kids love donning their aprons and helping me to cook. For these freakshakes, my two little ones were thrilled to press the button on the blender and add the toppings.

    I like that when kids help in the kitchen, they know exactly what goes into food. They knew that these weren't just pink milkshakes, but that they were made of beetroot, bananas and milk. When we make carrot cake quinoa truffles, they know that carrots and a few other simple ingredients can be rolled into yummy treats.

    Organix have loads of other tips to help get even the smallest kids helping in the kitchen:

    Organix No Junk Journey

    I hope that you'll follow fun and get cooking with kids. You can share your food adventures using the hashtag #NoJunkJourney

    Organix No Junk Journey

     

     

    Disclosure: This Beet Freakshake recipe is part of my ongoing campaign with Organix as part of the No Junk Journey. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make it possible for me to mess up my kitchen and write Veggie Desserts – Healthy Food and Lifestyle.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry

      April 17, 2017 at 9:00 am

      5 stars
      Wow the kids would love these! A great healthy milkshake at last

      Reply
    2. All That I'm Eating

      April 04, 2017 at 1:43 pm

      These shakes look so good, hard to believe that they are full of all good stuff!

      Reply
    3. Xun

      March 31, 2017 at 10:22 pm

      Love this recipe and completely agree with you regarding teaching kids to cook early so they may be more adventures in food at an older age.

      Reply
    4. Heidi Roberts

      March 31, 2017 at 9:05 pm

      5 stars
      I would never have thought to put beetroot in a shake but I will certainly be trying this - the trend to get more vegetables into our everyday food is really interesting.

      Reply
    5. [email protected]

      March 31, 2017 at 3:59 pm

      I love adding veggies to my smoothies, but these freak shakes look so much better than my smoothies.

      Reply
    6. Platter Talk

      March 31, 2017 at 2:32 pm

      5 stars
      Your right, the kids will absolutely love this!

      Reply
    7. Erren

      March 31, 2017 at 2:23 pm

      It's such a pain to get the kids to eat and drink healthy these days but this looks amazing! Such perfect flavors and a wonderful color, topped with fun little treats to encourage them, thank you for this!

      Reply
    8. Revathi

      March 31, 2017 at 1:18 pm

      5 stars
      Wow, cant imagine converting beets into such a gorgeous shake. I simply love all the toppings and the presentation. Beautiful pics too 🙂

      Reply
    9. Raia Todd

      March 31, 2017 at 1:05 pm

      Oh my goodness! I love this idea. And my kiddos are going to go crazy over it, too.... Thanks so much for the inspiration and the amazing sounding smoothie recipe. 😉

      Reply
    10. Katie Bryson

      March 31, 2017 at 1:04 pm

      5 stars
      This is inspired! I love making stuff like this with the boys as they are total smoothie addicts... I'm going to give your beautifully healthy spin on the freak shake a go for sure!

      Reply
    11. Michelle Twin Mum

      March 31, 2017 at 12:42 pm

      hhmm the colour of that looks amazing, definitely very tempting. I'd have to try it and see for myself as I often find beetroot to earthy. Mich x

      Reply
    12. Emily Leary

      March 31, 2017 at 11:49 am

      5 stars
      Wow these looks really special! Brilliant use of healthier snacks.

      Reply
    13. Lynne Harper

      March 31, 2017 at 11:18 am

      Oh my goodness I am trying these out at the weekend with the kids, they look incredible and I also really like the fact that you have added some healthy additions as well, yum x

      Reply

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