This week, I have a special treat for you. We just survived our third heat wave — 14 days in a row over 35 degrees celsius — here in Vienna, and this summer has the potential of becoming the hottest one in recorded history. Thankfully, temperatures have cooled down a bit, but the past two weeks, it was already unbearably hot when we trained at around 8am. Therefore, I decided to create a cool-down post-workout snack, banana chocolate cashew butter popsicles! I think they are delicious and my husband almost ate the whole batch before I got a chance to take pictures of the finished “product.”
The popsicles are (almost) as healthy as they can get. Bananas are a well-known “superfood” for athletes, as they are a good “fuel” before, during, and after exercise (a 2012 study even suggests they are better than sports drinks). An average banana contains around 30g of carbohydrates and 450mg of potassium, a mineral that helps stabilize blood-sugar levels, as well as blood pressure. It also aids muscle growth and recovery. Lastly, they are rich in Vitamin C, which helps keep the immune system strong after exercise and speed-up the post-workout recovery. Cashew butter is rich in healthy unsaturated fats and maca is known to increase stamina, but also aid the recovery process. Enjoy!
- 3 small or 2 big bananas
- 1/2 cup (125ml) chocolate soy milk
- 1/2 cup (125ml) natural soy yogurt
- 2 tbsp agave syrup (or other sweetener)
- 2 tbsp cashew butter
- 1 tsp maca root powder
- Combine cashew butter and maca root powder.
- Blend all ingredients except the cashew butter and the maca root powder.
- Gently fold in the cashew butter-maca mixture. Ideally, you should still be able to see a few swirls.
- Pour into popsicle moulds and freeze for a few hours or overnight.
- I usually use all ingredients listed, including a little bit of agave syrup.