Let’s make a bold statement: cannabis is a superfood. Like ashwagandha, chia seeds, or goji berries, cannabis contains an abundance of vitamins and antioxidants that benefit our health, and we don’t just mean the high from smoking it.
Whether you eat cannabis raw, cooked into an edible or extracted in a tincture, you stand to benefit from a plethora of cannabinoids, acids, and compounds that help with inflammation and protect neurons (among other things). Just as exercise and a balanced diet increase quality of life, so does a dash of cannabis in your morning smoothie. And it doesn’t have to be intoxicating.
Unfortunately, one of the healthiest forms of cannabis consumption, the tincture, gets a bad and boring rap. But they are some of the best ways to experience the full spectrum of cannabis’ benefits, all while maintaining the depth of flavor in individual strains.
Unlike some extraction methods or edible recipes, which can burn off the subtle flavors associated with specific cannabis strains, tinctures tend to keep those delicate terpene profiles intact. The nuances in a pungent Sour Diesel bud, for example, disappear with the heat of an oven, but a simple alcohol or oil extraction? Gassy as can be.
This makes strain-specific tinctures all the more fun to use in recipes—such as the five flavorful cannabis smoothies below. Our complete guide to tinctures provides ample methods for making tinctures at home from your favorite strain, so feel free to use our strain lists to pair terpenes, flavors and recipes to experiment until you find one you like best.
Blueberry hemp milk smoothie
What’s a smoothie without a handful of berries, blue black or golden? The deep grape and berry notes in the indica strain Grape Ape shine next to juicy blueberries and raspberries in this colorful and hearty THC smoothie recipe. Filled with protein powerhouses oats and hemp milk, this sweet shake makes a perfect breakfast on the go! Recipe inspiration comes from Damn Delicious.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup spinach leaves
- ½ cup frozen blueberries
- ½ cup frozen raspberries
- 1 ripe banana
- ½ cup hemp milk
- 2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
- 2 tsp honey or more, to taste
- ½ to 1 full dropper of tincture (depending on potency/tolerance)
Tip: We modified the sugar suggestion in favor of honey, but feel free to mix in a regular spoonful of sugar or alternative sugar option to get your sweet craving fix.
Sweet almond and apple smoothie
Spring is just around the corner, but it’s not too late to rekindle the tastes of the colder seasons’ comfort foods. To commemorate fall’s signature flavors year-round, whip up the cannabis smoothie recipe below. The crisp hybrid Apple Fritter makes for a euphoric and funky complement to the nutty, sweet and salty palate of this protein smoothie. Recipe inspiration comes from livin3.
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Showing you dispensaries nearIngredients:
- 1 apple
- ½ cup coconut, almond, or hemp milk
- ⅓ cup plain coconut or almond yogurt
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- 1 teaspoon raw honey
- Pinch of cinnamon
- ½ to 1 full dropper of tincture (depending on potency/tolerance)
Tip: If you’re not a fan of almonds, this recipe can be modified to include any nut of your choosing.
Simple strawberry-banana smoothie
What can’t the classic combo of strawberry and banana do? It’s in yogurts, desserts, and candies, so what could pair better with this summery hit than the eponymous hybrid strain, Strawberry Banana? We added a touch of turmeric to the below cannabis smoothie recipe to make this smoothie pack an antioxidant punch. Recipe inspiration comes from Gimme Delicious.
Ingredients:
- 1 ripe banana, sliced
- 10 ounces fresh or frozen strawberries
- ½ cup hemp milk
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ½ to 1 full dropper of tincture (depending on potency/tolerance)
Tip: Pump up the health factor with a cup of kale or spinach to deliver excellent nutrition without sacrificing taste.
Tropical Pineapple Smoothie
If you can’t make it to a tropical island, you can at least emulate what the beach bums are drinking. As the weather starts to turn, why not ring in the summer spirit with a refreshing and healthy pineapple marijuana smoothie? Paired with the creative sativa strain Maui Wowie, one sip of this will send you straight to paradise. Recipe inspiration comes from Real Simple.
Ingredients:
- 1 ripe banana, sliced
- ¾ to 1 cup pineapple chunks
- 1 cup packed baby spinach
- ½ cup ice
- 1 tbsp coconut oil (if desired—to up the potency, try infused coconut oil)
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- ½ to 1 full dropper of tincture (depending on potency/tolerance)
Tip: If you have some shredded coconut lying around, add it into the blender to get a bolder coconut punch.
Creamy Mango and Vanilla Smoothie
Mango has long been paired with cannabis consumption due to its sharing the terpene myrcene with many strains, and anecdotally, consuming mango before smoking supposedly increases the potency of your high. We chose the delectable and timeless sativa Mango Haze fits right into the following delectable recipe. Recipe inspiration comes from AllRecipes.
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup cold milk
- ¼ cup vanilla yogurt
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups chopped fresh mango
- ½ to 1 full dropper of tincture (depending on potency/tolerance)
Tip: Feel free to throw in a handful of strawberries to sweeten up this recipe while staying true to its tropical roots.
Amelia Williams contributed to this article.
