Date-Almond Milk Smoothie
A Rajasthani-inspired winter drink: milk blended with soaked almonds, two dates, cardamom and saffron, with a spoon of milk powder for extra protein.
- Region
- Rajasthan (inspired by badam-doodh)
- Status
- Adaptation — badam milk sweetened with dates instead of sugar
- Diet label
- Strictly vegetarian, egg-free
- Time
- Soak 8 h (almonds) · Prep 5 min
- Serves
- 1 (about 320 ml)
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Good for
- Breakfast side, winter mornings, older adults wanting a nourishing drink
- Tags
- Good source · Quick · Soy-free · Whey-free · Gluten-free
- Allergens
- Milk, tree nuts (almonds)
Nutrition (estimated)
- Calories
- 335 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Headline values are per serving, as written.
| kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Sat fat | Fibre | Total sugars | Protein per 100 kcal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As written | 335 | 14 g | 32 g | 16 g | 5 g | 4 g | 31 g | 4.5 g |
Good source. Sweetness comes from 2 dates (about 14 g sugar); the rest is lactose. Controlled, but not low in sugar. Values checked against IFCT 2017 on 14 Oct 2026.
Ingredients
- 250 ml toned milk, warm or chilled · 10 g skimmed milk powder
- 15 g almonds (about 12), soaked overnight and peeled
- 2 soft dates (about 20 g, deseeded)
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder · a few saffron strands soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk
Method
- Blend almonds and dates with 50 ml of the milk to a very smooth paste, about 1 minute.
- Add the rest of the milk, milk powder and cardamom; blend 20 seconds.
- Stir in the saffron milk. Serve warm in winter or chilled in summer.
Protein optimisation
- Milk and milk powder supply 11.5 g; almonds 3 g.
- Boost: 15 g whey (+12 g protein, +60 kcal), or 20 g skimmed milk powder instead of 10 g (+3.5 g protein, +35 kcal, +5 g lactose).
Variations, serving and storage
- Regional: Kesar-badam doodh — simmer the milk with saffron and almond paste for 5 minutes and serve hot.
- Substitution: cashews or pistachios for almonds (slightly lower protein); 1 fig for 1 date.
- Storage: 12 hours refrigerated.
- Food safety: soak almonds in the refrigerator in hot weather; use pasteurised milk.
- Meal prep: soak and peel almonds for 3 days at a time; refrigerate.
Nutrition values are estimates calculated from the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (ICMR-NIN) and typical product labels. They have not been laboratory-analysed and will vary with your ingredients, brands and cooking. Recipes are for healthy adults and are general information only, not a substitute for advice from a doctor or qualified dietitian. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, cooking for children, have food allergies, or live with kidney disease, diabetes or any other medical condition, please take professional advice about your diet. From the collection Protein-Rich India by Dr. Shantanu Deshpande · drshantanudeshpande.com