This roasted peach and blackberry smoothie starts in the oven. The peaches soften, the berries release their dark juice, and the cooled fruit blends with homemade coconut milk, vanilla, and ice into a creamy purple drink. There is no yogurt or cream in the base. Ripe fruit supplies the sweetness.
Our family spent about three months on the Introduction Diet before moving into Full GAPS. That is why I keep the stage clear when sharing fruit drinks. Roasting the fruit changes its texture, but it does not turn this whole smoothie into an Intro recipe. This one belongs on Full GAPS once its ingredients are already tolerated.
Where This Smoothie Fits on GAPS
Use ripe peaches and blackberries, plain homemade coconut milk, and homemade vanilla extract without added sugar or non-GAPS additives. This is a Full GAPS recipe after these foods, including the peach skins and blackberry seeds, have been introduced and are working well for you.
GAPS introduces cooked berries before raw berries when the digestive system is ready for them. Keep this complete smoothie for Full GAPS, after its other ingredients have been introduced too.
Homemade coconut milk gives this dairy-free smoothie its creamy base.
Start With Ripe Fruit and Homemade Coconut Milk
You need two large peaches and six ounces of blackberries. The peaches should smell like peaches and give a little when gently pressed. Roasting softens fruit, but it cannot give a bland peach the same flavor as a ripe one.
Halve the peaches, remove the pits, and cut the flesh into slices about one inch thick. Keep the pieces similar in thickness. Thin slivers can dry out while thick chunks are still firm. The skins stay on for this version and become part of the blended fruit.
Measure one cup of homemade coconut milk before blending. If the milk has separated in the refrigerator, stir it together first so the cup contains both the liquid and coconut fat. You want the milk itself, not just the thin liquid beneath a settled layer.
The two teaspoons of homemade vanilla extract give the roasted fruit a warm vanilla flavor. Keep that amount measured. Vanilla syrup or sweetened flavoring would bring different ingredients and sweetness into the glass.
Roast Until the Peaches Are Tender
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line the bottom of a casserole dish with parchment paper and spread out the peach slices and blackberries. A Le Creuset Heritage rectangular dish in Artichaut works for this step. The fruit needs room in a single layer rather than a deep pile.
Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, checking the peaches for tenderness. A fork should enter the flesh easily. The slices will look softer and less rigid than they did going in, and the blackberries will begin collapsing into dark purple juice.
Some peach edges may pick up a little color. You are looking for tender fruit, not a tray of dried slices. Use the peach texture as the deciding cue instead of waiting for every piece to brown.
The parchment catches the berry juice and makes it easier to lift the softened fruit out of the dish. Take your time around the soft berries so more of the fruit reaches the cooling plate instead of staying stuck to the paper.
Cool the Fruit Before Blending
Transfer the roasted peaches and blackberries to a large plate and let them cool. A plate spreads the fruit out instead of holding it in a warm mound. You can refrigerate it at this stage, or roast it the day before and keep it chilled until you are ready to make the smoothie.
Do not rush straight from the hot oven dish to the ice. Warm fruit melts the ice quickly and leaves you with a thinner, less cold drink. Let the roasting and cooling happen first, then bring out the milk, vanilla, and ice when you are ready to blend.
The cooled peaches should be soft, with berry juice staining parts of their surface. The blackberries will not look as plump as fresh berries. That softened mixture is what goes into the blender.
Blend and Pour Into Two Glasses
Put the cooled fruit in the Ninja BN801 pitcher. Add the one cup of homemade coconut milk, two teaspoons of homemade vanilla, and one cup of ice. Secure the lid and blend for 10 to 30 seconds.
Look for an even mauve-purple color with no large peach pieces or obvious ice chunks. Small blackberry flecks can remain visible. The drink should pour from the pitcher, with a little air at the surface, rather than standing in a stiff peak like whipped cream.
Divide between two glasses and serve. The exact amount in each glass depends on the size of the peaches and how much liquid they release during roasting. Ordinary smoothie glasses give you enough room to pour without filling right to the rim.
Taste before deciding it needs anything sweeter. Ripe peaches can make the fruit sweet enough on its own. If you do add a little raw honey on Full GAPS, let that be a taste adjustment rather than adding it automatically.
Make-Ahead and Serving Notes
You can do the roasting the day before. Cool it, cover it, and refrigerate it for blending the following day. Have the coconut milk made ahead as well, and the last step is simply measuring and blending.
Blend close to serving for the coldest, freshest texture. As the drink stands, the ice melts and the consistency changes. If you need to hold a finished portion, refrigerate it and stir before serving; it will not keep exactly the same freshly blended texture.
If you bought more peaches than this recipe needs, peach ginger salsa with cilantro is a savory way to use them. It keeps the peaches fresh and diced, so it is a different use for ripe fruit rather than another version of this smoothie.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Roast the Fruit First?
Roasting softens the peaches and brings the berries and their juices together before blending. It gives this drink a cooked-fruit flavor and a tender base. A smoothie made from raw peaches would have a different flavor and texture.
Can I Roast the Fruit the Day Before?
Yes. That is the easiest place to divide the work. Transfer the roasted fruit to a plate, cool it, then keep it covered in the refrigerator until you are ready to blend the next day.
Do I Need Added Honey?
Not necessarily. The main recipe uses the sweetness of the fruit. Taste the finished drink first, especially when the peaches are ripe and fragrant. Raw honey is an optional adjustment, not a required ingredient.
Why Are There Small Flecks in the Smoothie?
The peach skins and blackberry seeds are blended with the fruit. Small flecks are expected. The recipe does not call for straining them out, so make it when those parts of the fruit are tolerated.
Can I Blend the Fruit While It Is Warm?
Let it cool first. Otherwise the warm fruit melts the ice during blending and changes the cold smoothie you are trying to make. Roasting ahead keeps that cooling step from holding up serving time.
Recommended Equipment
- Knife and cutting board for the peach slices
- Le Creuset Heritage rectangular casserole dish in Artichaut and parchment paper
- Large plate for cooling the roasted fruit
- Ninja BN801 blender
- Measuring cup, teaspoons, and two serving glasses
Roasted Peach and Blackberry Smoothie Recipe
Roasted Peach and Blackberry Smoothie for Full GAPS
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Halve the peaches, remove the pits, and cut into slices about 1 inch thick.
- Line the bottom of a casserole dish with parchment paper. Spread the peach slices and blackberries in a single layer.
- Roast for 30–40 minutes, until the peach flesh is tender when pierced with a fork. The blackberries will soften and release their dark juice.
- Transfer the roasted fruit to a large plate and let it cool. You can refrigerate it at this point or roast it the day before blending.
- Put the cooled fruit in the Ninja BN801. Add the homemade coconut milk, homemade vanilla and ice. Secure the lid and blend for 10–30 seconds, until evenly combined with no large fruit or ice pieces.
- Divide between two glasses and serve. Taste before adding any optional raw honey; ripe fruit may supply enough sweetness on its own.
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!More Homemade Drinks for Your Kitchen
The upcoming Drinks & Ferments Cookbook will bring together more WFLI drink ideas. Visit the WFLI shop for current releases. For this smoothie, having a batch of homemade coconut milk ready is the most useful preparation you can do before roasting the fruit.
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