Mango Rum Kefir Lassi

I think I’m pretty sure I’m late to the Kefir game here, but at least I’ve finally arrived! Kefir is a culture milk drink that is high in nutrients and probiotics which helps aid in digestion. A 6 ounce serving of Kefir has 6 grams of protein and 20% of your recommended daily calcium, and is actually a more potent source of probiotics than yogurt.

Its tangy flavor works really well in smoothies. So when I saw Cooking Light’s recipe for a Mango Rum Kefir Lassi, I knew I had to try it out. (You can omit the rum to have a really awesome lassi for breakfast as well. But hey, who doesn’t love a cocktail that has some health benefits to it?) A lassi is typically yogurt-based, so Kefir is a really simple substitute.

This Cooking Light recipe is most certainly not a traditional lassi, but it’s really tasty and is packed with good-for-you ingredients: kefir, coconut water, honey, turmeric, cinnamon, mango, and bananas. Yum!

Ingredients (makes 3 servings):

• 1 cup plain low-fat kefir
• 1/2 cup coconut water
• 1/4 cup spiced rum (I used a coconut-spiced rum), if desired
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 (12 oz) bag frozen chopped mango
• 1 ripe banana
• ancho chile powder, for garnish

To make, add the kefir, coconut water, rum, honey, turmeric, cinnamon and salt to a blender.

Add in the banana and the frozen mango.

Process until smooth; you may need to mix it up a bit to make sure all of the mango pieces puree.

Pour into three glasses and sprinkle with ancho chile powder. Wouldn’t this be such a great addition to your next brunch?

The flavor is very similar to a mango lassi and has that same nice thick texture to it. You get a nice balance of sweetness from the mango, banana, and honey and the tanginess of the kefir.

I loved the ever-so-subtle heat from the chile powder on top too!

The rum flavor really doesn’t come through, so it’s an easy ingredient to omit. This would be really satisfying as a breakfast (with no rum, of course)!

Related posts:

Frozen Mango Daiquiri Mango Peach Lassi Hazelnut-Mocha Banana Smoothie Chai Toddy